Constructing (non-)normative identities in written lesbian discourse: A diachronic study

<p>This article provides an analysis of two texts written from a lesbian subject position at different points in recent history, to show how the authors construct (non-)normative in-group representations. The study is based on theoretical notions from discourse theory, queer theory and social cognition research, and uses a mostly data-driven analytical approach. The two texts, a manifesto and a journal article, are investigated to see how they use nomination and predication to construct in- and out-group representations, to what extent these identities are non-normative and why they are constructed in this particular way. Results show a stark demarcation of a positive, non-complex in-group from a negative, equally non-complex out-group in the earlier text, which contrasts with a more differentiated and less uniformly positive in-group representation in the later text. This is explained with the respective socio-political context, and the earlier text is interpreted as promoting a more explicitly normative in-group representation.</p>