Foucault and Queer Theory

by Tamsin Spargo, Richard Appignanesi (Editor)

Foucault's theories on power, crime and sexuality have enourmously influenced the postmodern debates within postfeminism, cultural studies, sociology, and history.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Sociology, Theory, Gender

80 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 1995

Reviews

[fer]

Gostei bastante, me fez refletir e nao achei tao dificil de ler (pelo menos na primeira parte).

Eu uma simples pessoa de exatas tenho receio de ler esse tipo de livro mais academico mais focado em filosofia, ciencias sociais e etcs pq sempre acho que vai ser super dificil de entender. Me surpreendi mt com a primeira parte porque achei super de boinhas de ler. Já a segunda parte que é meio que focada em religiao já achei super complicada cheia de palavras dificeis e nao consegui entender direito kkkkkkkkk o auge, "ai mAs eSsE LiVrO tEm MuItAs pAlAvRaS dIfIcEiS" kkkkkkkkkk

ENFIM, o livro nao tem obrigacao de ser super acessivel nem super facil de entender por gente leiga tbm, entao fodase o meu comentario de qualquer forma kkkkkkkk

mas enfim, gOSTEI e consegui entender a maioria das ideias que o livro se propos a trazer.

[سیاووش]

"If queer becomes normal, respectable, if it becomes just another option, then it ceases to be queer."
شروع رسمی مطالعه‌ی نظریه‌ی کوییر. برای باز کردن بحث بد نبود.

[Jimmy]

An essay from the Postmodern Encounters series of books on 2oth Century philosophers. It was an interesting read. So much has changed since then.

Here is an interesting quote from the end of the book: "If queer becomes normal, respectable, if it becomes just another option, then it ceases to be queer."

Here is a personal story from my blog about an experience I had as a boy when a coach was outed:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

[Michael Palkowski]

A clear and well written text that effectively delineates Foucault and how his writing relates more broadly to queer theory. It effectively deconstructs and explains his rhetoric and engages more critically than other texts I have read on the subject. It focuses heavily on the end of his career however and applications of earlier work are not as forthcoming as his histories of sexuality.

The length of the book is both a positive and negative. It occasionally mentions writers without providing any analysis of their ideas or contribution to the field, with single sentence treatment. This makes sense being that the focus is on Foucault, but it means that the application to his work is distinctly vague at points as its merely stated that his work HAS been used/appropriated by others

Readers won't get anything more from a paragraph mentioning very briefly the work of Bristow, Cohen, Dollimore, Edelman, Sinfield et al without a justification for their mention, other than the fact they are using queer theory. Another point of critique is that the camp section is fairly vacuous and doesn't seem to use obvious choices (Sontag's essay?) or expand it within Butler's conceptualization of drag queens instead of a loose narrative skirting around it. Another point is that the text mentions words like 'deconstruction' from Derrida without much elaboration. This is fine for me and others who are very familiar with Derrida's work, but as a primer, it would require additional searches/books. Despite these points, the book is really great and covers a lot of ideas in a really provocative and solid style.

[Guilherme Smee]

Essa coleção ArGos da Editora Autêntica é muito boa para aqueles que querem buscar um arcabouço maior e ser introduzido aos preceitos da Teoria Queer. Já havia lidos dois ótimos livros desta coleção e este é mais um daqueles que a compõem. Em seu primeiro ensaio, Tasmin Spargo explica, com muita propriedade as bases das teorias foucaultianas e da teoria queer, bem como aquilo que ela têm em comum, como uma influenciou a outra e novas abordagens a partir delas. No segundo ensaio, sobre as aproximações das teorias queer e da teologia pós-seculares, a autora compara os sentimentos de ágape e de êxtase como elementos essenciais do sentimento de estranhamento e de não-pertencimento que fundamentam a teoria queer. Por fim, somos apresentados a um epílogo pelo teórico queer brasileiro Richard Miskolsci, que analisa uma obra seminal de Foucault para a teoria queer que é o primeiro volume de A História da Sexualidade: a vontade de saber. Mikolsci explica como essa obra influenciou e continua influenciando a teoria queer, posicionando a sexualidade como algo construído e não algo biológico, natural e inerente ao ser humano. Um bom livro introdutório para um tema que costuma deixar as pessoas com a pulga atrás da orelha.

[Antonio Castillo]

Un poco de historia, un poco de filosofía y un poco de paja. Daba su extensión no da para mucho, pero hay varios conceptos filosóficos interesantes que a lo tonto me han hecho hacerme algunas preguntas. También algo de historia de algo tan en boga como la identidad.

[Joel]

Muy buena guía para introducirte a Foucault, la teoría Queer y cómo se relaciona el autor y su filosofía con el movimiento Queer.

Decidí leer este libro después de leer “Queer: una historia gráfica” y a modo de seguir preparándome antes de empezar a leer las obras de Foucault.

