Suchergebnisse

La comprensión de la transfobia y discriminación hacia las personas trans depende de la propia definición de 'persona trans'. Sin embargo, la terminología trans no es unívoca. En este artículo identifico términos y definiciones usadas habitualmente en la investigación científica actual sobre transfobia (2005-2016) en inglés, francés, español y portugués. Se realizó una revisión de literatura y un análisis de contenido cualitativo. Se identificaron ocho temas definitorios: identidad, expresión, binarismo sexo-género, binarismo hombre-mujer, modificaciones corporales, diagnóstico médico, reivindicación anti-patológica y reivindicación política. Diferentes términos son usados para enfatizar diferentes definiciones. Alego que la polisemia de la terminología trans plantea una dificultad para los estudios que usan una definición fija y fuerte. Además, es necesario que la investigación reflexione sobre las definiciones que establece y sus efectos. Examinar las normas de género y contar con las definiciones de las propias personas trans parece una perspectiva más fructífera para comprender la transfobia. ; The understanding of transphobia and discrimination against trans people depends on the definition itself of 'trans people'. However, trans terminology is not unambiguous. In this paper I identify terms and definitions commonly used in contemporary scientific research on transphobia (2005-2016) in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. A review of literature and a qualitative content analysis were carried out. Eight themes were identified within the definitions: identity, expression, sex-gender binary, man-woman binary, body modifications, medical diagnosis, anti-pathological claim and political claim. Different terms are used to emphasise different definitions . I argue that the polysemy of trans terminology raises a concern for studies relying on a fixed and robust definition of trans people. Moreover, research should pay attention to the definitions that it establishes and their effects. Examining gender norms and relying on trans people's self-definitions seems a more fertile approach to understanding transphobia.

The understanding of transphobia and discrimination against trans people depends on the definition itself of 'trans people'. However, trans terminology is not unambiguous. In this paper I identify terms and definitions commonly used in contemporary scientific research on transphobia (2005-2016) in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. A review of literature and a qualitative content analysis were carried out. Eight themes were identified within the definitions: identity, expression, sex-gender binary, man-woman binary, body modifications, medical diagnosis, anti-pathological claim and political claim. Different terms are used to emphasise different definitions . I argue that the polysemy of trans terminology raises a concern for studies relying on a fixed and robust definition of trans people. Moreover, research should pay attention to the definitions that it establishes and their effects. Examining gender norms and relying on trans people's self-definitions seems a more fertile approach to understanding transphobia. ; La comprensión de la transfobia y discriminación hacia las personas trans depende de la propia definición de 'persona trans'. Sin embargo, la terminología trans no es unívoca. En este artículo identifico términos y definiciones usadas habitualmente en la investigación científica actual sobre transfobia (2005-2016) en inglés, francés, español y portugués. Se realizó una revisión de literatura y un análisis de contenido cualitativo. Se identificaron ocho temas definitorios: identidad, expresión, binarismo sexo-género, binarismo hombre-mujer, modificaciones corporales, diagnóstico médico, reivindicación anti-patológica y reivindicación política. Diferentes términos son usados para enfatizar diferentes definiciones. Alego que la polisemia de la terminología trans plantea una dificultad para los estudios que usan una definición fija y fuerte. Además, es necesario que la investigación reflexione sobre las definiciones que establece y sus efectos. Examinar las normas de género y contar con las definiciones de las propias personas trans parece una perspectiva más fructífera para comprender la transfobia.

Abstract
Work is one of the main areas of discrimination against trans people, both in Belgium and the European Union as a whole. This fact points to the inseparability of symbolic and material aspects in discrimination and exclusion. In this sense, the creation and justification of differences and hierarchies become essential to understand work discrimination. Although gender analyses of work and the economy abound, these usually rely on unalterable and dichotomous gender categories. In this paper, we argue that, because of the destabilisation of the categories that it entails, 'trans-inquiring' is a fruitful critical approach to examine common-sense notions about gender and sexuality at work. Our objective is to identify workers' discourses about 'difference' related to gender issues at work and the implications for the inclusion/exclusion of trans people. Our corpus consisted of the transcriptions of five group interviews carried out with co-workers from five work organisations in Brussels. The analysis was carried out using a discursive psychology approach through the identification of rhetorical devices and interpretative repertoires. Diverse and often contradictory discourses were identified. These contradictory discourses carry out a rhetorical work by setting a distinction between (gender and sexuality) indifference, (useful) diversity, and (unacceptable) difference. This distinction has the function of both expressing an adherence to equality principles while at the same time maintaining hegemonic views on gender and sexuality in the workplace – namely cisgenderism, sexism, and heteronormativity – and denying discrimination against trans people, women, and homosexual people.

