Dr Dino Willox is Director, Student Employability, at The University of Queensland and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. Dr Dino Willox is Director, Student Employability, at The University of Queensland and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. They are responsible for developing and coordinating the strategic direction, framework, and services that assist students to succeed in whatever path they choose. Working in partnership with internal and external stakeholders, Dino’s work spans professional, academic, curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular spaces, taking a multidimensional strategic approach to employability.
Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered sub... more Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered subjectivities. In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity. A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments. I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
Rising tuition fees, heightened student expectations, slower economic growth and increasing emplo... more Rising tuition fees, heightened student expectations, slower economic growth and increasing employer demands has more than ever directed the spotlight in higher education to that of employability. The ongoing employability debate in the literature is not merely academic; the choice of operationalisation for employability decides its implementation, which is in turn interlinked with a particular set of outcome measures. These choices have an impact on the funding of institutions, consequently affecting teaching and learning practices and the allocation of support services in higher education (Harvey, 2001). For instance, when institutions in the UK bid for extra funded places on programmes of study, part of the evidence used by panels in the decision-making process is employability indicators of graduate rates. This drives the focus on ensuring as many students as possible, in the subject areas institutions are seeking to expand, acquire the ability to obtain a job. Yet across the bo...
Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awar... more Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awareness, educate and empower them to be productive global citizens, and contribute to their future employability. Learning outcomes from study tours often include intangible personal characteristics or soft skills, as opposed to specific disciplinary skills and knowledge, and yet, these are not easily identified. Using an iterative Delphi process, this study aimed to understand the pedagogical experience of tour leaders (experts) and assist in future development of effective assessment. Findings include four key areas of agreement among the experts: (1) both discipline-based knowledge and the acquisition of intangible personal characteristics are important learning outcomes and are considered to be almost equally important, (2) assessment almost always occurs on tour, (3) formative assessment for learning is predominantly used (rather than learning for summative assessment to test the lear...
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 2021
A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is a... more A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is an expectation that universities will contribute to their students’ employability and indeed they are measured on this contribution and are allocated funding based on it. Despite the importance of employability in higher education, it remains a complex and contested concept, often conflated with employment – graduates in jobs and the roles they occupy – and seen as a quantifiable outcome of the student experience. Where employability is understood as an individual’s knowledge, capabilities, and personal attributes that make them more likely to gain employment and be successful in their professional lives, it is often framed by the discourse of skills. There are some employability models, however, that champion a more holistic view of employability and highlight the role that experiences play in individual employability development. This paper reports on the development of an institutional...
While numerous studies on the impacts of COVID-19 on university learning and teaching are now eme... more While numerous studies on the impacts of COVID-19 on university learning and teaching are now emerging, there has been less critical attention focused on the impact of the shift to online engagement on student-staff partnership (SSP) practices. This article analyses the experiences and perceptions of students and staff from an Australian university as they shifted their partnership practices online during the pandemic. It provides valuable insights into the specific positive and negative impacts of online SSP for students and staff, foregrounding both groups’ perceptions of the accessibility and communication aspects of online SSP. The study’s findings lead to the recommendation of a blended approach and will be of use as SSP programs recalibrate for a post-COVID context.
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 2021
A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is a... more A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is an expectation that universities will contribute to their students' employability and indeed they are measured on this contribution and are allocated funding based on it. Despite the importance of employability in higher education, it remains a complex and contested concept, often conflated with employment-graduates in jobs and the roles they occupy-and seen as a quantifiable outcome of the student experience. Where employability is understood as an individual's knowledge, capabilities, and personal attributes that make them more likely to gain employment and be successful in their professional lives, it is often framed by the discourse of skills. There are some employability models, however, that champion a more holistic view of employability and highlight the role that experiences play in individual employability development. This paper reports on the development of an institutional employability framework and reflective process in an Australian research-intensive university. The paper discusses the experiential learning theories that underpin the reflective process that supports students to understand and articulate employability learning, for framing narratives around the potential to contribute to an organisation for employment, and for the transfer of this potential to professional contexts. The framework and reflective process represent employability as a learning process through which students make meaning from their experiences and learning opportunities. This involves understanding the value of their experiences, how to articulate that value, and how to transfer it to workplace performance.
