Queer Theory: An Introduction (Paperback)

by Annamarie Jagose (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Annamarie Jagose knows that queer theory did not spring full- blown from the head of any contemporary theorist. It is the outcome of many different influences and sources, including the homophile movement, gay liberation, and lesbian feminism. In pointing to the history of queer theory--a history that all too often is ignored or elided--Jagose performs a valuable service.--Henry Abelove, co-editor of The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader

The political and academic appropriation of the term queer over the last several years has marked a shift in the study of sexuality from a focus on supposedly essential categories as gay and lesbian to more fluid or queer notions of sexual identity. Yet queer is a category still in the process of formation. In Queer Theory, Annamarie Jagose provides a clear and concise explanation of queer theory, tracing it as part of an intriguing history of same-sex love over the last century.

Blending insights from prominent theorists such as Judith Butler and David Halperin, Jagose argues that queer theory's challenge is to create new ways of thinking, not only about fixed sexual identities such as heterosexual and homosexual, but also about other supposedly essential notions such as sexuality and gender and even man and woman.

About the Author
Annamarie Jagose is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Melbourne, and the author of Lesbian Utopics. Her novel In Translation won the PEN Award for Best First Fiction in 1994.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (February 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814742343
• ISBN-13: 978-0814742341
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, concise introduction..mostly, November 26, 2001

By	Christopher W. Chase "Christopher W. Chase" (East Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jagose's slim book is a historical/genealogical account of queer theory, placing it in a historical context of growing gay and lesbian liberation movements, from the homophile movement of the Mattachine Society to lesbian feminism, gay liberation, and the appropriation of the term queer as a strategic term. The essence of modern queer theory as proposed here is to move beyond "identity politics" in gay and lesbian studies. The proposal of any sexual orientation as normative, whether straight or gay, is counter to the deconstructive tendencies of queer theory, which problematizes the whole notion of "orientation" or "gender" or "sexuality." Some have called queer theory the "deconstruction" of gay and lesbian studies, where shifting and unstable sexual identities are destablized in favor of open-ended and multiple readings of cultural phenomena.

This points to the stormy reception queer theory has recieved. Some have argued that this deconstruction of sexual orientation and gender serves the political interests of the right-wing, preserving male and heterosexist hegemony while undermining women's voices and progressive politics. Queer theory, like bisexuals, poses a "crisis of meaning" for many who wish to carve out a safe and protective space for gays and lesbians. As gay and lesbian studies have often relied on sexual orientation/sexual identity as a fundamental category, queer theory attempts to destablize this "bedrock," revealing the power structures and discursive limits within.

The main qualm I have with this book is its relative lack of literary and artistic culture and the role different authors and figures played in the shifts within queer culture. The book would be all the stronger for the inclusion of such material.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview, March 10, 1998

By	Christopher Sparks ([e-mail]) (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

The author, demonstrating knowledge that can only be termed encyclopaedic, gives an excellent overview of a diverse body of literature devoted to the issues of gender, sexuality and identity. After reading this book I have a firm understanding of the evolution of queer theory and the bibliography will prove invaluable in reading further about various aspects of this fascinating subject. The book is especially valuable as it gives mention to various movements, such as homophile, gay liberation and lesbian feminist, in an Australian as well as American context. Be warned though, you may find it handy to have a dictionary around.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is Something Queer Going on Here!, March 3, 2003

By	Michael S. Waren "schoeder" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Author Annamarie Jagose does a good job of highlighting the top scholars in the queer studies field and putting them together in one, concise volume. As a media communications scholar with an emphasis in queer studies I found this book immensly helpful. Jagose does a good job of chronicling history as well, so that the reader gets an insight of what was going on historically in the gay rights movement. I applauded the chapter also on lesbian feminism since that is often left out of many queer studies books. Highly recommended for scholar new to this field. While the definition(s) of "queer" are hard to define, I can at least appreciate someone who can make some sense of an often confusing and muddy subject.