The Relationship Between Gender Identity and Role Models Among Transgender Individuals.
详细信息
文摘
This study takes a qualitative-narrative approach to exploring the relationship between transgender individuals' gender identity and their role models. A socially empowering, psychodynamic perspective was adopted by relying on the relational-feminist and self psychology theories. Eleven participants who identified as transgender were interviewed (ages ranged between 32 and 67 years； average age was 57). Overall, interactions with meaningful others were found to have had a significant impact on the participants' gender identity. In terms of representations, the participants looked up to influential individuals in the media. At the same time, participants asked for more diverse and three-dimensional representations of trans individuals. Furthermore, while participants placed a heavy emphasis on biological factors, the relational-feminist perspective on gender was supported. Participants' narratives indicated that trying to construct a healthy self in a social environment that ignores one's existence, or discourages one's idea of who they should be, was likely to produce psychopathology. Nevertheless, the narratives suggested that transgender individuals had the ability to empower themselves and their community by using their experience to act as social advocates. Finally, problematic interactions with mental health and medical clinicians were described. Therefore, there is a clear need for specialized training for clinicians who work with transgender individuals.