Reducing the Joy Deficit in Sociology: A Study of Transgender Joy

shuster, stef m.; Westbrook, Laurel

doi:10.1093/socpro/spac034

Cited by 51 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Finally, experiences of positive affect, joy, happiness, and related constructs are often overlooked in research with transgender communities given the overemphasis on hardships and mental health variables such as anxiety and depression (Shuster & Westbrook, 2022). This study is novel in the integration of an assessment of positive affect as well.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily experiences of minority stress and mental health in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

Puckett¹,

Dyar²,

Maroney³

et al. 2023

Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science

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Transgender and gender-diverse people experience various minority stressors although minimal research has examined prospective effects on daily affect or mental health. We explored rates of marginalization for transgender and gender-diverse participants in a daily diary study and the concurrent and prospective associations with daily affect and weekly measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as the mediating effects of internalized stigma, rumination, and isolation. There were 167 participants (82.2% white; M age = 25) retained in the daily surveys. Participants completed surveys for 56 days reflecting exposure to marginalization, gender nonaffirmation, internalized stigma, rumination, isolation, affect (negative, anxious, and positive affect), and mental health (anxiety and depression symptoms). Participants experienced marginalization on 25.1% of the days. Within-person analyses revealed concurrent associations between marginalization and gender nonaffirmation with increased negative and anxious affect and increased anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as associations for gender nonaffirmation and decreased positive affect. At the withinperson level, there were prospective associations between marginalization and gender nonaffirmation with increased negative affect on the next day, as well as increased anxiety and depression symptoms the next week. Concurrent analyses revealed significant indirect effects with marginalization and gender nonaffirmation associated with all three affect variables and mental health via increases in internalized stigma, rumination, and isolation. However, only gender nonaffirmation was related to isolation and affect or mental health in the prospective analyses. Clinical considerations include strategies to address the immediate effects of minority stress as well as the long-term interpersonal effects. General Scientific SummaryTransgender and gender-diverse people encounter marginalization, on average, every 1 of 4 days. These stressors are related to daily fluctuations in mood with implications for overall mental health. Furthermore, there are likely longer term impacts on interpersonal relationships and isolation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily experiences of minority stress and mental health in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

Puckett¹,

Dyar²,

Maroney³

et al. 2023

Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science

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“…As women's labor force participation and the number of single-parent families have increased, women have become both providers and nurturers. Although changes in men's parenting responsibilities have lagged, our respondents point toward a rewriting of masculinity focused on paternal care, one that supports joyful resistance to parental essentialism specifically and accentuates joy in lived experiences of marginalized groups generally (Shuster and Westbrook 2022). To support that joy, we need more equitable structures and logics of parenting pointing to how parents of all genders and sexual orientations make essentialrather than essentialistcontributions to children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Marginalize or Valorize: A Two-Case Study of Parental Essentialism and Fathers’ Social Location

Randles

Carroll

2023

Men and Masculinities

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The idea that children need a mother and a father to thrive is a hegemonic ideology of parenting, yet research finds that children do equally well in families with two parents of any gender. Prior research has not addressed how social location shapes parents’ engagement with gender essentialist ideologies of parenting. Filling this gap, we analyze ethnographic and interview data based on the experiences of poor fathers of color and mostly white, wealthy gay fathers. This two-case study uniquely reveals how class, race, and sexuality shape fathers’ relationships to parental essentialism. Fathers experience it as either a source of empowerment that valorizes them as worthy parents or a source of marginalization that denies their ability to raise healthy children. We theorize how this dual response reveals the salience and dangers of essentialist discourses in spaces where men grapple with gendered and heteronormative ideologies of masculinity, fatherhood, and families.

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“…Experiences of nonbinary individuals extend far beyond a narrative of dysphoria, distress, and oppression (Shuster & Westbrook, 2022). Indeed, being nonbinary is a source of strength and pride for many individuals (Bradford & Syed, 2019).…”

Section: Nonbinary Liberation and Empowermentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Me being myself isn’t a barrier”: Identity and praxis of nonbinary psychotherapists.

Goates,

Szymanski,

Pulice-Farrow

et al. 2024

Journal of Counseling Psychology

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Experiences of nonbinary psychotherapists have largely gone unexamined in the present literature. Using critical-constructivist grounded theory, we explored the experiences of 13 nonbinary licensed psychotherapists through qualitative semistructured interviews. Interviews were an average of 1.36 hr, and participants were recruited via social media and professional listservs. We found that nonbinary therapists ground their professional praxis-the embodiment of professional theory, action, and practice-in identity across four interconnected areas: navigating minority stress, disclosing identity, utilizing identity, and centering anti-oppression ideologies. Findings add to the nascent examination of experiences of marginalized mental health professionals and note the value of identity integration into professional work. For this population, identity is used in praxis, as it permeates their entire professional sphere. We highlight how these clinicians use their identity in challenging binary understandings of the therapeutic profession. Furthermore, nonbinary therapists demonstrate resilience among systems of oppression and are empowered when challenging binary ways of thinking with clients, supervisors, and peers. Our results indicate the importance of supporting and training nonbinary clinicians in how to use themselves and identity disclosures as effective therapeutic tools and how to manage minority stress and microaggressions that occur in their professional practice. It also underscores the general need for increased training targeted to educators and binary mental health professions aimed at increasing competence in working with nonbinary people. Public Significance StatementThis study explored the unique experiences of nonbinary psychotherapists in their multiple professional roles. Findings indicate that nonbinary therapists' identities are integrated into their work, positively impacting their professional responsibilities and providing means for self-and client-empowerment, despite experiences of marginalization.

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Reducing the Joy Deficit in Sociology: A Study of Transgender Joy

Cited by 51 publications

References 61 publications

Daily experiences of minority stress and mental health in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

Daily experiences of minority stress and mental health in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

Marginalize or Valorize: A Two-Case Study of Parental Essentialism and Fathers’ Social Location

“Me being myself isn’t a barrier”: Identity and praxis of nonbinary psychotherapists.

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