New measures that provide insight into how universities build personal qualities of their graduat... more New measures that provide insight into how universities build personal qualities of their graduates are needed, argue Doug Cole and Dino Willox.
Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awar... more Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awareness, educate and empower them to be productive global citizens, and contribute to their future employability. Learning outcomes from study tours often include intangible personal characteristics or soft skills, as opposed to specific disciplinary skills and knowledge, and yet, these are not easily identified. Using an iterative Delphi process, this study aimed to understand the pedagogical experience of tour leaders (experts) and assist in future development of effective assessment. Findings include four key areas of agreement among the experts: (1) both discipline-based knowledge and the acquisition of intangible personal characteristics are important learning outcomes and are considered to be almost equally important, (2) assessment almost always occurs on tour, (3) formative assessment for learning is predominantly used (rather than learning for summative assessment to test the learning), and (4) facilitated reflection is an important way to encourage learning during a study tour. Yet, the findings also reveal uncertainty about assessing outcomes that include intangible personal characteristics and soft skills. The article concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for future research.
The Ashgate Research Companion to Queer Theory , Dec 2009
Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered sub... more Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered subjectivities.
In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity.
A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments.
I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
This chapter will show that the term “drag” in drag queen has a different meaning, history and va... more This chapter will show that the term “drag” in drag queen has a different meaning, history and value to the term “drag” in drag king. By exposing this basic, yet fundamental, difference this paper will expose the problems inherent in the assumption of parity between the two forms of drag.An exposition of how camp has been used to comprehend and theorise drag queens will facilitating an understanding of the parasitic interrelationship between camp and drag queen performances, while a critique of “Towards a Butch-Femme Aesthetic,” by Sue Ellen Case, will point out the problematic assumptions made about camp when attributed to a cultural location different to the drag queen.By interrogating the historical, cultural and theoretical similarities and differences between drag kings, butches, drag queens and femmes this paper will expose the flawed assumption that camp can be attributed to all of the above without proviso, and hence expose why drag has a fundamentally different contextual meaning for kings and queens.This chapter will conclude by examining the work of both Judith Halberstam and Biddy Martin and the practical examples of drag king and queen performances provided at the UK drag contest held at The Fridge in Brixton, London on 23 June 1999.
On the night of December 31, 1993, three people were murdered in Nebraska. One of the victims bec... more On the night of December 31, 1993, three people were murdered in Nebraska. One of the victims became the subject of an award winning film directed by Kimberly Pierce in 1999. The representation of the main character is based upon interviews with those who knew the person in question, but for obvious reasons this representation can never be validated. In view of this difficulty, critics attempt to describe the complexity of the main character, yet most fail. This paper will interrogate media representations of Brandon Teena, showing the implicit assumptions inherent in the rhetoric of such articles. Furthermore, this paper will show how the reportage of Brandon’s murder and the film, Boys Don’t Cry, combine to reinforce the assumption of a male / female gender binary, even through the film director claims to trouble these assumptions. It is my contention that the media undermines any notion of transgender subjectivity through the rhetoric, reportage and representation of the issues made manifest by and through Brandon’s body. This paper will show that Brandon’s body is branded by such rhetoric and representation, and is assumed to be a site of ‘truth’ that closes the question that transgender poses for subjectivity, gender and sexuality.
Do contemporary feminisms rely on a notion of essential identity? How can contemporary feminisms... more Do contemporary feminisms rely on a notion of essential identity? How can contemporary feminisms counter criticisms that they are based on notions of essence? What would feminisms be like if they did not rely on such notions of identity? In short, is a politics of difference compatible with contemporary feminisms?
Queer Theory is one of the most contested and intellectually complex movements in contemporary se... more Queer Theory is one of the most contested and intellectually complex movements in contemporary sexual politics. Where did it come from, and what does it do? Is queer theory only for queers? If you have ever wanted to be a leather daddy, been puzzled by performativity, tried to measure bisexuality, or wondered whether Diana, Princess of Wales could be a gay icon, Queer Theory is required reading.
