Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Gender Versus Transgender: Transgender Communities at the Crosshairs

Received: 25 June 2023     Accepted: 18 July 2023     Published: 31 October 2023
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Abstract

Transgender as a gender is currently a worldwide topical issue. There are raging debates between those who are pro-transgender, fighting for the rights of the transgender people and those who are anti-transgender; fighting for traditional culture conservation; arguing that only the traditional male and female categories of gender must be observed. Include to the debates, the conflict between the South African Constitution and on the other hand, Christianity and the traditional cultural customs and values, then the debates become intense. The heterosexuals; being in the majority; tend to muzzle the voices of the minority transgender. This has bred insurmountable challenges for the transgender community. This paper illuminates the challenges encountered by transgender learners in South African schools as found by a recent study. Guided by the otherness theory; applying a qualitative research design and using questionnaires, observations and interviews to gather data from the purposively sampled students and staff, the study found that transgender learners were abused, discriminated against and stereotyped. The study also made some worrisome finding: that the transgender learners feared for their lives. These findings underline the importance of shifting from traditional approaches which define gender as a social construct, and pursuing perspectives that view gender as a biological construct.

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 12, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14
Page(s) 253-259
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gender, Othering, Otherness, Sexual Orientation, Transgender, Transgender Challenges

References
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[2] De Matos, A. (2012). The sorry state of gender equality in South Africa. http//www.skillsportal.co.za. Accessed: 14 June 2021.
[3] Nittle N. K. (2012). What is stereotyping? http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/g/WhatIsStereotype.htm. Accessed 09 June 2021.
[4] American Psychological Association. (2006). Sexism and gender stereotyping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 88 (3): 25-41.
[5] Brian, Z. (2013). Five kinds of gender. http//www.gendercentre.org.au/resources/fivekindsofgender. Accessed 16 May 2021.
[6] Hayes, B. C., & Tariq, V. N. (2000). Gender differences in scientific knowledge and attitudes toward Science: A comparative study of four Anglo-American nations. Public Understanding of Science. 9 (4): 433-447.
[7] Freud, K., Chan, S. & Steiner, B. W. (1982). Two types of cross-gender identity. Arch. Sex Behaviour. 11 (1): 49-63.
[8] Devor, H. A. (2009). How many sexes? How many genders? When two are not enough. http//web.uvic.ca/-ahdevor/HowMany/HowMany.html. Accessed 13 June 2021.
[9] Zevallos, Z. (2011). What is Otherness? The Other Sociologist: Analysis of Difference. http://othersociologist.com/otherness-resources. Accessed 17 June 2021.
[10] Moore, H. (1995). Feminism and Anthropology. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
[11] Durrheim, K. (2002). Research in practice: Applied methods for social sciences. Cape Town: UCT Press.
[12] Blum, R., Harris, L., Ramafedi, G. & Resnick, M. (1992). Demography of Sexual Orientation in Adolescents. Paediatrics. 89 (4): 714-721.
[13] King, S. (2014). Classroom homophobia. http//www.theguardian.com/teacher.network/teach. Accessed 11 May 2021.
[14] Thio, A. (2004). Deviant Behaviour. London: Harper Collins College Publishers.
[15] Elliot, L. & Brantley, C. (1997). Sex on campus: The naked truth about the real sex lives of college students. New York: Random House.
[16] Al Jazeera News. (2023). Uganda’s new anti-homosexuality law bans identification as LGBTQ. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/22/uganda-passes-tough-antigay-law-bans identification-as-lgbtq. Accessed 11 June 2023.
[17] Hammersmith, S. K., Rubington, E. and Weinberg, M. S. (2006). The solutions of Social Problems: Five perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[18] Gitau, M. E. (2011). Realities and Challenges faced by LGBTI in Africa in Context of HIV/AIDS. Nigeria: FOTO-SOPHIA FOUNDATION.
[19] Moolman, B., Rarieya, J. and Sanger, N. (2014). Gender inequalities in education in South Africa. http//www.hsrc.ac.za. Accessed 20 July 2021.
[20] International Bible Society (2004). New International Version Bible. Korea: Agape Publishing Company, Ltd.
[21] Carden, M., J. (2004). Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth. London: Equinox Pub.
[22] Jordan, M., D. (1998). The invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[23] The South African Census Report (2012). https://www.statssa.gov.za
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Madambi Sanction. (2023). Gender Versus Transgender: Transgender Communities at the Crosshairs. Social Sciences, 12(5), 253-259. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14

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    ACS Style

    Madambi Sanction. Gender Versus Transgender: Transgender Communities at the Crosshairs. Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(5), 253-259. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14

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    AMA Style

    Madambi Sanction. Gender Versus Transgender: Transgender Communities at the Crosshairs. Soc Sci. 2023;12(5):253-259. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14,
      author = {Madambi Sanction},
      title = {Gender Versus Transgender: Transgender Communities at the Crosshairs},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {12},
      number = {5},
      pages = {253-259},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20231205.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20231205.14},
      abstract = {Transgender as a gender is currently a worldwide topical issue. There are raging debates between those who are pro-transgender, fighting for the rights of the transgender people and those who are anti-transgender; fighting for traditional culture conservation; arguing that only the traditional male and female categories of gender must be observed. Include to the debates, the conflict between the South African Constitution and on the other hand, Christianity and the traditional cultural customs and values, then the debates become intense. The heterosexuals; being in the majority; tend to muzzle the voices of the minority transgender. This has bred insurmountable challenges for the transgender community. This paper illuminates the challenges encountered by transgender learners in South African schools as found by a recent study. Guided by the otherness theory; applying a qualitative research design and using questionnaires, observations and interviews to gather data from the purposively sampled students and staff, the study found that transgender learners were abused, discriminated against and stereotyped. The study also made some worrisome finding: that the transgender learners feared for their lives. These findings underline the importance of shifting from traditional approaches which define gender as a social construct, and pursuing perspectives that view gender as a biological construct.
    },
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AB  - Transgender as a gender is currently a worldwide topical issue. There are raging debates between those who are pro-transgender, fighting for the rights of the transgender people and those who are anti-transgender; fighting for traditional culture conservation; arguing that only the traditional male and female categories of gender must be observed. Include to the debates, the conflict between the South African Constitution and on the other hand, Christianity and the traditional cultural customs and values, then the debates become intense. The heterosexuals; being in the majority; tend to muzzle the voices of the minority transgender. This has bred insurmountable challenges for the transgender community. This paper illuminates the challenges encountered by transgender learners in South African schools as found by a recent study. Guided by the otherness theory; applying a qualitative research design and using questionnaires, observations and interviews to gather data from the purposively sampled students and staff, the study found that transgender learners were abused, discriminated against and stereotyped. The study also made some worrisome finding: that the transgender learners feared for their lives. These findings underline the importance of shifting from traditional approaches which define gender as a social construct, and pursuing perspectives that view gender as a biological construct.
    
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Author Information
  • Business Studies, King Sabata Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education Public College, Mthatha, South Africa

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