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Understanding Judith Butler
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Understanding Judith Butler

  • Anita Brady - Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
  • Tony Schirato - Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand


December 2010 | 160 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

Acknowledged as one of the most influential thinkers of modern times, an understanding of Judith Butler's work is ever more essential to an understanding of not just the landscape of cultural and critical theory, but of the world around us. Understanding Judith Butler, however, can be perceived as a complex and difficult undertaking.

It needn't be. Using contemporary and topical examples from the media, popular culture and everyday life, this lively and accessible introduction shows how the issues, concepts, and theories in Butler's work function as socio-cultural practices.

Giving due consideration to Butler's earlier and most recent work, and showing how her ideas on subjectivity, gender, sexuality and language overlap and interrelate, this book gives a better understanding not only of Butler's work, but of its applications to modern-day social and cultural practices and contexts.


 
Introduction
 
Introduction
 
Subjectivity, Identity and Desire
 
Gender
 
Queer
 
Symbolic Violence
 
Ethics
 
Glossary
 
Bibliography
 
Index

A rather perfect textbook at the right level. It opens up issues of transgender very well and is critical in just the right tone. Much needed in media and cultural studies
Angela McRobbie
Goldsmiths, University of London


Good overview on Butler.

Dr Calum Neill
School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences (Sighthi, Edinburgh Napier University
May 12, 2016

This book is ideal for under-graduate students who are encountering Judith Butler for the first time. It should be highly recommended to students studying not only gender-related issues, but who are doing any textual analysis. We unfortunately could not recommend the work simply because we are looking specifically for sources for our post-graduate students.

Professor Beschara Karam
Department of Communicatin Science, University of South Africa
February 12, 2015

This will be very helpful to encourage students to not give up on Butler too fast!

Ms Roswitha Kersten-Pejanic
Department of Slavic studies, Humboldt University of Berlin
August 26, 2014

Excellent coverage of the range of Butler's work without too much dilution. Accessible for 3rd year UG students as well as Masters students.

Dr Deryn Guest
Dept of Theology & Religion, Birmingham University
October 17, 2013

A useful insight into Butler's theories, very accessible for students

Miss Charlotte Jones
Warwick Institute of Education, Warwick University
September 20, 2013

This is a very good introduction to the work of Judith Butler, which is of great importance to contemporary thinking, but also complex to make sense of, in its richness. I would recommend it as an introduction from which to begin exploring Butler's main contributions to philosophy and gender studies.

Dr Dario Pellegrini
Child and Family, Tavistock Centre
July 6, 2013

A clearly articulated and argued book of how to understand the complex writing of Judith Butler. I will definitely recommend the book for those who are studying post-modernism/feminism.

Ms Eva Mikuska
Childhood Studies (Bishop Otter), Chichester University
April 4, 2013

The authors make it (as promised) indeed easier to understand Judith Butler. Thanks!

Miss Desiree Jansen
HE and Skills, Accrington and Rossendale College
January 17, 2012

Butler is such an important figure in post modernist /feminist research that I will certainly be recommending this book to students who are using either of those theoretical approaches in their work.

Ms Amanda French
Dept of Education Studies, Wolverhampton University
August 19, 2011

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1: Subjectivity, identity and desire


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