HUMN 3069 Queer Culture

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 102191

Coordinator David McInnes Opens in new window

Description Queer culture will introduce students to queer theory and provide opportunities to use these theories in the close study of cultural practice and politics. Queer theory counters the idea that people have stable sexes, genders and sexualities. Instead, queer theory argues that the experience of those that are homosexual, bisexual, transgender, and intersex highlight the frequent mis-matches in what are taken for granted to be 'normal' experiences of identity. Queer theory demonstrates the impossibility of a natural or normal sexuality, but it also demonstrates the problem with the terms 'man' and 'woman', 'male' and 'female', 'normal' and 'abnormal'. In Queer culture students will learn about queer theories and have the opportunity to apply these theories to an in-depth and personally engaging study of queer politics and activism; queer media, film and performance; and queer sex, selfhood, and identity trans/formations.

School Humanities & Comm Arts

Discipline Studies in Human Society, Not Elsewhere Classified.

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Restrictions

Successful completion of 60 credit points of study in currently enrolled program.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of queer theory
  2. Apply a range of queer theories to the research and analysis of cultural practice
  3. Engage in debate and discussion, in writing online about questions of queer politics, activism and research.
  4. Write a well-structured, analysis-based report on research into an aspect of queer culture using queer theory.

Subject Content

- Queer theory
- Queer politics and activism - gay Liberation, The Queer movement, HIV/AIDS politics and activism, international Queer politics and activism
- Queer media, film and performance - drag, Queer film, Queer critiques of mainstream film, online and virtual communities
- Queer sex, selfhood and identity trans/formation - Queer sexual practice and sexual cultures, queerings of masculinity and femininity, for example, female masculinities
- research approaches for investigating Queer cultures and Queer cultural practice

Prescribed Texts

  • A book of readings/online reading resources will also be produced.
  • Jagose, A. 1996 Queer theory, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.