Deconstruction theory and queer theory: a state of flux and multiplicity of meaning

This original article argues that Derrida’s theory of deconstruction (1960s) and Queer Theory (1990s) share many commonalities and provide some frameworks for rethinking the nature of agency and mode of meaning-making in this era marked by technological advancements and translingualism. Both theories challenge the rigidity and fixity of meaning, believing in the dynamism and multiplicity of decodes on the observer’s end. Even though both philosophies have originated from different contexts, they constantly disrupt the notion of normativity, inflexibility, language, identity and power. The ultimate goal of this comparative analysis rests on the idea of providing the voiceless with agency to resist the essentialist assumptions and the permanency of knowledge, but endorses the notion of social networks and their role in creating collective meaning to seek solutions to social and cultural issues that often change.