Reflecting psychosocial work with boys and men with impulses from queer theory and critic on heteronormativity

Abstract

Queer theoretical foundations of the reflection on critical psychosocial work with boys and men are rare in theory and practice. Therefore this chapter illustrates exemplary impulses on this perspective. For that aim, we depict central concepts and present the current state of research. We are going to describe a framework facilitating the reflection on professional practice on the level of social structure, gender relations and masculinity studies and point out effects on counselling. Consequently, we examine gender as a social construction and illustrate how queer perspectives can be grappled in organizations and concepts and how ubiquitary processes of professional work can be considered with a queer theoretical view. Finally we discuss gender identity and debate possible conflicts between the subject and society considering gender. For all dimensions we suggest possibilities for reflection.