Foucault is not the origin of queer theory, nor is queer theory the destination of foucaults thinking. Queer theory is an indispensable tool for researchers asking questions about the roles of power, discourse, and knowledge in the development and sustenance of structural forms of domination. Queer theorys origin is hard to clearly define, since it came from multiple critical and cultural contexts, including feminism, poststructuralist theory, radical movements of people of color, the gay and lesbian movements, aids activism, many sexual subcultural practices such as sadomasochism, and postcolonialism. Queer theory emerged from feminist theory in the early 1990s wilson, 2011, and has been used to answer the criticisms of the coming out theory ohnstad, 2009. Queer theory developed as a combination of ideas grounded in poststructuralism, postmodernism, and social construction theory dynes. The queer art of failure a john hope franklin center book. Queer theory is a brandnew branch of study or theoretical speculation. You will take a midterm on march 30 for the duration of one class period. However, thi boos k doe nos t attemp tto stabilis the e mobil fiele d. Jan 18, 2019 the third addresses sex and gender in the variety of ways in which theyre understood in queer theory and theology, with special attention, mostly approving, to critiques of essentialism and naturalization rejection of essentialist versions of queer theory is a hallmark of the book, and a good one. Queer studies, sexual diversity studies, or lgbt studies is the study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender dysphoria, asexual, queer, questioning, intersex people and cultures. We spoke to a few queer theory aficionados and came up with this list of 20 mustread queer theory texts. Indeed suspicion about the ongoing usefulness of queer theory is a better measure of its viability than widespread institutionalization and normalization.
Queer theory rehabilitates the pejorative term queer in order to denote nonconformist sexualities not necessarily homosexualities which serve to subvert and confront conventional categories of gender and sexuality. How has queer theory influenced the ways we think about gender. John rechy, the bestselling novelist, finds queer odious. Queer theory only came in 1990 and it is distinct from g l studies and feminism. Often examining the intersection of capitalism, gender, heterosexism and the state, queer theory is constantly seeking to break down norms and question the status quo. To o queer the writerloca, escritor y chicana, in analouise keating, the gloria anzaldua reader, 163175. The true story of a nice jewish boy who joins the church of scientology and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today hardcover. Hed prefer to think of being queer as less of a static quality and more of a state of mind. It is strongly reliant on psychoanalytic categories and concepts, but seeks to overcome the heterosexual limits of psychoanalytic theory. From queer reading to queerbaiting the battle over the polysemic text and the power of hermeneutics emma nordin abstract this thesis focuses on an example of fan activity where fans in internet communities are voicing their concern over a practice they have named queerbaiting.
Pdf understand the queer world of the lesbian body. Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer. What is queer theory definition of queer theory define. Using the first season of the l word and queer as folk, this. Nuria perpinya, a catalan literary theorist, wrote a good mistake, a novel. The multiple definitions of queerare examined, to foster an understandingthe positions. A graphic history is a lucid little book that manages despite or because of its lighthearted format to provide clarity on the varied, sometimes contradictory, and still evolving meanings of the term queer, which can be used as a verb or a noun.
The word queer in queer theory has some of these connotations, particularly its alignment with ideas about homosexuality. One of the more complex of these words is queer, a word that entered the language of sexuality and gender as a derogatory term but is now worn and embraced with pride by many. Dynes, professor of art history at hunter college in new york city, takes a hard look at an academic foible. Most especially in that judith halberstam writes not only with authority, but also with genuine wit, which leaves the reader laughing out loud from time to time, something quite. Jun 05, 2014 queer theory emerged from feminist theory in the early 1990s wilson, 2011, and has been used to answer the criticisms of the coming out theory ohnstad, 2009. Queer theory is a field of poststructuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer studies and womens studies. Currently other queer theorists find themselves housed in departments like english and comparative literature. Leave a space between the last quoted word and the first ellipsis dot and a space after the last ellipsis dot. Article pdf available in journal of lesbian studies 124. Queer theory project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Lambda book report when feminism meets queer theory, no introductions seem necessary. Queer theory article about queer theory by the free dictionary. Queer theory in education brings together the most prominent and promising scholars in the field of educationprimarily but not exclusively in curriculumin the first volume on queer theory in education.
An interrogation of the black presence in the queer project. Example xt example note if you omit a word, phrase, or sentence, use ellipsis dots, or three periods with spaces between them. And by that, we mean taking the character out of place, the word out of place, the sentence out of place. Queer used to be a slang word for homosexuals and was used for homophobic abuse. Information and translations of queer theory in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
Queer activism would soon develop into queer theory. Once the word queer used to be a colloquial term for homosexual. Chicago turabian style cardinal stritch university. Queer theory grew out of feminism and gender studies in the 1990s in this theory the word queer is not necessarily a synonym for gay but rather a position that rejects conventions or mainstream expressions of all types of behaviour including sexuality and gender. Gaylesbian studies, in turn, grew out of feminist studies and. The term queer theory was introduced in 1990, with eve kosofsky sedgwick, judith butler, adrienne rich and diana fuss all largely following the work of michel foucault among its foundational proponents. The word queer in queer theory has some of these connotations, particularly its alignment with. Queer theory definition of queer theory by the free dictionary. Queer keywords for american cultural studies, second edition. A onestop, nononsense introduction to the core of postmodern theory, particularly its impact on queer and gender studies.
