Jonathan Lang

Bodies, Voices and Psychological Inquiry: from a Queer Standpoint Jonathan Lang

Worried that academic writing about sexed & gendered identities might result in silencing of minority voices I consider how the development of queer individuals may challenge academic disciplinary structures in the dominant (normative) culture. Foucault said, to learn about the dominant culture, study those it has marginalized. With Foucault's legacy I show how a queer standpoint exposes the "closeted" nature of bodies & voices in psychological inquiry, and develop a symptomatic reading of non-gay identified academic discourse, thus showing that the activity of bodies and voices may be understood as a(n unconscious) location where disguised and symbolic problem solving can transpire to the benefit of all. The nature/nurture controversy, a founding dichotomy of psychological science, has been writ large in the humanities and social sciences wherein debate ensues over whether human nature is genetic/biologically determined or is socially constructed. Reducing nature to culture reminds of effacing body in favor of mind: the history of psychology is marked by this, manifesting recently in discursive psychology and queer theory. I develop queer technologies to resist bodily oppression.