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Queer Studies: Texts, Contexts, Praxis
This book draws on historiography, cultural theory and empirical research to explore contemporary concerns around issues of queer representation, sexual citizenship and activism. Using a variety of case studies, texts and ethnographic research, it explores these conceptual issues within a global and local context and demonstrates the disruptive mechanisms of reading/seeing queerly. It focuses on the importance of locating the understanding of queer lives within geopolitics, academic institutions and cultural policies. Stressing on academic activism that is grounded in scholarship, the book attempts to generate critical debate and reflection in the field of queer studies.
200 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 29, 2020
My third pick from Orient Black Swan's series of books on Literary/Cultural Theory and I have to attest that this is the best of the three that I have read (the other two being- Dalit Literary Criticism and Feminisms, both being decent entries on crucial literary theories). Kaustav Bakshi and Rohit K. Dasgupta have compiled crucial debates and arguments in a relatively accessible manner in this book.
The Pros:
- This book has a good framework, especially for students of literature. For those new to the subject, this book would be a good start. It covers many basic issues, ranging from the emergence of the queer, rise of queer subculture, contemporary debates on queer politics amongst others.
- It provides a neat history tracing the rise of queer academics in the West as well as in India.
- It raised important debates regarding contentious issues like homonationalism and pinkwashing, which I hadn't even heard of before this book. Those were a welcome addition to the text.
- It has two seperate chapters, titled Reading Queerly and Seeing Queerly, which offered good examples on how to do a queer reading of any text, which would be especially valuable to students of film and literature.
The Cons:
- Although it mentions many of the major theorists of queer studies (Judith Butler, Michel Focuault, Michale Warner), it never elaborates upon their work. I was expecting this book to be a kind of introduction and complete coverage of such important theorists however they were never elaborately discussed.
- One of the chapter on Queer Studies in China and Malaysia, while informative, seemed unnecessary.
That being said, this is a really lucid and accessible introduction to Queer Studies. I just wished, it would have taken a chapter or two to reflect upon the theories proposed by the major theorists and made those theories accessible, as I had expected of this book. Nevertheless, it enlightened me on other domains of knowledge and issues in contemporary queer theory for which I am really grateful.
The Pros:
- This book has a good framework, especially for students of literature. For those new to the subject, this book would be a good start. It covers many basic issues, ranging from the emergence of the queer, rise of queer subculture, contemporary debates on queer politics amongst others.
- It provides a neat history tracing the rise of queer academics in the West as well as in India.
- It raised important debates regarding contentious issues like homonationalism and pinkwashing, which I hadn't even heard of before this book. Those were a welcome addition to the text.
- It has two seperate chapters, titled Reading Queerly and Seeing Queerly, which offered good examples on how to do a queer reading of any text, which would be especially valuable to students of film and literature.
The Cons:
- Although it mentions many of the major theorists of queer studies (Judith Butler, Michel Focuault, Michale Warner), it never elaborates upon their work. I was expecting this book to be a kind of introduction and complete coverage of such important theorists however they were never elaborately discussed.
- One of the chapter on Queer Studies in China and Malaysia, while informative, seemed unnecessary.
That being said, this is a really lucid and accessible introduction to Queer Studies. I just wished, it would have taken a chapter or two to reflect upon the theories proposed by the major theorists and made those theories accessible, as I had expected of this book. Nevertheless, it enlightened me on other domains of knowledge and issues in contemporary queer theory for which I am really grateful.
Displaying 1 of 1 review