(no subject)
So I got my honours results back
My thesis was given a mark of 80 (before penalty) and my final Honours mark was 74.
The aim of this thesis, to investigate the construction of sexual identities in their intersection with (human) rights discourse, is achieve by way of eploring the dominant frameworks for ascribing and negotiating GLBT identities, and extending these considerations to their reception and utility in a global arena. In order to achieve its aims, this thesis addresses existing discourses on GLBT rights (as human rights) and seeks to review this field through a framework which foregrounds a socially constructed model of seuality, influenced by queer theory.
In this undertaking, an organising concern lies with the question of how seual identities can claim their universal status necessary to recognition and social action, without resting on naturalised of essentialised assumptions about these identities that accompany their previous definitions through medicial and legal discourses. To this end, emphasising the socially constructed nature of these sexual identities, in their diversity, is an important step in revisiting these types of assumptions. From queer theory, and more specifically Foucault's and Butler's contributions, the notion of the 'meta-narrative' is leveraged as a methodological tool in the analysis of rights discourses around seual identity to understand how both the discourses of rights, and their articulation of particular subjectivities, are produced and shaped.
The breadth of research and Morningstar's ability to bring all of these voices and elements of their arguments together into a cohesive overview of the field is exceptional and executed well. The student has demonstrated the depth of his understanding of his chosen field in his appraisal of a broad range of literature, his ability to order and make sense of this literature, the historical account of the way GLBT meta-narratives have gained legitimacy, and his knowledge of recent developments in the global context (for eample the translation of GLBT visibility into new media environments and the very recent operationalising of the GLBT meta-narrative in international rights initiatives).
Additionally, many of the crucial considerations arising within this body of writing are presented with a sustained awareness of the complexity within these debates. The tensions emerging between broader human rights discourse and GLBT rights; the way in which the naturalisation of GLBT identities as embodied and essential to the individual, although identified as being problematic, also draws attention to the political plight of dissident sexual identities, and the requirement to foreground the diverse undertandings of sexual identity at an historical and local level while remaining alert to the need for a broader rights agenda, all emerge as challenging and important considerations within this analysis.
The thesis structure is sound, firstly outline the subject matter and methodological approach moving on to a discussion of the various periods of GLBT rights and the meta-narratives defining seual identities during these periods as shaped through medical, legal, and other discourses, followed by an analysis of the construction of sexual identities in a global context. Chapter One provides an insightful overview of the history of GLBT identity, tracing its way through a review of the relevant discourses which have served to naturalise, silence, or promote GLBT rights, from regional to transnational dialogues with sexual identity. Following this, the ascription of sexual identity through the dominant frameworks discussed in Chapter Two is balanced by considerations of GLBT 'identity work', those negotiations with social constructions of identity which help to inform collective rights and action, in Chapter Three.
At times the incusive nature of this thesis has meant that the relevance of certain points of argument for the scope of the thesis is not made explicit, with one such example appearing at the end of Chapter Three. Disability politics is offered in the introduction as useful for advancing claims for the social construction of identity work, however this assessment of disability rights appears as an addendum in Chapter Three, rather than framing the chapter. While Chapter Three helpfully reiterates the theoretical approach taken in the thesis and the culmination of its claims to this point, there could be room for further analysis here. Revisiting the issues identified within the GLBT rights discourses through specific examples of queer theory would have added a further critical dimension to the thesis and its analysis at this point, specifically through an elaboration of the socially constructed nature of identity which is identified in the introduction as a major departure from the more essentialist discourses surrounding GLBT rights. With the methodological framework established up from, and not engaged further at a later much, much of the thesis presents as a critical review of existing literature on the question of seual identity and the various frameworks for its reception in the socio-political and global arenas. However, the conclusion provides a clear overview of conceptual aims of the thesis and neatly summarises its key arguments.
The breadth of theory employed in the introduction to this thesis allows Morningstar to position himself in relation to a diversity of perspectives. However, given the scope of this thesis and number of sources engaged, there is a tendency to move through these arguments quickly, perhaps forfeiting a deeper engagement with some of the key voices the thesis draws upon to orient its methodological and analytical framework. ... A sound attempt has been made to briefly interpret and employ the theories of Foucault and Butler, among others, to orient the approach this thesis takes towards its subject matter. However, although the conceptual parameters of these theorists' worjs are offered as significant contrivutors to the overall argument, the relevant detail of the contributions could be developed further...
In spite of these limitations, Morningstar has a clear grasp of the central ideas in the theory he engages. His precis of Goffman, for example, is to the point and neatly accompanies the performance metaphors he outlines. As an organising framework, this use of performance metaphors to contextualise the various levels of analysis engaged within the thesis is an original approach, and these metaphors are used consistently. However, there could be some advantage in providing further explanation for their use in place of terminology that could be drawn directly from the queer theory sources that the introduction and start of Chapter One gesture to. Similarly, the analytical framework for the thesis is clearly set up in the Introduction, however, its implementation as a critical tool throughout the thesis is not always made explicit, largely orienting the direction of the discussion rather than bringing additional insights to the subject matter explored. Generally speaking, though, this thesis meets the aims it sets out to achieve in the introduction, and sustains its agenda to critically engage the universal accounts of GLBT identity in order to forge a more inclusive , and more mutable, account of sexual identity in advocating rights at a global level. ...
Morningstar has taken an important and extensive project, and is to be commended on his ability to research and present many key considerations within the field of GLBT rights discourse.
