WGST 3711 - Queer Theory

5 credit hours
Exploration of the historical foundations and contemporary innovations of the interdisciplinary field known as “queer theory.” Beginning with foundational texts in the field, we will trace the development of queer theory as an intellectual tradition and political movement, paying particular attention to how these texts shed light on conceptions of identity and on the possibility of resisting contemporary forms of oppression. Exploration of themes including gender identities, sexualities, social practices, modes of belonging, queer bodies and queer desire, queer politics and activism, and queer modes of understanding time. Study of queer theory’s intersections with fields of study including feminism, critical race theory, Marxism, psychoanalysis, postrstructuralism, trans studies and disability studies. Exploration of how queer theory has been transformed by critiques from outside and within.