Queer Theories

A study of the core texts and key debates that have shaped queer theory, considering the work in feminism, critical race studies, gay and lesbian studies, and poststructuralism out of which queer theory developed; emphasizing how queer theory provides a broad framework that designates non-normative modes of knowledge, cultural practices, and political activism; and examining the ways in which queer theory has recently been challenged to move in new directions. Students will encounter the classics of queer theory and also other more recent thinkers who were inspired by these earlier works. Students will examine how, for instance, Judith Butler's ideas about gender performativity have been reshaped by recent transgender and intersectional theorists.