Susan Talburt Libri

Focusing on the academic experiences of three lesbian faculty members at a public research university, this ethnography employs poststructural theories to examine the complexities of knowledge, identity, and sexuality. It moves beyond traditional notions of identity and visibility to analyze how academic practices are intertwined with these concepts. Through this lens, the book invites readers to reconsider the dynamics of policy, identity, and knowledge as they manifest in fluid, relational contexts, urging a deeper understanding of their interconnectedness.

Thinking Queer takes up the challenges of queer theorizing for education by interrogating the effects of representation through voice and visibility, the interplay of social and academic knowledges and ignorances, and the performative aspects of queer identities and practices. Engaging ethnography, philosophical policy, and social analysis, cultural and media studies, and theoretical stances from psychoanalysis to complexity theory, the essays in this volume challenge readers to move beyond the logic of identity politics in order to consider the limitations and possibilities of cultural and institutional policies and practices in K-12 and higher educational contexts. This volume offers analyses of queer subjects that frame possibilities for new forms of inquiry into queer politics and practices and suggests tactics for educational change.