Abstract

Using a qualitative approach, with consideration of Foucault’s (1977) concept of panopticism and theories of power in addition to Entwistle’s (2000) notion of the situated bodily practice, we explored the relationships between power, the perceived viewer, and trans people’s appearance-related practices and identity negotiations while traveling to different geographic locations. Across the interviews, four larger themes were identified: emotional labor and dress; travel as a vehicle for identity negotiation; fear of the unknown; and no change in dress while traveling. We theorize that trans people engage in social and cultural constructions of place, and it is through these varied interactions that trans identities, which are marginalized identities, resist and conform to cultural gender norms marking each place a site of trans temporality in identity meaning-making. The unique contribution of our work is how we revealed the varied ways travel connects with conscious development of the authentic self for trans people.

Highlights

  • We examine transgender and gender nonconforming individuals (TGNC) individual’s experiences with the negotiation of identity through different embodied practices while traveling to different geographic locations

  • There is a lack of research examining the intersections of travel, appearance, and the body for TGNC individuals

  • Using Foucault’s (1977) concept of panopticism, we explore the relationships between power, the perceived viewer, and TGNC bodies and bodily practices

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Summary

Introduction

We examine TGNC individual’s experiences with the negotiation of identity through different embodied practices while traveling to different geographic locations. There is a lack of research examining the intersections of travel, appearance, and the body for TGNC individuals. Due to the limited research on TGNC individual’s experiences with appearance negotiation, we used a qualitative approach where we conducted 14 in-depth interviews after approval from the Institutional Review Board.

Results
Conclusion

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