This vibrant anthology of groundbreaking work by influential scholars, activists, performers, and visual artists is essential for anyone with an interest in sexuality studies or gender activism. The fifteen articles - including two specially commissioned contributions, as well as an engaging introduction - map, contextualise, and challenge queer theory's project both within and beyond the academy. Helpful critical summaries that link the selections, and suggestions for further reading, make this volume perfect for anyone approaching queer theory for the first time.
Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered sub... more Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered subjectivities. In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity. A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments. I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
Rising tuition fees, heightened student expectations, slower economic growth and increasing emplo... more Rising tuition fees, heightened student expectations, slower economic growth and increasing employer demands has more than ever directed the spotlight in higher education to that of employability. The ongoing employability debate in the literature is not merely academic; the choice of operationalisation for employability decides its implementation, which is in turn interlinked with a particular set of outcome measures. These choices have an impact on the funding of institutions, consequently affecting teaching and learning practices and the allocation of support services in higher education (Harvey, 2001). For instance, when institutions in the UK bid for extra funded places on programmes of study, part of the evidence used by panels in the decision-making process is employability indicators of graduate rates. This drives the focus on ensuring as many students as possible, in the subject areas institutions are seeking to expand, acquire the ability to obtain a job. Yet across the bo...
Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awar... more Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awareness, educate and empower them to be productive global citizens, and contribute to their future employability. Learning outcomes from study tours often include intangible personal characteristics or soft skills, as opposed to specific disciplinary skills and knowledge, and yet, these are not easily identified. Using an iterative Delphi process, this study aimed to understand the pedagogical experience of tour leaders (experts) and assist in future development of effective assessment. Findings include four key areas of agreement among the experts: (1) both discipline-based knowledge and the acquisition of intangible personal characteristics are important learning outcomes and are considered to be almost equally important, (2) assessment almost always occurs on tour, (3) formative assessment for learning is predominantly used (rather than learning for summative assessment to test the lear...
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 2021
A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is a... more A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is an expectation that universities will contribute to their students’ employability and indeed they are measured on this contribution and are allocated funding based on it. Despite the importance of employability in higher education, it remains a complex and contested concept, often conflated with employment – graduates in jobs and the roles they occupy – and seen as a quantifiable outcome of the student experience. Where employability is understood as an individual’s knowledge, capabilities, and personal attributes that make them more likely to gain employment and be successful in their professional lives, it is often framed by the discourse of skills. There are some employability models, however, that champion a more holistic view of employability and highlight the role that experiences play in individual employability development. This paper reports on the development of an institutional...
While numerous studies on the impacts of COVID-19 on university learning and teaching are now eme... more While numerous studies on the impacts of COVID-19 on university learning and teaching are now emerging, there has been less critical attention focused on the impact of the shift to online engagement on student-staff partnership (SSP) practices. This article analyses the experiences and perceptions of students and staff from an Australian university as they shifted their partnership practices online during the pandemic. It provides valuable insights into the specific positive and negative impacts of online SSP for students and staff, foregrounding both groups’ perceptions of the accessibility and communication aspects of online SSP. The study’s findings lead to the recommendation of a blended approach and will be of use as SSP programs recalibrate for a post-COVID context.
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 2021
A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is a... more A key part of the student experience in the higher education context is employability. There is an expectation that universities will contribute to their students' employability and indeed they are measured on this contribution and are allocated funding based on it. Despite the importance of employability in higher education, it remains a complex and contested concept, often conflated with employment-graduates in jobs and the roles they occupy-and seen as a quantifiable outcome of the student experience. Where employability is understood as an individual's knowledge, capabilities, and personal attributes that make them more likely to gain employment and be successful in their professional lives, it is often framed by the discourse of skills. There are some employability models, however, that champion a more holistic view of employability and highlight the role that experiences play in individual employability development. This paper reports on the development of an institutional employability framework and reflective process in an Australian research-intensive university. The paper discusses the experiential learning theories that underpin the reflective process that supports students to understand and articulate employability learning, for framing narratives around the potential to contribute to an organisation for employment, and for the transfer of this potential to professional contexts. The framework and reflective process represent employability as a learning process through which students make meaning from their experiences and learning opportunities. This involves understanding the value of their experiences, how to articulate that value, and how to transfer it to workplace performance.
