Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Integrated Article

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Kinesiology

Supervisor

Pila, Eva.

Affiliation

Western University

Abstract

The “experience of embodiment” is a construct that captures how an individual experiences the body in their socio-cultural context and has important implications for mental health and well-being. The construct was originally developed to explain the experiences of cis-gender girls and women, and has not been investigated in trans*feminine individuals. Grounded in social constructivism, and integrating the gender minority stress model and principles of intersectionality, the present study investigated trans*feminine experiences of embodiment. To expand our understanding of this construct, trans*feminine participants engaged in focus groups (n=28), a photo-elicitation task (n=25), and one-on-one semi-structured interviews (n=25). Using a combined inductive and deductive approach to reflexive thematic analysis, 5 themes were constructed: (1) Challenging Cisnormativity; (2) Desire: Incoming and Outgoing; (3) Radical Self-Care; (4) Journeys to Alignment; and (5) Gatekeepers and Facilitators of Euphoria. Utilizing a gender minority stress framework to contextualize the findings, the present study provides a rich understanding of embodiment in trans*feminine individuals.

Summary for Lay Audience

Experiences of inhabiting the body have been studied in cisgender girls and women, but have yet to be comprehensively in trans*feminine individuals. Existing research pertaining to the body image of trans*feminine individuals has focused almost exclusively on experiences of negative mental health (e.g., dysphoria, disordered eating). There is a lack of research on positive inhabitance of the body, despite calls for this type of investigation. There is some evidence to suggest that trans*feminine individuals may have unique resilience factors that can contribute to positive embodiment. Embodiment is associated with positive mental and physical health outcomes in cisgender women and men.

This study sought to investigate this construct in trans*feminine individuals through focus groups, photo elicitation (a creative photography activity), and individual semi-structured interviews. Analyzing the data resulted in 5 themes, (1) Challenging Cisnormativity; (2) Desire: Incoming and Outgoing; (3) Radical Self-Care; (4) Journeys to Alignment; and (5) Gatekeepers and Facilitators of Euphoria. The theme ‘Challenging Cisnormativity’ highlighted the importance of gender identity and expression on embodiment. The ‘Desire’ theme described how sexuality impacted embodiment. ‘Radical Self-Care’ described how embodiment and self-care were related. The ‘Journeys’ theme highlighted how transition was embodying. Finally, the ‘Gatekeepers’ theme included explanations of individual, interpersonal, and structural barriers to embodiment. Results had considerable conceptual overlap to current understandings of embodiment, with some themes being unique to trans*feminine individuals. The results from this exploratory work provide recommendations to expand current body image theories to be more inclusive. Additionally, findings of this study provide individual and societal level recommendations to help promote positive embodiment for trans*feminine individuals.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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