Trans-inquiring into gender and sexuality constructions in Belgian workplaces | Amsterdam University Press Journals Online
2004
Volume 21, Issue 4
  • ISSN: 1388-3186
  • E-ISSN: 2352-2437

Abstract

Abstract

Work is one of the main areas of discrimination against trans people, both in Belgium and the European Union as a whole. This fact points to the inseparability of symbolic and material aspects in discrimination and exclusion. In this sense, the creation and justification of differences and hierarchies become essential to understand work discrimination. Although gender analyses of work and the economy abound, these usually rely on unalterable and dichotomous gender categories. In this paper, we argue that, because of the destabilisation of the categories that it entails, ‘trans-inquiring’ is a fruitful critical approach to examine common-sense notions about gender and sexuality at work. Our objective is to identify workers’ discourses about ‘difference’ related to gender issues at work and the implications for the inclusion/exclusion of trans people. Our corpus consisted of the transcriptions of five group interviews carried out with co-workers from five work organisations in Brussels. The analysis was carried out using a discursive psychology approach through the identification of rhetorical devices and interpretative repertoires. Diverse and often contradictory discourses were identified. These contradictory discourses carry out a rhetorical work by setting a distinction between (gender and sexuality) indifference, (useful) diversity, and (unacceptable) difference. This distinction has the function of both expressing an adherence to equality principles while at the same time maintaining hegemonic views on gender and sexuality in the workplace – namely cisgenderism, sexism, and heteronormativity – and denying discrimination against trans people, women, and homosexual people.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5117/TVGN2018.4.004.AGUI
2019-01-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/13883186/21/4/04_TVGEND2018.4_AGUI.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5117/TVGN2018.4.004.AGUI&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Bassi Follari, J.E.(2015). El código de transcripción de Gail Jefferson: Adaptación para las ciencias sociales. Quaderns de Psicología, 17, 39–62.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Billig, M.(1987). Arguing and thinking: A rhetorical approach to social psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  3. Billig, M.(1991). Ideology and opinions. Studies in rhetorical psychology. London: SAGE.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Billig, M., Condor, S., Edwards, D., Gane, M., Middleton, D., & Radley, A.(1988). Ideological dilemmas. A social psychology of everyday Thinking. London: SAGE.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Butler, J.(1990). Gender trouble. Feminism and the subversion of identity. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Butler, J.(1993). Bodies that matter: On the discursive limits of ‘Sex.’New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights(2014). Being trans in the European Union. Comparative analysis of EU LGBT survey data. Luxembourg.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Eurostat(2012). Labour forced survey. Retrieved July 3, 2016, from ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=1&pcode=t2020_10&language=en
  9. Faúndes, J.M.M.(2015). Géneros, transgéneros: Hacia una noción bidimensional de la injusticia. Andamios. Revista de Investigación Social, 12(27), pp. 257–278.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Íñiguez, L., & Antaki, C.(1994). El análisis del discurso en psicología social. Boletín de Psicología, 44 (pp. 57–75).
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Meadow, T.(2010). ‘A rose is a rose.’ On producing legal gender classifications. Gender & Society, 24(6), 814–837.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Motmans, J., de Biolley, I., & Debunne, S.(2009). Être transgenre en Belgique. Un aperçu de la situation sociale et juridique des personnes transgenres. Bruxelles: Institut pour l’égalité des femmes et des hommes.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Pérez Orozco, A.(2014). Subversión feminista de la economía. Aportes para un debate sobre el conflicto capital-vida. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Pérez Orozco, A., & Lafuente, S.(2013). Economía y (trans)feminismo; retazos de un encuentro. In M.Solá, Transfeminismos. Epistemes, fricciones y flujos (pp. 91–108). Tafalla: Txlalaparta.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Potter, J., & Wetherell, M.(1987). Discourse and social psychology. Beyond attitudes and behaviour. London: SAGE.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Rasmussen, M.L., Sanjakdar, F., Allen, L., Quinlivan, K., & Bromdal, A.(2015). Homophobia, transphobia, young people and the question of responsibility. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 38(1), 30–42.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Romero Bachiller, C.(2003). De diferencias, jerarquizaciones excluyentes, y materialidades de lo cultural. Una aproximación a la precariedad desde el feminismo y la teoría queer. Cuadernos de Relaciones Laborales, 21(1), 33–60.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. [Google Scholar]
  19. Statistics Belgium(2014). Enquête sur les forces de travail. Retrieved from statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/collecte_donnees/enquetes/eft/
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Stryker, S.(2006). (De)Subjugated knowledges: An introduction to transgender studies. In S.Stryker & S.Whittle, The transgender studies reader (pp. 1–18). New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Vila Núñez, F.(2012). Discriminación y sexualidades. El colectivo LGTB en el trabajo y el empleo. In C.Romero Bachiller, P.Santoro, & F.Vila Núñez (Eds), Políticas sociolaborales para la no discriminación (pp. 35–40). Barcelona: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Wetherell, M., & Potter, J.(1992). Mapping the language of racism: Discourse and the legitimation of exploitation. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.5117/TVGN2018.4.004.AGUI
Loading
/content/journals/10.5117/TVGN2018.4.004.AGUI
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): discourse analysis; discrimination; gender; sexuality; trans people; transgender; work
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error