Belgium has recently modified the way 'sex' is legally certified for trans* people following the principle of self-determination. However, like in most countries, this modification has not changed the way 'sex' is determined for all members of society, being limited to trans* people. How is sex legally certified for different categories of people in Belgium and what are the effects thereof? Drawing on the theoretical perspective of discursive psychology (DP), we consider sex/gender categories as something constructed in discourse – in this case, legislative discourse – and not as an essentialist and pre-discursive reality. Categories are thus an effect of discourse: what discourse accomplishes or constructs. Based on this premise, this paper aims at elucidating the ideological effects and practical implications of the legal certification of sex in Belgium. The effects of the legislative discourse are ideological in the sense that they establish social norms, in this case, regarding sex/gender, leading to practical implications in everyday life. To elucidate these effects, we first identified Belgian civil law on the legal certification of sex since the establishment of Belgium as a sovereign state. We then applied a DP-inspired analytical device comprising a qualitative content analysis and the examination of content variability. The variability of discourse is a key analytical tool to elucidate the effects of discourse since these are not directly observable. The results show that the analysed legislation constructs women and men as natural categories. This is carried out through: 1) the establishment of a distinction between the population at large (unmarked) and those 'outside the norm' (marked subjects: 'transgender', 'intersex'); 2) the lack of legal regulation of the attribution of sex markers at birth, being taken for granted; 3) the regulation of the latter only in 'abnormal cases' (called 'children suffering from sexual ambiguity'); and 4) the fact that gender identity is recognised as a criterion for ...

Belgium has recently modified the way 'sex' is legally certified for trans* people following the principle of self-determination. However, like in most countries, this modification has not changed the way 'sex' is determined for all members of society, being limited to trans* people. How is sex legally certified for different categories of people in Belgium and what are the effects thereof? Drawing on the theoretical perspective of discursive psychology (DP), we consider sex/gender categories as something constructed in discourse – in this case, legislative discourse – and not as an essentialist and pre-discursive reality. Categories are thus an effect of discourse: what discourse accomplishes or constructs. Based on this premise, this paper aims at elucidating the ideological effects and practical implications of the legal certification of sex in Belgium. The effects of the legislative discourse are ideological in the sense that they establish social norms, in this case, regarding sex/gender, leading to practical implications in everyday life. To elucidate these effects, we first identified Belgian civil law on the legal certification of sex since the establishment of Belgium as a sovereign state. We then applied a DP-inspired analytical device comprising a qualitative content analysis and the examination of content variability. The variability of discourse is a key analytical tool to elucidate the effects of discourse since these are not directly observable. The results show that the analysed legislation constructs women and men as natural categories. This is carried out through: 1) the establishment of a distinction between the population at large (unmarked) and those 'outside the norm' (marked subjects: 'transgender', 'intersex'); 2) the lack of legal regulation of the attribution of sex markers at birth, being taken for granted; 3) the regulation of the latter only in 'abnormal cases' (called 'children suffering from sexual ambiguity'); and 4) the fact that gender identity is recognised as a criterion for the attribution of sex markers only for trans* people, presented as an exception to the norm. This variability reifies sexual dimorphism and naturalises the correspondence between 'biological sex' and gender identity, thereby constituting 'normative' and 'deviant' sex/gender categories. The results are discussed in light of the practical implications that this legal norm has in everyday life.

En septembre 2015, un nouvel acteur est apparu sur la scène des études de genre : STRIGES. Cette structure de recherche interdisciplinaire sur le genre, l'égalité et la sexualité constitue une des équipes fondatrices de la Maison des Sciences Humaines de l'ULB.