23 – Queer Theory and Gender Performativity

In this lecture on queer theory, Professor Paul Fry explores the work of Judith Butler in relation to Michel Foucault’sHistory of Sexuality. Differences in terminology and methods are discussed, including Butler’s emphasis on performance and Foucault’s reliance on formulations such as “power-knowledge” and “the deployment of alliance.” Butler’s fixation with ontology is explored with reference to Levi-Strauss’s concept of the raw and the cooked. At the lecture’s conclusion, Butler’s interrogation of identity politics is compared with that of post-colonial and African-American theorists.