Organizational Communication Meets Queer Theory: Theorizing Relations of “Difference” Differently

Abstract

In this essay, I show how further engagement with queer theory can contribute to organizational communication theorizing about difference. After reviewing the theoretical roots of difference and intersectionality research in organizational communication, I draw from queer theory to articulate three guiding principles for queer difference research: (a) emphasizing the notion of normativity; (b) adopting an anticategorical approach to difference, intersectionality, and normativity; and (c) advocating a politics that challenges normativity. I conclude by discussing both the relevance and potential of queer theory for all communication theorists and suggest that further engagement with queer theory is consistent with putting communication at the center of explanations to social reality.

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