Power and Front Yards of Power: Contemporary Social Dynamics Interpreted in Gender and Queer Theoretical Perspectives.

Martin J. Goessl, Institute of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences JOANNEUM

Although the concepts of gender and diversity conflict with the conformist tendencies of a universal representation category of "woman" and "man," the contrasting view remains one of the strongest criticisms. The critical gender and queer perspective by no means negates the difference but rather only the valuation associated with it. A look into today's queer scene is almost ironic. Instead of dealing with the shared suffering of inequality, economic emancipation seems to have become of particular interest. Gays and lesbians have been aware of the patent of tolerance of a hetero-normative structure, which has called for adaptation and, in return, enabled participation in the male-dominated game of power. Career, fashion, even the image of an "LGBT community" could now be positively changed within the bounds of possibilities; this also happened in recent years (the lesbian comrades-in-arms and their double otherness were not taken into account). Now, living with this role for a few years, the gay image has been radically changed and so has the image of lesbians. The result of this development has been particularly evident in the last few years: further-transferred, selective processes. Those who, for example, do not correspond to the socially recognized image of a gay man must be excluded. The adoption of a hegemonic masculinity or femininity is balanced by a hetero-normative standardization of behavior with narrow acceptance of special rules; this enables direct application to unreflective everyday practices. Power is not generated. It is given and taken. This can happen and be legitimized through violence, trust, habit, fear or stupidity. In the current case of the social order around gender and sexuality, a unique and equally permanently recomposing mixture of all five ingredients seems to be the case.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 90. Gender and Queer Theory: Discourses