Subverting transphobia and challenging ignorance: The interactive construction of resistant identity in a community of practice of transgender youth

Jones, Lucy

Abstract

In this paper, I present two moments of interaction emerging from a focus group between young people who are members of a community of practice: a support group for transgender youth and their parents. Using discourse analysis, I demonstrate how the young people work collaboratively to construct a mutual identity which foregrounds their shared experience of transgender issues and minimises differences between them. I argue that they do this to actively challenge and resist the discrimination they experience due to transphobia and ignorance, which includes attempts to 'other' them. I show how the young people ascribe themselves agency by subverting the heteronormative ideologies which inform this othering, thus constructing an active, resistant, and validated mutual identity rather than a victimised, submissive, or othered one. This identity work tells us much about the hugely important role played by support groups in helping young people to construct a positive persona in the face of transphobic discrimination.

Citation

Jones, L. (2020). Subverting transphobia and challenging ignorance: The interactive construction of resistant identity in a community of practice of transgender youth. Journal of Language and Discrimination, 4(2), 149–171. https://doi.org/10.1558/jld.18488

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 20, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 24, 2020
• Publication Date: Oct 24, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 23, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 25, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Language and Discrimination
• Print ISSN: 2397-2637
• Electronic ISSN: 2397-2645
• Publisher: Equinox Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 149–171
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1558/jld.18488
• Keywords: community of practice; transgender; youth; identity; transphobia
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3787947
• Publisher URL: https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JLD/article/view/18488
• Related Public URLs: https://journals.equinoxpub.com/JLD/index