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Gender and Queer Literary Theory. Ms. Nicole CIS Literature . What have you learned about gender expectations and behavior?. Focus: power disparity as a result of adhering to/rejecting gender roles. Focus: power disparity as a result of male domination.
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Gender and Queer Literary Theory Ms. Nicole CIS Literature
What have you learned about gender expectations and behavior?
Focus: power disparity as a result of adhering to/rejecting gender roles Focus: power disparity as a result of male domination Focus: power disparity as a result of heterosexism
A person’s gender is … • Created category focused on “feminine/masculine” behavior, but behavior is a performance Masculine Feminine
Queer Theory: Early History • All people have “homoerotic” feelings • Holy, transitional rite of passage, taboo
Queer Theory: Victorians (mid-1800s) • Homosexuality as separate ID • Inherent/unchanging part of personality • U.S.: Gay life flourishes through 1920s • U.S. 1930s: researchers prove homosexuality is significant proportion of population and not correlated to any significant difference
History Continued • 1950s/Postwar America: needs order to support capitalism • Gender roles solidified in public and private sphere • Legislation to criminalize gay people/treat as psychiatric condition
1969: Gay Liberation Movement responds to police brutality • 1970s: Institutionalization ends (ECT, Lobotomy, prison, aversion therapy) • 1990: Restrictions on homosexual immigration lifted from 1952
A person’s sexuality is… • Element of identity and therefore difficult to research empirically • ID formation in youth: self-categorization in teen years; family and faith community
Homophobia: fear, loathing of homosexuality • Form of social control – intimidate sexual minorities, validate heterosexuality • Results from view that gender order is disrupted – similar to fear of ethnic minorities • Leads to discrimination Mild bias Overt phobia
What to do? • Character’s options/playing out of expectations? • Access to power based on sex and gender? • How does the text represent gender roles?
BIG QUESTION • How does the text comment on power disparities resulting from characters’ gender/sexual orientation?