Social Work, Queer Theory and After: A Genealogy of Sexuality Theory in Neo-Liberal Times

Abstract

This article presents a genealogy of social work approaches to sexuality via critical examination of the relevance of queer and post-queer theory. The key tenets of queer theory are outlined before the authors go on to assess how social work has responded to this body of work. The authors offer some critical comments on social work's engagement with queer theory before moving on to discuss a range of post-queer developments, focused on race, empire, the neo-liberal state, class, austerity, gender and anti-normativity. As social work has yet to engage with post-queer theory, the authors assess some of its key contributions and, finally, discuss their suggestions for ways in which this literature might offer opportunities for the reinvigoration of research, theory and practice in the contemporary field of social work and sexuality.