300835 Introduction to Queer Theory (S) (SoSe 2024)

Seminar content

Queer existences, the formation of queer identities, and societal discourses on queerness present intriguing questions. Queer Theory equips us with conceptual tools to explore these questions, thereby challenging conventional, binary conceptualisations of gender, sexuality and identity. As we embark on this seminar, we will delve into the foundational ideas of poststructuralism and deconstructivism on gender and sexuality, which have inspired queer theorists since the field’s emergence in the early 1990s.

Understanding the socio-historical context in which queer theories originated is crucial. Having immersed ourselves in this backdrop, we will then proceed to dissect pertinent terminologies such as sexuality, identity, kinship, and the constructs of hetero- and homonormativity. We will delve into topics including identity management/politics, temporality, as well as spatial and embodied aspects of queerness, drawing on the influential work of scholars like Kosofsky Sedgwick, Freeman, Muñoz, Halberstam, and Ahmed.

Moreover, we will investigate the intersections of Queer Theory with related fields of study such as Quare Studies, Crip Theory, Trans Studies, and Indigenous Studies. This exploration will provide us with a nuanced understanding of the complex dimensions of queer lived realities and identities, laying a solid foundation for further studies into queer theory.

Seminar objectives

After completing this course, students will have gained the ability to

1. outline different queer theoretical concepts;
2. critically engage with these concepts;
3. apply these concepts to examples of daily life or popular culture.

Requirements for participation, required level

Students are recommended to have basic knowledge in sociological gender theory. While I encourage students to use this seminar as an opportunity to practise writing in a language that is not their native language, I accept term papers in both English and German.

Bibliography

Ahmed, Sara. 2006. "Find Your Way." In Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Butler, Judith. 1990. "Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire." In Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, 1-34. New York: Routledge.

Duggan, Lisa. 2003. The Twilight of Equality?: Neoliberalism, Cultural Politics, and the Attack on Democracy. Boston: Beacon Press.

Foucault, Michel. 1978. The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction. New York: Vintage Books.

Johnson, E. Patrick. 2002. "‘Quare’ Studies, or ‘Almost Everything I Know about Queer Studies I Learned from my Grandmother.’” In The Masculinity Studies Reader, edited by Rachel Adams and David Savran, 96-118. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Lorde, Audre. 1978. "The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power." In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde, 53-59. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press.

Muñoz, José Esteban. 1999. "Queerness as Horizon: Utopian Hermeneutics in the Face of Gay Pragmatism." In Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Muñoz, José Esteban. 2009. Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity. New York: NYU Press.

Puar, Jasbir. 2007. Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Rubin, Gayle. 1993. "Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality." In The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, edited by Henry Abelove, Michèle Aina Barale, and David M. Halperin, 3-44. New York: Routledge.

Stryker, Susan. 2006. "(De)Subjugated Knowledges: An Introduction to Transgender Studies." In The Transgender Studies Reader, edited by Susan Stryker and Stephen Whittle, 1-18. New York: Routledge.

Stryker, Susan. 2008. "Introduction." In Transgender History, 1-11. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press.