Esther Newton
Encyclopedia
Esther Newton is an American
cultural anthropologist
best known for her pioneering work on the ethnography
of lesbian
and gay
communities in the United States. Newton was born in New York. She studied history at the University of Michigan
and received her BA with distinction in 1962 before starting graduate work in anthropology at the University of Chicago
under David M. Schneider
.
Her PhD dissertation, "The drag queens; a study in urban anthropology" (1968), examined the experiences, social interactions, and culture of drag queens, or (mostly gay-identified) men who dressed and performed as women in various kinds of theatrical settings or as an expression/performance of their sexual identity. Later published in several articles and as Mother camp: female impersonators in America (1972), Newton's work represented the first major anthropological study of a homosexual community in the United States and also laid some of the groundwork for theorists such as Judith Butler
, who would later explore the performative dimensions of sex and gender roles.
Her second book, Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty years in America’s first gay and lesbian town (1993), used oral history and ethnographic methods to document the changing dynamics of Cherry Grove, a beach resort on Fire Island, New York
and one of the oldest and most visible predominantly lesbian and gay communities
in the United States.
She identifies as lesbian and is currently Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Kempner Distinguished Research Professor at Purchase College
, State University of New York
. Newton is also a Lecturer in Women's Studies and American Culture at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Esther Newton is in a long-term partnership with controversial lesbian-feminist performance artist Holly Hughes
.
She is the daughter of Saul Newton.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cultural anthropologist
Cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans, collecting data about the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities. Anthropologists use a variety of methods, including participant observation,...
best known for her pioneering work on the ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
of lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
communities in the United States. Newton was born in New York. She studied history at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and received her BA with distinction in 1962 before starting graduate work in anthropology at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
under David M. Schneider
David M. Schneider
David Murray Schneider was an American cultural anthropologist, best known for his studies of kinship and as a major proponent of the symbolic anthropology approach to cultural anthropology. He received his B.S. in 1940 and his M.S. from Cornell University in 1941...
.
Her PhD dissertation, "The drag queens; a study in urban anthropology" (1968), examined the experiences, social interactions, and culture of drag queens, or (mostly gay-identified) men who dressed and performed as women in various kinds of theatrical settings or as an expression/performance of their sexual identity. Later published in several articles and as Mother camp: female impersonators in America (1972), Newton's work represented the first major anthropological study of a homosexual community in the United States and also laid some of the groundwork for theorists such as Judith Butler
Judith Butler
Judith Butler is an American post-structuralist philosopher, who has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy, and ethics. She is a professor in the Rhetoric and Comparative Literature departments at the University of California, Berkeley.Butler received her Ph.D...
, who would later explore the performative dimensions of sex and gender roles.
Her second book, Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty years in America’s first gay and lesbian town (1993), used oral history and ethnographic methods to document the changing dynamics of Cherry Grove, a beach resort on Fire Island, New York
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
and one of the oldest and most visible predominantly lesbian and gay communities
Gay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
in the United States.
She identifies as lesbian and is currently Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Kempner Distinguished Research Professor at Purchase College
State University of New York at Purchase
Purchase College, State University of New York, is a public four-year college located in Purchase, New York, United States. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York system...
, State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
. Newton is also a Lecturer in Women's Studies and American Culture at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Esther Newton is in a long-term partnership with controversial lesbian-feminist performance artist Holly Hughes
Holly Hughes
Holly Hughes is a Republican National Committee member from the State of Michigan, in the United States. She is also a Member of the Michigan House of Representatives for District 91.- Political career :...
.
She is the daughter of Saul Newton.
Select bibliography
- Newton, Esther (1968) "The drag queens; a study in urban anthropology." PhD dissertation, University of Chicago, Dept. of Anthropology.
- Newton, Esther (1979) Mother camp: Female impersonators in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [Originally published 1972 by Prentice-Hall]
- Newton, Esther (1993) Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty years in America’s first gay and lesbian town. Boston: Beacon Press.
- Newton, Esther (2000) Margaret Mead made me gay: personal essays, public ideas. Durham: Duke University Press.
- Newton, Esther (forthcoming) My Butch Career: A Queer Life in Anthropology. New York: St. Martin's Press.
External links
- Esther Newton faculty profile at SUNY Purchase.