queer theory

(noun)

A field of post-structuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of LGBT and feminist studies.

Related Terms

  • cisgender
  • gender identity
  • gender binary

Examples of queer theory in the following topics:

  • Development of Gender Identity

    • Gender-schema theory was formally introduced by Sandra Bem in 1981 as a cognitive theory to explain how individuals become gendered in society.
    • According to proponents of queer theory, gender identity is not a rigid or static identity but can continue to evolve and change over time.
    • Queer theory developed in response to the perceived limitations of the way in which identities are thought to become consolidated or stabilized (for instance, gay or straight), and theorists constructed queerness in an attempt to resist this.
    • While "queer" defies a simple definition, the term is often used to convey an identity that is not rigidly developed, but is instead fluid and changing.
    • Apply social-learning theory and gender-schema theory to the context of gender identity development and the gender spectrum
  • Sexual Orientation

    • In recent decades the term "queer" has been embraced as a non-binary view of gender and sexuality, embracing a spectrum and/or a fluidity of concepts that have previously been defined as having only two (binary) options (e.g., male/female, straight/gay, woman/man).
    • Queer theory is a perspective that problematizes (or critiques) the manner in which people have been taught to think about sexual orientation.
    • By calling their discipline "queer," these scholars are rejecting the effects of labeling.
    • Queer theorists reject the dichotomization (division) of sexual orientations into two mutually exclusive outcomes—homosexual or heterosexual.
    • Evaluate how society differently treats people identifying as homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, and queer
  • Cultural and Societal Influences on Adolescent Development

    • In the United States and many other parts of the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth face much discrimination and bullying by their peers based on the broader cultural attitudes about LGBTQ issues; many are ostracized from peer groups because they are seen to be breaking culturally based gender norms.
    • This can have a tremendous impact on the development of queer or transgender adolescents, increasing their risk for depression, anxiety, and even suicide.
  • Sexual Orientation

    • In recent decades, the term queer has been embraced as a non-binary view of gender and sexuality, embracing a spectrum and/or a fluidity of these concepts that have previously been defined as having only two (binary) options (ex: male/female, straight/gay, women/men).
    • Homosexual women (also referred to as lesbians), homosexual men (also referred to as gays), and bisexuals or queer people of all genders, may have very different experiences of discovering and accepting their sexual orientation.
  • Drive-Reduction Theory

  • Freud's Psychosexual Theory of Development

  • Cannon–Bard Theory of Emotion

    • The Cannon–Bard theory of emotion argues that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously but independently.
    • Researchers have developed several theories of how human emotions arise and are represented in the brain.
    • The Cannon–Bard theory of emotion was developed by researchers who criticized the James–Lange theory for its limited ability to account for the wide variety of emotions experienced by human beings.
    • While the James–Lange theory proposes that emotions arise from physical arousal the Cannon–Bard theory argues that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously, yet independently (Lang, 1994).
    • According to the Cannon–Bard theory, emotional expression results from activation of the subcortical centers of the brain.
  • Schachter–Singer Theory of Emotion (Two-Factor Theory)

    • The Schachter–Singer theory views emotion as the result of the interaction between two factors: physiological arousal and cognition.
    • Researchers have developed several theories of how human emotions arise and are represented in the brain.
    • Like the James–Lange and Cannon–Bard theories, the Schachter–Singer theory of emotion (also known as the two-factor theory) attempts to explain emotion as it relates to physiological arousal.
    • Contrary to the James–Lange theory, therefore, which asserts that emotions arise from physiological arousal, this theory argues that bodily changes can support conscious emotional experiences but do not necessarily cause them.
    • Describe the relationship between the "two factors" of two-factor theory, also known as Schachter–Singer theory
  • James–Lange Theory of Emotion

    • According to the James–Lange theory of emotion, emotions arise from physiological arousal.
    • Researchers have developed several theories of how human emotions arise and are represented in the brain.
    • To address these limitations, other theories—such as the Cannon–Bard theory—have been developed.
    • The James–Lange theory of emotion states that emotions arise as a result of physiological arousal.
    • Describe the relationship between emotion and arousal according to the James–Lange theory
  • Using the Scientific Method: From Theory to Conclusion

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