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When Should Transgender Identification Begin - Youth or Adulthood

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Research on Transgender Identification in Youth or Adulthood
The question at hand is whether or not it is more beneficial for a person with gender dysphoria to be able to express the gender for which they identify with at a young age, or later, in adulthood.
In regards to sociology, symbolic interactionism is ideal for examining the way in which sociological theory relates to transgender issues. This is because symbolic interactionism is the study of how people relate to one another and their environment, but specifically how the relations between each other have an effect on their environment. Blumer’s conceptualization of symbolic interactionism, known as the situational approach is the one most often used in sex research (Longmore, …show more content…

Hopefully, by gaining insight into these interactions, it will help inform whether or not it is beneficial for a child to be able to express their gender identity at a young age or whether it is more beneficial for them to wait until adulthood.

A theory that would give insight into the research question in relation to psychology would be identity theory. Stryker and Burke (2006) have the most relevant ideas on identity theory that would inform the research question. In identity theory, it is used to show how people identify with being a particular type of person; how they take on social roles and belong to social groups (Burke, 2006). Stryker claimed that the greater number of people one is committed to being a certain type of person around the more they identify with being that type of person (Burke, 2006). This poses interesting insight into the research question of whether or not it is beneficial for a child to express their gender identity at a young age and be “out” with everyone they know, or for an adult to have to slowly bring their identity into existence among people individually and how this may have an effect on the person. Stryker also

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