TY - JOUR PY - 2003// TI - No JO - Language and communication A1 - Kulick, Don SP - 139 EP - 151 VL - 23 IS - 2 N2 - This article examines how the enunciation (or not) of the word [`]no' in particular social situations works performatively to produce those situations as sexual, materializing particular subjects as sexual subjects. Three instances are examined in detail: (1) cases of rape, where the meaning of a woman's [`]no' may be disputed; (2) the [`]Homosexual Panic Defense', which claims that unwanted homosexual advances may legitimately be resisted with physical violence rather than words; and (3) sadomasochistic scenes, where [`]no' is a token of formulaic resistance used to heighten pleasure. It is argued that in analyzing such instances, performativity must be distinguished from performance, and identity from identification.

LA - SN - 0271-5309 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0271-5309(02)00043-5 ID - ref1 ER -