The Ethics of Opting Out

Queer Theory's Defiant Subjects
Erscheinungsjahr 2017
ISBN: 978-0-231-18091-7
Verlag: Columbia University Press

Buch, Englisch, 264 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 229 mm x 154 mm, Gewicht: 380 g

In its quest for effective forms of political resistance, queer theory often promotes the opting out of our culture's dominant ideals––particularly its neoliberal narratives of success, cheerfulness, good performance, and self-actualization––to the extent that the field seems synonymous with a permanent state of critique. How should we understand this stance? Is it the best foundation for queer theory? In The Ethics of Opting Out, Mari Ruti cautions queer theorists against turning antinormativity into a new norm while highlighting the ways in which opting out rewrites ethical theory and practice in genuinely transformative ways. She offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of queer theory, including debates about affect theory, subjectivity, negativity, defiance, agency, and bad feelings. In doing so, Ruti provides an accessible yet theoretically rigorous account of the political divisions that have animated the field over the last decade. The Ethics of Opting Out grapples with queer negativity, particularly in the work of Lee Edelman, Jack Halberstam, and Lynne Huffer, and with the rhetoric of bad feelings found in the work of Sara Ahmed, Lauren Berlant, José Muñoz, David Eng, and Heather Love. In this wide-ranging and thoughtful book, Ruti maps the parameters of contemporary queer theory to rethink the foundational assumptions of the field.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ruti, Mari

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Moderne Philosophische Disziplinen Dekonstruktivismus, Strukturalismus, Poststrukturalismus
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Ethik, Moralphilosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gender Studies: Homosexualität, LGBTQ+

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Author's NoteAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Queer Theory and the Ethics of Opting Out2. From Butlerian Reiteration to Lacanian Defiance3. Why There Is Always a Future in the Future4. Beyond the Antisocial–Social Divide5. The Uses and Misuses of Bad FeelingsConclusion: A Dialogue on Silence with Jordan MulderReferencesIndex

Über Autor(innen)

Mari Ruti is professor of critical theory at the University of Toronto, where she teaches contemporary theory in the English Department and queer theory at the Mark S. Bonham Center for Sexual Diversity Studies. She is also visiting professor and director of graduate studies at the Program for Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University. Ruti is the author of nine books, most recently Between Levinas and Lacan: Self, Other, Ethics (2015).