James McDonald’s (2015) article “Organizational Communication Meets Queer Theory: Theorizing Relations of ‘Difference’ Differently” examined the benefits from the application of queer theory, especially in queer difference research. McDonald (2015) explored the roots of queer theory, the various criticisms these theories faced in the academic landscape, and how these theories paved the way for queer theory. Queer theory repackaged the concept of queerness from its previous negative connotations into something that stands for resistance to societal and cultural homogeneity, be it about race, gender, or other social identities (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009; McDonald, 2015).
Queer theory had various influences, from cultural feminism, standpoint feminism,
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310). Queer theory, much like the feminist theories that came before it, is highly political. It encourages the resistance of normativity and promotes the thinking that no identity categories, societal norms, and ways of being are superior to others (McDonald, 2015).
Several concepts of the queer theory can be applied in organizational communication. What follows is a discussion of how these concepts are applied to the analysis of the student organization called the University of the Philippines In-Christ Thrust for University Students (UP ICTUS).
UP ICTUS, a religious and service-oriented organization, has four main tenets, or “thrusts”. These are (1) service, (2) prayer, (3) teaching, and (4) fellowship. All of the organization’s processes, activities, and practices, revolve around
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It is certainly interesting to analyse a religious organization through the lens provided by the concepts of queer theory. Still, UP ICTUS is an organization rooted in the Roman Catholic religion. And the Catholic Church did establish some standards on practices and activities which properly adhere to its teachings, thus perpetuating the concept of normativity in the religious community. To illustrate this, behaviour, practices, and attitudes of ICTUSians that are considered not that of a Catholic is frowned upon by the other members and the alumni. However, it must be noted that UP ICTUS is a student-led organization within the University of the Philippines, and the open and liberal ways of the organization could be because of the younger generation of members trying to change ways to fit in the current