Written for entry-level survey courses in queer or LGBTQ+ Studies for students from all majors, this engaging text covers a wide range of topics. Early chapters consider the meaning of "queer" and examine identities such as trans, bi, and intersex. Intersections between sexuality/gender expression and other identities such as race, ethnicity, and class are also examined. The book then reviews life experiences such as families, friendship, religion and spirituality, health, and politics through the lens of queerness.
Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries:
-Engages undergraduates with a narrative that applies key ideas to their own lives and experiences
-Questions various binaries ("either/or" pairings) to help students examine their own sexual identity and gender expression
-Reviews foundational concepts from queer theory and queer history to create a deeper understanding of the concepts
-Emphasizes an intersectionality approach that demonstrates how one's identity is the product of multiple characteristics such as sexuality, gender, race, class, and dis/ability
-Uses a multidisciplinary approach drawing from the social and natural sciences, humanities, and arts to provide a broad overview of perspectives
-Details an individual or an event in Spotlight on sections to highlight the experiences of queer people.
-Provides questions for class discussion or field activities in Issues for Investigation sections that apply the ideas covered in the chapter
-Allows instructors to shape the class with different foci using the stand-alone chapters in Part III
-Features an Instructor's resource manual available to adopters with 20+ PowerPoint slides for each chapter, sample syllabi for a variety of courses, teaching tips for using the Spotlight On and Issues for Investigation sections and the suggested readings, a test bank with objective and essay questions, and student aids such as keywords, chapter outlines and summaries, and learning objectives
Designed for undergraduate courses in queer or LGBT+ Studies requiring no prerequisites, Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries also serves as an excellent supplement in courses on queer theory or history, or on sexuality, gender, and women's studies.
Industry Reviews
With this book, a leading expert in queer studies has effectively synthesized and explained relevant information about this area. This book is timely, original, and distinctly understandable. It could easily be adopted in advanced college courses focused on queer studies, especially given the volume's accessibility. I appreciate the conversational tone, the coherent structure, and the relevant and practical examples. -- Tony Adams, Bradley University
Bruce Henderson is a master storyteller. In Queer Studies, he effortlessly guides us through a plethora of complex subjects, including education, politics, religion, and the arts. His eloquent, accessible language allows us to see these myriad subjects queerly anew. I'll be teaching my 'Gender and Communication' students this brilliant, immensely readable book for years to come. -- Donna Marie Nudd, Florida State University
This text is a much needed and invaluable resource offering a solid and thorough overview of queer studies, with an attention to the most up-to-date research, as well as foundational scholarship. Its intersectional approach makes it an important contribution and intervention in the teaching of queer studies. Material is presented in a variety of ways that are accessible to a wide variety of readers and various types of learners in queer studies, critical sexualities, and gender studies courses. -- Bernadette Marie Calafell, Gonzaga University
Henderson takes an engaging approach in this impressively comprehensive exploration into the quickly expanding universe of queer studies. Ideal for upper-level undergraduate courses focused on understanding queer theory and its application to the daily lives of queer folx, Henderson deftly weaves together challenging theorists, historical moments, and popular culture in ways that push the reader to new ways of considering complex issues. Henderson has created a text that should become a staple in foundational queer studies texts. -- Noam Ostrander, DePaul University
Featuring a comprehensive but accessible coverage of queer studies, this book reviews a number of topics, ranging from language to schooling to citizenship. It presents a thorough discussion about key issues and important scholarly figures pertaining to queer studies. The author incorporates a number of diverse queer scholars and pays close attention to their differing theoretical and identity standpoints with care. The discussions in each chapter are rich and the examples are culturally relevant and thought-provoking. -- Ahmet Atay, College of Wooster
Geared to introductory college level teaching, this eminently readable textbook explains sophisticated ideas in a way geared to students as yet unfamiliar with the field and its often dense language. Queer Studies: Beyond Binaries delivers on its eponymous promise, taking students by the hand into complex deconstructive territory with gentle guidance while offering balanced coverage of the key terms, historiographies, debates, and political issues in the field. -- Jonathan D. Katz, University of Pennsylvania
Historical in its rigorous genealogy of terms and ideas, playful in its uptake of popular culture, and accessible in its easy narration of complex critical theory, Queer Studies is a genuinely interdisciplinary teaching text. Especially productive for class discussions are the various "spotlights" that offer unique case studies to illustrate difficult concepts and scholarly debates. -- Kareem Khubchandani, Tufts University
Queer Studies reviews academic theories and research and translates them in a way that is accessible to undergraduates with no prior background in queer theory. Another strength is the attention to race, ethnicity, and class throughout the book. Henderson's use of many different texts including academic work, examples from popular media, literature, the lived experiences of queer communities and people, and current events will engage undergraduates. The book covers an impressive range of contexts including school, family, health, religion, and citizenship in a thorough way. -- Emily Kazyak, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Queer Studies is an invaluable tool to teach queer studies in the current academic context. Addressing the challenges of a constantly changing field, Henderson introduces an amazing variety of resources, which he presents and explains in a direct, warm, and accessible style. -- Mat Fournier, Ithaca College
Fluidly written in an accessible style...highly recommended. * Choice *
This textbook is highly recommended for introductory undergraduate queer studies courses. * RGWS: A Feminist Review *
