Queer Theory Now: From Foundations to Futures

Product Description

This short textbook provides an introduction to queer theory, exploring its key genealogies and terms as well as its application across various academic disciplines and to contemporary life more generally.
The authors engage with a wide range of developments in queer theory thinking including discussions of identity politics, transgender theory, intersectionality, post-colonial theory, Indigenous studies, disability studies, affect theory, and more.

In offering an updated reflection on the present tensions that queer theory must negotiate, as well as its unfolding future(s), Queer Theory Now is an ideal resource for anyone starting out on their queer theory journey; for students who want to get a grasp of the basic concepts, for teachers looking for a textbook for their queer theory course, or for scholars who want a quick go-to resource for key queer theory ideas and terms.   

Review

Queer Theory Now is a thorough synthesis of thirty years of queer theory and its precursors. It should be required reading in classrooms around the world. An essential primer! – Don Romesburg, Sonoma State University, USA
Queer Theory Now is an invaluable resource for newcomers to queer theory. McCann and Monaghan define key terms with outstanding clarity. Centering the work of theorists of colour and trans theorists, the authors uncover the variegated histories that have converged on, and diverged from, queer theory. Eminently teachable. – Jean-Thomas Tremblay, New Mexico State University, USA
This is a rigorous and pedagogically designed introduction to queer theory that covers not only the field’s foundations but also more recent debates. Moreover, the inclusion of case studies, definitions of key terms and film recommendations makes complex ideas accessible for students finding their way in queer theory. – Sam McBean, Queen Mary University of London, UK
Part disciplinary history, part field assessment, part critical reference, Queer Theory Now is perhaps most importantly a primer for the queer work ahead. It will be a welcome queer pedagogy text in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms. – Matt Brim, College of Staten Island, CUNY, USA
An absolute must read! Queer Theory Now, carefully crafted by McCann and Monaghan, is an incredibly timely, necessary and rich resource. Undergraduates and post-graduate students interested in engaging with historical and contemporary debates in queer theories will find much to stimulate their thinking in this book. – Leanne Coll, Deakin University, Australia
The last real primer for queer theory was Annemarie Jagose’s Queer Theory over 20 years ago. Queer Theory Now fills that enormous gap, covering key areas such as intersectionality, the global dimensions of queerness, and the history of the field, while remaining attentive to the difficulties of defining the complex and ever-evolving perspectives on sexuality and gender. – Ross Forman, University of Warwick, UK
The most concise and comprehensive explanation of the past, present and future of queer theory available today. This book traces queer theory’s significant histories and locates its renewed relevance in contemporary times. It makes queer theory’s evolution and complexities easy to access and is a must-have for any university library. – Joanna McIntyre, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
McCann and Monaghan have written one of the most insightful overviews of queer theory currently on the market. It is highly recommended for those seeking an accessible guide to key ideas, issues, developments, and controversies in this field. The writers deserve credit for their ample demonstration of queer theory’s applicability to a range of disciplines, lives, and events. – Páraic Finnerty, University of Portsmouth

From the Back Cover

In recent years, queer theory’s troubling of binary oppositions and dominant conceptions of fixed identities has been broadening in scope, with increasing attention to issues such as