Social representations of sex and gender among trans people

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the social representations of sex and gender among transsexual people, through their life histories. Method: Qualitative, multicenter and descriptive research. The participants were 70 transsexuals from Brazil and Costa Rica. Data were analyzed according to the technique of Content Analysis. Results: Two complementary representations related to sex were identified: “Sex as a natural categorical imposition sealed and acquired (irremediably) at birth” and “Sex as an element that labels, condemns and differentiates people.” Regarding gender, a single representation was associated with “synthetic-social constructions associated with (necro/bio) power, cisnormativity and culture.” Final considerations: The former absolute division of gender as social construction and of sex as considered as natural must be questioned in order to analyze both concepts as an interconnected dyad. In addition, it should be recognized that this dyad presents itself as an organizational and cognitive construct, mediated by the still prevalent cispatriarchal (necro/bio) power.

摘要：
研究目的：通过跨性别者（transsexual people）的人生历程，剖析其对性与性别的社会表征。
研究方法：本研究为质性、多中心描述性研究，研究对象为来自巴西与哥斯达黎加的70名跨性别者，数据采用内容分析法（Content Analysis）开展分析。
研究结果：本研究识别出两类与性相关的互补性社会表征：其一为"性作为出生时便被不可挽回地赋予且固化的自然范畴性强加"，其二为"性作为标签化、谴责并区分个体的要素"。针对性别维度，仅存在一类关联表征，即"与（死亡/生命）权力、顺常规范（cisnormativity）及文化相关的合成性社会建构"。
研究结论：过往将性别绝对视为社会建构、将性绝对视作自然属性的二分范式亟待反思，二者应被视作相互关联的二元统一体。此外，需承认该二元统一体作为一种组织性与认知性建构，由至今仍占主导地位的顺父权（cispatriarchal）（死亡/生命）权力所介导。