Introduction: Towards a general theory of failure

One of the closest analytical tropes to failure is that of incommensurability. At the risk of being overly simplistic: incommensurability is failure drawn out and given permanency as a structural element. In certain circles of queer theory, such as in the work of Judith Butler/Jack Halberstam, failure is seen as a means to subvert the normative hegemonic society and allow the individual to live a more fulfilling life. Failure occurs when the subject’s process of inscribing themselves in the world – that is, the process of objectification – is interrupted or aborted. Ethnographically, failure may be felt as the moment of disconnect between what one wants or expects to occur as the result of one’s actions and that which actually occurs. The inherent temporal aspect of failure has been touched on a few times already, but deserves some attention in its own right. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.