Power Counter-Strategies in Gender Relations

Abstract

This article examines the potential of Queer Theory as a theoretical framework for gender relations and an alternative approach to mainstream power dynamics. The counter-discursive strategies under study draw upon the seminal critical contributions of Michel Foucault and his theories of power, Eve K. Sedgwick and her theory of the closet, and Judith Butler and her work on gender and performativity.  The study finds that Butler highlights stylization as pervasive in performance. Integrating Sedgwick's queer theory and Foucault’s critical analysis discourse, the study explores how theater challenges conventionality. Sedgwick deepens the understanding of fluid identities, complementing Butler's focus on embodiment. Through interdisciplinary analysis, the study explores the dynamics of power within theatrical representations.