Queer Theory Flashcards
What is Queer Theory?
A field that challenges fixed categories of gender and sexuality, seeing them as socially constructed.
How does Queer Theory view identity?
Identity is fluid and historically contingent rather than fixed.
What is gender performativity?
The idea that gender is not innate but enacted through repeated social behaviors.
What does Queer Theory say about heteronormativity?
It critiques the privileging of heterosexuality as the societal norm.
What is anti-normativity in Queer Theory?
The rejection of social norms that privilege certain identities over others.
How does Queer Theory critique labels like “gay” and “straight”?
It argues that these categories are socially constructed and historically specific.
What role does power play in Queer Theory?
It examines how institutions enforce norms around gender and sexuality.
How is Queer Theory influenced by poststructuralism?
It questions binary categories and emphasizes the instability of meaning.
What are critiques of Queer Theory?
Some argue that rejecting identity categories makes activism more difficult.
How does Queer Theory intersect with feminism?
It builds on feminist critiques of gender but expands them to challenge all identity norms.