El contenido esta muy bien estructurado en capítulos de máximo cuatro páginas cada uno. Cada capítulo enlaza directamente con el anterior aunque trate temas muy concretos en cada uno.

Finalmente, se incluye un glosario de conceptos clave que facilita la comprensión de lo que vas leyendo. También me parece muy útil para poder volver a estos conceptos claves en cualquier otro momento y una vez acabado el libro.

[Daniel Santana]

Claro, conciso y muy esclarecedor respecto al pensamiento de Foucault y la teoría queer. Este es el tipo de ensayos/manuales que cumplen con su objetivo: hacer de un tema complejo, algo accesible y fácil de comprender.

[Caitlin Mackinlay]

“In the consumer society of late capitalism, are queers really just lesbians, gays and a few others whose most intimate relationship is with their credit cards?”

good text for a concise introduction to both Foucault and queer theory. the age of the text is reflected in the arguements presented, with intersectionality for example only being mentioned at the end of the text as a dropped in and undeveloped point. regardless a helpful and short text to aid readers.

3/5

[Carlos Sarabia]

Quite introductory and simplified but it is good as a reference, for me at least.

[mohamadsamzade]

ترجمه ی حمید پرنیان
انتشارات گیلگمشیان
تورنتو، کانادا، بهار 2014

[Little Danny]

As a short, accessible essay requiting Foucauldian sentiments with contemporary queer theory, it does its job well. It's a relatively introductory text, but the author is fairly thorough in his explanation of some of Foucault's most important concepts. Even if you're familiar with him, this work might help Foucault in a new light as relevant to modern LGBT issues (or modern sexual issues in general).

[Ares Aguilar Sotos]

Buen resumen de los inicios de la teoría queer y su relación con Foucault. Sin embargo, echo en falta mucha más profundidad en todas las secciones. Como definición de diccionario de teoría queer, muy buena; como otra cosa, muy escasa.

[Yara]

Good book! I went to this looking for a clear explanation of Foucault’s influence on the development of the queer theory, and I got it.

I’ll recommend it to anyone interested on the matter, yet I’d say a minimum knowledge on Foucault’s work is needed to comprehend everything

[Luke]

I picked this up in the Amnesty bookshop in Kentish Town on a whim. Before this I'd listened to a few pieces about Foucault, and truly I don't think I learnt any more from reading this. It is a good way to see if you'd want to learn more, and perhaps discover people like Judith Butler.

[Kyle]

As someone pretty familiar with Foucault and Queer Theory, I was rather doubtful such a small book could provide a good introduction to the area. It’s definitely limited and rather brief, but I would say it would be a very good starting place for those totally new to the subject matter.

[Jennifer Leigh Kiefer]

Helpful introduction to Foucault and queer theory!

🏳️‍🌈gay points for "Queer can function as a noun, an adjective or a verb, but in each case is defined against the "normal" or normalising" and for the person who had this book before me and wrote "boom!" In the margins

[Saúl Castillejo]

Como introducción a algunos conceptos y resumen del recorrido histórico de "lo queer" es interesante, pero me da la sensación de que se centra más en explicar la teoría de Butler que la de Foucault.

[Serkan Kasapoglu]

A very pretty wrap-up of to what extent Foucault is a catalyst of queer theory.

[erin w]

cover makes my graphic design heart happy

[not. antonimo. .exe]

Muy cortito y funciona como resumen de la xapa que cuenta este tío

[Trevor Wilkinson]

the idea that sexuality is constructed not natural had me gagged from the jump and i’m still in shock- 10/10

[Ed]

“No comment.” — Foucault

[Iraultza]

Buena introducción MUY GENERAL a Foucault, la teoría queer y los estudios gays y lesbianos

[Livia]

li para uma aula, tinha esquecido de marcar esse. meu primeiro contato com foucault meio que amei....

[Satu]

im so tired of foucault please

[Tatiana Alejandra de Castro Pérez]

Obra que comenta los textos de Foucault que han nutrido las llamadas teorías queer, ya que son un conjunto y no algo único y homogéneo. Dicha obra sirve como una guía para introducirse en estos estudios, aunque es recomendable tener unos conocimientos previos sobre Foucault y su pensamiento. Durante el libro se mencionan otros pensadores y obras que sirven para ampliar conocimientos, por lo que es una buena base y una lectura accesible y asequible.

[léo]

Esse livro é uma leitura imprescindível para quem tem interesse na evolução da sexualidade historicamente, com foco especialmente em como o homossexualismo foi determinado como marginal. O ensaio sobre Foucault e a teoria queer é elucidativo e ao mesmo tempo possível. Um texto para ser lido, relido, e tido como referência para a posterioridade.

[Ditte]

Nice short introduction to queer theory and Foucault's importance in relation to queer theory. Really cool!

[6655321]

it may be that this introduction just isn't particularly useful to me, but i feel like the content is overall thin