New measures that provide insight into how universities build personal qualities of their graduat... more New measures that provide insight into how universities build personal qualities of their graduates are needed, argue Doug Cole and Dino Willox.
Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awar... more Short-term international study experiences, or study tours, aim to increase students’ global awareness, educate and empower them to be productive global citizens, and contribute to their future employability. Learning outcomes from study tours often include intangible personal characteristics or soft skills, as opposed to specific disciplinary skills and knowledge, and yet, these are not easily identified. Using an iterative Delphi process, this study aimed to understand the pedagogical experience of tour leaders (experts) and assist in future development of effective assessment. Findings include four key areas of agreement among the experts: (1) both discipline-based knowledge and the acquisition of intangible personal characteristics are important learning outcomes and are considered to be almost equally important, (2) assessment almost always occurs on tour, (3) formative assessment for learning is predominantly used (rather than learning for summative assessment to test the learning), and (4) facilitated reflection is an important way to encourage learning during a study tour. Yet, the findings also reveal uncertainty about assessing outcomes that include intangible personal characteristics and soft skills. The article concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for future research.
The Ashgate Research Companion to Queer Theory , Dec 2009
Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered sub... more Current theories of gender largely ignore questions about the experience of embodied gendered subjectivities.
In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity.
A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments.
I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
This chapter will show that the term “drag” in drag queen has a different meaning, history and va... more This chapter will show that the term “drag” in drag queen has a different meaning, history and value to the term “drag” in drag king. By exposing this basic, yet fundamental, difference this paper will expose the problems inherent in the assumption of parity between the two forms of drag.An exposition of how camp has been used to comprehend and theorise drag queens will facilitating an understanding of the parasitic interrelationship between camp and drag queen performances, while a critique of “Towards a Butch-Femme Aesthetic,” by Sue Ellen Case, will point out the problematic assumptions made about camp when attributed to a cultural location different to the drag queen.By interrogating the historical, cultural and theoretical similarities and differences between drag kings, butches, drag queens and femmes this paper will expose the flawed assumption that camp can be attributed to all of the above without proviso, and hence expose why drag has a fundamentally different contextual meaning for kings and queens.This chapter will conclude by examining the work of both Judith Halberstam and Biddy Martin and the practical examples of drag king and queen performances provided at the UK drag contest held at The Fridge in Brixton, London on 23 June 1999.
On the night of December 31, 1993, three people were murdered in Nebraska. One of the victims bec... more On the night of December 31, 1993, three people were murdered in Nebraska. One of the victims became the subject of an award winning film directed by Kimberly Pierce in 1999. The representation of the main character is based upon interviews with those who knew the person in question, but for obvious reasons this representation can never be validated. In view of this difficulty, critics attempt to describe the complexity of the main character, yet most fail. This paper will interrogate media representations of Brandon Teena, showing the implicit assumptions inherent in the rhetoric of such articles. Furthermore, this paper will show how the reportage of Brandon’s murder and the film, Boys Don’t Cry, combine to reinforce the assumption of a male / female gender binary, even through the film director claims to trouble these assumptions. It is my contention that the media undermines any notion of transgender subjectivity through the rhetoric, reportage and representation of the issues made manifest by and through Brandon’s body. This paper will show that Brandon’s body is branded by such rhetoric and representation, and is assumed to be a site of ‘truth’ that closes the question that transgender poses for subjectivity, gender and sexuality.
Do contemporary feminisms rely on a notion of essential identity? How can contemporary feminisms... more Do contemporary feminisms rely on a notion of essential identity? How can contemporary feminisms counter criticisms that they are based on notions of essence? What would feminisms be like if they did not rely on such notions of identity? In short, is a politics of difference compatible with contemporary feminisms?