Queer theory is not a theory in the traditional sense of the word. Capuzza, 2015 is among the rst books in communication studies that are focused. The movements of theory and the movements of political action never follow one from the other, nor does one simply express the other in different form. The term queer theory was introduced in 1990, with eve kosofsky sedgwick, judith butler, adrienne rich and diana fuss all largely following the work of michel foucault being among its foundational proponents. Essay on the queer theory 1875 words 8 pages queer, a word first used by the scottish in 1508 to mean strange, peculiar, or eccentric, has evolved into a critical theory signifying resistance to the traditional views on gender and sexuality since the early 1990s. Nov 14, 2016 overall the book achieves its aim most efficiently and pleasurably, serving as an introduction to the academic world of queer theory. Most especially in that judith halberstam writes not only with authority, but also with genuine wit, which leaves the reader laughing out loud from time to time, something quite unknown until now in books of queer theory. Virtually all gay men are opposed to queer, and most of them vehemently so. Keywords feminist theory, queer theory, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender. Overall the book achieves its aim most efficiently and pleasurably, serving as an introduction to the academic world of queer theory. Rather than rolling out the alphabet soup of gay lesbian b isexual. Queer theory is a part of the field of queer studies whose roots can be found in womens studies, feminist theory, and gay and lesbian studies, as well as postmodern and poststructuralist theories.
The term queer theory was introduced in 1990, with eve kosofsky sedgwick. As a result, foundational texts in the queer studies project emerged beginning with, fear of the queer planet. In this sense of the word, queer is understood as an umbrella term that refers to a range of sexual identities that are not straight. Queer theory seeks, among other things, to describe or map out the ways homosexual or homoerotic desire manifests itself in literary and cultural texts. Queer theory is a rapidly growing field in the critical theory tradition. Queer theory an approach to issues of sex and gender which has primarily arisen out of postmodernist thought. This sense of queer theorys builtin obsolescence might be read as evidence less of queer theorys inevitable decline than its transitory and always transformational potential.
Feminist theory and queer theory university of georgia. Finally, in addressing the history of queer theory it is important to acknowledge the history of the word queer itself. If sex is not just about reproduction, it is not just about genes, xy chromosomes, and hormones either. The handbook of gender, sex, and media wiley online books. Jose munoz complicates the queer picture by discussing the place of racialethnic minorities in queer theory. Mar 04, 2019 queer theory seeks, among other things, to describe or map out the ways homosexual or homoerotic desire manifests itself in literary and cultural texts. Queer theory loves destabilizing popular cultural narratives. An introduction, annamarie jagose provides a clear and concise explanation of queer theory, tracing it as part of an intriguing history of samesex love over the last century, from midcentury homophile movements to gay liberation, the womens movement and lesbian feminism, to the reappropriation of the term queer. It teaches us that language and human expression, in all its forms, are stranger than we ever thought. Reading and rereading the sexual subject brenda cossman although some scholars no longer see a place for feminist theory in analyses of sexuality, this article shows that there are lessons to be learned by examining queer theory through the lens of feminism. Reclaiming queer is an examination of the rhetorical linkage of queer theory in the academy with streetlevel queer activism in the 1980s and early 1990s. In other political and academic contexts, queer is used in a very different way. Queer theory is not another term for gay and lesbian stud.
The handbook of gender, sex and media offers original insights into the complex set of relations which exist between gender, sex, sexualities and the media, and in doing so, showcases new research at the forefront of media and communication practice and theory. Gender theory and the study of asia, africa and the middle east. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender histories and public culture by robert mills in a newspaper article in 2004, the activist peter tatchell posed the question what would be in a queer museum. Since even queer theory was primarily founded by white people, he questions whether existing notions of queerness should be destabilized. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorisation of queerness itself. It does not focus on certain group of people but highlights sexual differences among all people. Queer was always the word of our enemies the last word gay men heard as they were being beaten to death.
Sex is introduced to explain skeletal structure, mental aptitude, posture, emotional disposition, aesthetic preference, body fat, sexual orientation and responsiveness, athletic ability, social dominance, shape and weight, artistic ability. Edited by michele aina barale, jonathan goldberg, michael. Though rutis book is complex in its content and theory, for me at least, it helps navigate these tensions in teaching. The word queer was used to describe homosexual males. Heavily influenced by the work of eve kosofsky sedgwick, judith butler, and lauren berlant, queer. Though the reasonerotic dualism seems to be an aspect of the original culturenature dualism, the heterosexualqueer dualism. Feminism meets queer theory indiana university press. Background queer theory libguides at university of.
Coming out theory identified stages a person needed to go through before comfortably identifying as a gay male or lesbian ohnstad, 2009. Here is a book well worth the time and attention it takes to read it and to consider its implications. Both queer theory and the act of queering are parts of the process of reclaiming the word queer, a word that used to be a slur and has still not fully shaken its derogatory connotations. There is no way that such a word can be reclaimed, as the queer theorists disingenuously put it. Coming out theory identified stages a person needed to go through before comfortably identifying as a. It grew out of gaylesbian studies, a discipline which itself is very new, existing in any kind of. Queer theory identify it as a significan schoot l o f thought, whic h those in pursuit of genera knowledgl shoule bde familia withr i, s to risk domesticating it, an d fixing it in ways that quee r theory resist fixins g itself. A rough introduction queer theorys origin is hard to clearly define, since it came from multiple critical and cultural contexts, including feminism, poststructuralist theory, radical movements of people of color, the gay and lesbian movements, aids activism, many sexual subcultural practices such as sadomasochism, and postcolonialism. Theoretical studies in curriculum have begun to move into cultural studiesone vibrant and increasingly visible sector of which is queer theory.
384 979 36 1097 970 518 1317 237 747 508 877 1495 501 142 1462 173 375 355 296 1334 859 665 2 749 41 965 253 1087 601 590 900 1062 376