📄 Abstract
Queer Theory emerged during the late twentieth century as one of the most influential critical interventions in the study of gender, sexuality, identity, and power. Rejecting essentialist understandings of sexual identity, queer theorists challenged the assumption that categories such as “man,” “woman,” “heterosexual,” and “homosexual” represent natural and stable realities. Instead, Queer Theory conceptualizes identity as historically produced, socially regulated, and politically contested. This review critically examines the intellectual foundations, major arguments, and contemporary debates within Queer Theory. Drawing upon the works of Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Gayle Rubin, Michael Warner, and subsequent scholars, the paper argues that Queer Theory fundamentally transformed the understanding of sexuality by exposing the relationship between knowledge, dis-course, and power. However, despite its radical contributions, Queer Theory has also been criticized for excessive textualism, politi-cal abstraction, Eurocentrism, and inadequate engagement with material inequalities. Through a critical examination of these de-bates, the paper contends that the enduring significance of Queer Theory lies not in providing a unified framework of sexual politics but in continually destabilizing normative structures that regulate human identities. The article concludes that contemporary queer scholarship must move beyond purely discursive analyses and engage more substantially with intersectionality, decoloniality, class relations, and Global South experiences.
🏷️ Keywords
📚 How to Cite:
Jintu Thakuria, Dr. Phunu Das Sarma , QUEER THEORY AND THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY, POWER, AND RESISTANCE: A CRITICAL REVIEW , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 203 - 207 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra30400