“Doing Fear”

The Influence of Hetero-femininity on (Trans)Women's Fears of Victimization

Datos Bibliográficos

ID18972799
AutoresJ E Yavorsky (0000-0002-8480-5871, The Ohio State University, autor de correspondencia), L C Sayer (0000-0002-5755-4579, University of Maryland, College Park), Liana Sayer (University of Maryland)
Año2013
Volumen54
Número4
Páginas511-533
Fecha de publicación2013-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSociological Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0038-0253 • E-ISSN: 1533-8525
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/tsq.12038
OpenAlexW1563963612
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas15
Referencias citadas57

Through 26 in-depth interviews with male-to-female transsexuals (transwomen), this study examines transwomen’s perceptions of safety, pre- and post-transition. The majority reported higher levels of fear and believed they would be unable to fight off an attacker post-transition even though most were large-statured and were socialized as males. Exposure to heterosexual practices and to cultural messages depicting women as physically weak and sexually vulnerable, and transwomen’s embodiment of hetero-femininity play a central role in increasing their fears. Their experiences as women are powerful enough to override decades of prior male experiences and expose the socially-constructed nature of fear and bodily agency

Agency (philosophy) · Developmental psychology · Femininity · Masculinity · Perception · Sociology · Terminology · Transgender · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology