University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, Educational Administration, Department of and Student Research 4-2016 Transgressing Gender Normativity through Gender Identity Development: Exploring Transgender, Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary Identities of College Students Enrique Tejada III University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss Part of the Gender and Sexuality Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Politics and Social Change Commons Tejada, Enrique III, "Transgressing Gender Normativity through Gender Identity Development: Exploring Transgender, Non- Conforming, and Non-Binary Identities of College Students" (2016). Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research. 260. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/260 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Educational Administration, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Transgressing Gender Normativity through Gender Identity Development: Exploring Transgender, Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary Identities of College Students by Enrique Tejada III A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Major: Educational Administration Under the Supervision of Professor Stephanie Bondi Lincoln, Nebraska April, 2016 TRANSGRESSING GENDER NORMATIVITY THROUGH GENDER IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT: EXPLORING TRANSGENDER, NON-CONFORMING, AND NON- BINARY IDENTITIES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS Enrique Tejada III, M.A. University of Nebraska, 2016 Advisor: Stephanie Bondi This study situates current gender social constructions as harmful, inhibitive, and problematic, especially for those that transgress gender boundaries and do not align with their gender assigned at birth. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to critically challenge and deconstruct the social construct of gender and its norms both within and outside of a college campus. This study works to achieve this purpose and answer research questions through careful analysis of the different gender journeys of three separate gender-diverse individuals. These participants’ stories are shared in a case-study format to recognize how each individual uniquely and personally formed their own gender. Additionally, this study works to challenge generalized ideas of a transgender identity, especially the idea that gender only exists within a binary construction. Specifically, this study explores and offers up experiences within Non-Binary, Gender Fluid, and Non-Conforming identities. Lastly, readers are offered ideas and questions that seek to help them examine their own internalized concepts of gender and deconstruct particular notions of gender that might be harmful or inhibitive to supporting gender transgressors that operate within and outside binary constructions of gender. i Table of Contents Chapter 1—Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Purpose Statement and Research Questions ........................................................ 2 Notes for Readers ................................................................................................. 3 Gender ............................................................................................................ 3 Using singular they ........................................................................................ 4 Using transgender/trans* or other moniker.................................................... 4 Capitalizing aspects of identity ...................................................................... 5 Background and Definition .................................................................................. 6 History of gender diversity ............................................................................ 6 Exploring transgender and non-binary identities ........................................... 7 Deconstructing transgender ..................................................................... 8 Gender and gender identity ...................................................................... 10 Significance of This Study ................................................................................... 11 Exploring gender identity development ......................................................... 11 Importance of the context of higher education .............................................. 12 Harmful conditions .................................................................................. 13 Overview of Existing Literature .......................................................................... 15 Overview of Study ............................................................................................... 17 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2—Literature Review ................................................................................... 19 Understanding Gender and its Impact.................................................................. 19 Classification: sex or gender? ........................................................................ 20 ii Gender as social construct ............................................................................. 22 Gender identity disorder / gender dysphoria .................................................. 24 Deconstructing Gender with Queer Theory ......................................................... 26 Queer theory................................................................................................... 25 Potential concerns .................................................................................... 28 (Re)Constructing Social Identities ....................................................................... 29 Identity development theories in higher education ........................................ 29 Adolescent gender identity development ....................................................... 31 Gender identity development within higher education .................................. 33 Devor’s model .......................................................................................... 34 Levitt and Ippolito’s model ...................................................................... 35 Bilodeau’s model ..................................................................................... 37 Synthesis of these models ........................................................................ 38 Gaps in Literature and Future Research............................................................... 41 Chapter 3—Methodology .......................................................................................... 44 Participants ........................................................................................................... 45 Setting ............................................................................................................ 46 Guidelines for recruiting participants ............................................................ 47 Recruitment .................................................................................................... 49 Case Study Approach ................................................................................................. 50 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 51 Interviews ....................................................................................................... 51 Observational interactions ............................................................................. 53 iii Member checks .............................................................................................. 54 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................... 54 Reflexivity Statement........................................................................................... 56 Ensuring Research Quality .................................................................................. 60 Limitations ........................................................................................................... 62 Time ............................................................................................................ 62 Generalizability .............................................................................................. 64 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 4—Data/Findings ......................................................................................... 66 Participants ........................................................................................................... 67 Skylarr ............................................................................................................ 68 Views and description of gender.............................................................. 68 Home life ................................................................................................