POLSCI 551 - Queer Theory & Politics

3 Credit(s) | Lecture | Graded
Course can be counted for credit once

Description:
Queer Theory is a field of study that critically examines sex, gender, sexuality, and sexual desire from a dissident and “gay affirmative” (Sedgwick) perspective. Its primary aims are the de-naturalization of (hetero)sexuality and (hetero)normative gender categories, identities, and expression. This course in queer theory is specifically focused on politics, and as such will trace the academic development of queer theory in tandem with and as a response to the historical development of US queer/LGBTQ social movements. The intention is to read queer theory as both a scholarly and an activist project. The course will provide an overview history of queer/LGBTQ politics and social movements alongside a reading of central texts, documents, manifestos, interviews, and other primary sources. Although the “theory” of queer theory will be foregrounded in this course, with primary emphasis placed on mastery of the content and arguments of the theoretical texts, and intellectual understanding of texts alone will be incomplete without also situation that understanding within the history and context of these texts’ emergence.

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