ABSTRACT
This is the main theoretical chapter of the book. It provides a brief historical overview of the early development of the field, including academic, social and political influences. The bulk of the chapter then focuses on feminist and queer theoretical approaches and principles in the study of language, gender and sexuality. Particular attention is paid to Judith Butler’s work on performativity and how this social theory of gender and sexuality was influenced by, and now continues to inform, linguistic studies. The chapter examines how Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990) is a pivotal publication which has shaped contemporary research in language, gender and sexuality. Unsurprisingly, this chapter is quite ‘theory heavy’, but examples from linguistic data are included in the final section to illustrate and exemplify some of the key theoretical ideas discussed in the preceding sections.
