Trans studies

This chapter maps the development of the field of trans studies, detailing how this interdisciplinary field emerged and developed into a coherent area of study in the 1960s. We begin by detailing the development of terms and concepts relevant to the field. We then detail the case of Agnes, pertaining to Garfinkel's 1967 publication. The following section chronicles trans activism and mobilizations from the 1960s to the 1980s. In this section, we survey challenges to biologically determinist approaches to sex, gender, sexuality, and embodiment as they appeared in the social sciences. We then turn to the framework of medicalization, showing how early interventions objectified trans subjects by pathologizing non-normative identities and expressions. Following our review of these literatures, we discuss two major paradigms in trans studies: that of gender difference and gender deviance. Then, we attend to the contributions of queer theory and Butler's deployment of performativity. We survey critiques of a human rights-based approach to trans advocacy, noting the tendency of this framework to dilute activist efforts, often producing a homogenous representation of trans individuals and communities. We conclude by highlighting new directions in trans studies, specifically the on-going development of transfeminism.