Queer(y)ing Public Administration

Abstract

Queer theory, understood here as a set of political/politicized practices and positions which resist normative knowledge and identities, has emerged as a theoretical perspective having important emancipatory and explanatory power in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Queer theory resists defi nition ipso facto , residing as it does within a postructuralist paradigm. It has not hitherto featured within the discipline of public administration and we argue the case for its utilisation in this fi eld by fi rst explicating the theory. Here we develop a way of using queer theory to analyse data, notably through the identifi cation of the ' moments ' of a queer theory analysis: identifi cation of the norms that govern identity, analysis of what is allowable within those norms, and exploration of what is unspeakable. We demonstrate its use via an empirically-based case study. The lessons from this exercise are then applied to some of our earlier work which we re-read through a queer theory lens. This shows the great explanatory power offered by the theory, in that it can develop insights that previously have been inaccessible. We conclude with recommendations for its broader application and wider use within public administration.

A Teoria Queer e os Estudos Organizacionais: Revisando Conceitos sobre Identidade

“…Devido à incompletude do self, o sujeito falha em conseguir o completo reconhecimento, compelindoo sempre a estar constantemente buscando e desejando o reconhecimento, ao mesmo tempo em que essa busca declara a impossibilidade de realização do sujeito. Entretanto, o sujeito não tem a opção de existir fora da ordem simbólica e, apesar das falhas para realizar o reconhecimento, é melhor existir em subordinação a essa ordem do que não existir como sujeito (Kenny, 2012;Lee et al, 2008).…”

Where is Queer Theory in Organizational Studies?

“…Therefore, despite the diversity of themes presented by the articles queer theory continues to be utilized mostly to study aspects of gender and sexuality inside these themes. Only six articles do not have any kind of relation to sexuality and gender studied, having as their main objects of analysis charisma [25], control and subversion [26], identity of expatriates and the knowledge produced in management studies [27][28][29]. But despite most articles analyzed have relation to gender and sexuality the themes explored in these articles are diversified as highlighted.…”

“…Table 6 points to ten different themes that are connected with queer theory in this regard: appropriation of queer theory by different management disciplines and approaches; studies of friendship at work; identity/subjectivity construction; studies of beauty; diversity programs and policies; humor and comedy in the workplace; spatial division; entrepreneurship; leadership; and discrimination at work (Table 6). Problematizing the discipline of public administration [28] Problematizing Critical Management Studies as a Performative Approach [29] Friendship Sexuality and Gender [30][31][32][33] …”

“…Performativity and Performance [26,29,32,34,36,38,43,44,4 7,51,53] Heterosexual Matrix and Heteronormativity [25,28,[30][31][32][33][34]44,45,47,49,51,52,55,56] Subjectivity, Identity Categories and Identification [26,35,36,37,40,41,46,47,50 ,55,54,56] Debating Concepts about Gender [42,48] Embodiment [39] Knowledge [27] There is a huge diversity of themes studied in the organizational field that use queer theory concepts. Finding this diversity is very interesting because it shows the connections established between queer theory and management.…”

‘Girls’ working together without ‘teams’: How to avoid the colonization of management language

“…Furthermore, their own formulation achieved distance from management without being conventionally political or consciously controversial, so it may be a somewhat different usage from more knowingly politicised deployments of formerly used terms of abuse, such as the appropriation of the word 'queer' by homosexuals (Lee, et al 2008). It seems, rather, to have been a way for the clerks to achieve what Sennett calls 'strong social ties', which are ties that explicitly contrast with the 'weak ties that are embodied in teamwork ' (1998:24).…”