Queer Theory is one of the most contested and intellectually complex movements in contemporary se... more Queer Theory is one of the most contested and intellectually complex movements in contemporary sexual politics. Where did it come from, and what does it do? Is queer theory only for queers? If you have ever wanted to be a leather daddy, been puzzled by performativity, tried to measure bisexuality, or wondered whether Diana, Princess of Wales could be a gay icon, Queer Theory is required reading.
This vibrant anthology of groundbreaking work by influential scholars, activists, performers, and visual artists is essential for anyone with an interest in sexuality studies or gender activism. The fifteen articles - including two specially commissioned contributions, as well as an engaging introduction - map, contextualise, and challenge queer theory's project both within and beyond the academy. Helpful critical summaries that link the selections, and suggestions for further reading, make this volume perfect for anyone approaching queer theory for the first time.
Uploads
Papers by Dino Willox
In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity.
A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments.
I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
This paper will interrogate media representations of Brandon Teena, showing the implicit assumptions inherent in the rhetoric of such articles. Furthermore, this paper will show how the reportage of Brandon’s murder and the film, Boys Don’t Cry, combine to reinforce the assumption of a male / female gender binary, even through the film director claims to trouble these assumptions. It is my contention that the media undermines any notion of transgender subjectivity through the rhetoric, reportage and representation of the issues made manifest by and through Brandon’s body. This paper will show that Brandon’s body is branded by such rhetoric and representation, and is assumed to be a site of ‘truth’ that closes the question that transgender poses for subjectivity, gender and sexuality.
Conference Presentations by Dino Willox
Books by Dino Willox
This vibrant anthology of groundbreaking work by influential scholars, activists, performers, and visual artists is essential for anyone with an interest in sexuality studies or gender activism. The fifteen articles - including two specially commissioned contributions, as well as an engaging introduction - map, contextualise, and challenge queer theory's project both within and beyond the academy. Helpful critical summaries that link the selections, and suggestions for further reading, make this volume perfect for anyone approaching queer theory for the first time.
In this paper I address these questions and challenge contemporary ideologies concerning the body, gender, sex and sexuality. Using the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as a theoretical basis, I examine the apparent contradiction between the lived experience and the (illusory) ideology of queer embodied gendered subjects. To this end, I offer a critical examination of the most prominent current theory of gender: performativity.
A phenomenological approach, based on the work of Merleau-Ponty and developed via an examination of articles by Henry Rubin, Jacob Hale and Linda Alcoff, is adopted to develop a theory of gender that takes into account the experience of queer gendered embodiments. In the first instance, this approach is used to understand the queer sexual practices of daddy-boy gender play with a view to providing a platform from which to theorise and understand other gendered embodiments.
I interrogate and debunk the hidden but prevalent assumption in mainstream ideologies of gender and sexuality that there is a necessary and univocal correlation between (biological) sex, gender, sexual desire and embodied experience. Consequently I show that the relations between the phenomena are multifaceted, socially constructed and politically contingent. I conclude by proposing a theory of gender based on phenomenology, embodiment and political efficacy.
This paper will interrogate media representations of Brandon Teena, showing the implicit assumptions inherent in the rhetoric of such articles. Furthermore, this paper will show how the reportage of Brandon’s murder and the film, Boys Don’t Cry, combine to reinforce the assumption of a male / female gender binary, even through the film director claims to trouble these assumptions. It is my contention that the media undermines any notion of transgender subjectivity through the rhetoric, reportage and representation of the issues made manifest by and through Brandon’s body. This paper will show that Brandon’s body is branded by such rhetoric and representation, and is assumed to be a site of ‘truth’ that closes the question that transgender poses for subjectivity, gender and sexuality.
This vibrant anthology of groundbreaking work by influential scholars, activists, performers, and visual artists is essential for anyone with an interest in sexuality studies or gender activism. The fifteen articles - including two specially commissioned contributions, as well as an engaging introduction - map, contextualise, and challenge queer theory's project both within and beyond the academy. Helpful critical summaries that link the selections, and suggestions for further reading, make this volume perfect for anyone approaching queer theory for the first time.