Toward Trans Studies–Informed Theories and Methods

• In Event: Transgender Studies in K–12 Education: Mapping an Agenda for Research and Practice

Abstract

This conceptual paper is informed by a trans studies lens (Stryker, 2004; Stryker et al., 2008) and the data sources are drawn from a review of trans studies literature. The paper provides 1) a concise review of existing theories and research methods that shape how transgender people are understood in the context of education, and 2) insights into the possibilities for new theoretical and methodological directions for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies for the future of transgender studies in educational research. We begin with a brief historical overview of the pathologization of gender non-conformity within normative psychology, which has shaped the (mis)treatment of transgender people in public schools and has provided the theoretical foundations for early research into transgender people’s experiences in education. Then, we provide insights from trans studies as it has intersected with other social science disciplines to offer visions of what is possible when research builds from trans knowledge and experience, rather than seeking to manage it. Further, this paper provides exemplars of studies that center trans epistemologies and recommendations for future research in the field of trans studies in education.

Authors

• Harper B. Keenan, University of British Columbia

• Mario I Suárez, Utah State University