My thesis was given a mark of 80 (before penalty) and my final Honours mark was 74.
The aim of this thesis, to investigate the construction of sexual identities in their intersection with (human) rights discourse, is achieve by way of eploring the dominant frameworks for ascribing and negotiating GLBT identities, and extending these considerations to their reception and utility in a global arena. In order to achieve its aims, this thesis addresses existing discourses on GLBT rights (as human rights) and seeks to review this field through a framework which foregrounds a socially constructed model of seuality, influenced by queer theory.
In this undertaking, an organising concern lies with the question of how seual identities can claim their universal status necessary to recognition and social action, without resting on naturalised of essentialised assumptions about these identities that accompany their previous definitions through medicial and legal discourses. To this end, emphasising the socially constructed nature of these sexual identities, in their diversity, is an important step in revisiting these types of assumptions. From queer theory, and more specifically Foucault's and Butler's contributions, the notion of the 'meta-narrative' is leveraged as a methodological tool in the analysis of rights discourses around seual identity to understand how both the discourses of rights, and their articulation of particular subjectivities, are produced and shaped.
The breadth of research and Morningstar's ability to bring all of these voices and elements of their arguments together into a cohesive overview of the field is exceptional and executed well. The student has demonstrated the depth of his understanding of his chosen field in his appraisal of a broad range of literature, his ability to order and make sense of this literature, the historical account of the way GLBT meta-narratives have gained legitimacy, and his knowledge of recent developments in the global context (for eample the translation of GLBT visibility into new media environments and the very recent operationalising of the GLBT meta-narrative in international rights initiatives).
Additionally, many of the crucial considerations arising within this body of writing are presented with a sustained awareness of the complexity within these debates. The tensions emerging between broader human rights discourse and GLBT rights; the way in which the naturalisation of GLBT identities as embodied and essential to the individual, although identified as being problematic, also draws attention to the political plight of dissident sexual identities, and the requirement to foreground the diverse undertandings of sexual identity at an historical and local level while remaining alert to the need for a broader rights agenda, all emerge as challenging and important considerations within this analysis.
The thesis structure is sound, firstly outline the subject matter and methodological approach moving on to a discussion of the various periods of GLBT rights and the meta-narratives defining seual identities during these periods as shaped through medical, legal, and other discourses, followed by an analysis of the construction of sexual identities in a global context. Chapter One provides an insightful overview of the history of GLBT identity, tracing its way through a review of the relevant discourses which have served to naturalise, silence, or promote GLBT rights, from regional to transnational dialogues with sexual identity. Following this, the ascription of sexual identity through the dominant frameworks discussed in Chapter Two is balanced by considerations of GLBT 'identity work', those negotiations with social constructions of identity which help to inform collective rights and action, in Chapter Three.
At times the incusive nature of this thesis has meant that the relevance of certain points of argument for the scope of the thesis is not made explicit, with one such example appearing at the end of Chapter Three. Disability politics is offered in the introduction as useful for advancing claims for the social construction of identity work, however this assessment of disability rights appears as an addendum in Chapter Three, rather than framing the chapter. While Chapter Three helpfully reiterates the theoretical approach taken in the thesis and the culmination of its claims to this point, there could be room for further analysis here. Revisiting the issues identified within the GLBT rights discourses through specific examples of queer theory would have added a further critical dimension to the thesis and its analysis at this point, specifically through an elaboration of the socially constructed nature of identity which is identified in the introduction as a major departure from the more essentialist discourses surrounding GLBT rights. With the methodological framework established up from, and not engaged further at a later much, much of the thesis presents as a critical review of existing literature on the question of seual identity and the various frameworks for its reception in the socio-political and global arenas. However, the conclusion provides a clear overview of conceptual aims of the thesis and neatly summarises its key arguments.
The breadth of theory employed in the introduction to this thesis allows Morningstar to position himself in relation to a diversity of perspectives. However, given the scope of this thesis and number of sources engaged, there is a tendency to move through these arguments quickly, perhaps forfeiting a deeper engagement with some of the key voices the thesis draws upon to orient its methodological and analytical framework. ... A sound attempt has been made to briefly interpret and employ the theories of Foucault and Butler, among others, to orient the approach this thesis takes towards its subject matter. However, although the conceptual parameters of these theorists' worjs are offered as significant contrivutors to the overall argument, the relevant detail of the contributions could be developed further...
In spite of these limitations, Morningstar has a clear grasp of the central ideas in the theory he engages. His precis of Goffman, for example, is to the point and neatly accompanies the performance metaphors he outlines. As an organising framework, this use of performance metaphors to contextualise the various levels of analysis engaged within the thesis is an original approach, and these metaphors are used consistently. However, there could be some advantage in providing further explanation for their use in place of terminology that could be drawn directly from the queer theory sources that the introduction and start of Chapter One gesture to. Similarly, the analytical framework for the thesis is clearly set up in the Introduction, however, its implementation as a critical tool throughout the thesis is not always made explicit, largely orienting the direction of the discussion rather than bringing additional insights to the subject matter explored. Generally speaking, though, this thesis meets the aims it sets out to achieve in the introduction, and sustains its agenda to critically engage the universal accounts of GLBT identity in order to forge a more inclusive , and more mutable, account of sexual identity in advocating rights at a global level. ...
Morningstar has taken an important and extensive project, and is to be commended on his ability to research and present many key considerations within the field of GLBT rights discourse.