The aim for this study was to investigate how social workers perceive that they are responding to clients who define themselves as transgender. The study has a qualitative basis with six semistructured interviews based on an elaborated vignette method. The selection of interviewees was social workers, three in the field of public authority and three workers at various excutive agencies. The material have been analyzed based on Queer theory and Honneths Recognition Theory. The findings indicate that social work organizations are lacking in knowlege of transgender people and their experiences. There is also a lack of evidence-based procedures, action plans and policies to respond to transgender people within the organizations. The findings also implies that social workers can respond to transgender people and address them more empathically, with greater acceptance as well as recognition through a professional self-reflection and a humble attitude. / Denna studies syfte har varit att undersöka hur verksamma inom socialt arbete uppfattar att de själva tillika verksamheten i stort bemöter transpersoner. Studien har en kvalitativ grund och baserar sig på sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med vinjettmetod. Urvalet av intervjupersoner är verksamma inom socialt arbete, tre inom myndighetsutövning och tre arbetande på olika utförarinstanser. Materialet har analyserats utifrån Queerteori och Honneths erkännadeteori. Resultatet visar bland annat att verksamheter inom socialt arbete brister i sin kunskap kring transpersoner och deras upplevelser samt saknar evidensbaserade rutiner, handlingsplaner och policys för att bemöta transpersoner inom organisationen. Resultatet visar även att yrkesverksamma inom socialt arbete kan bemöta transpersoner mer inkännande, med större acceptans och med en erkännande karaktär genom en självreflekterande och ödmjuk attityd.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Anthony Jurich / This study was aimed at understanding the retrospective experiences of adults who have fathers who are cross-dressers. This study addressed common concerns that partners of men who cross-dress have regarding the impact of fathers’ cross-dressing on children. Previous research indicated that some women in relationships with men who cross-dress actively chose to not have children due to not knowing what effects their partner’s cross-dressing may have on children. Qualitative data from five interviews conducted with adult children of cross-dressing fathers was utilized. Participants reflected upon the following areas: The individual and relational factors that impacted their reaction to having fathers who are cross-dressers; the meanings they created about their fathers’ being cross-dressers; the perceived impact on their social development; and advice they would give to others that may promote the adjustment process for children who have fathers who cross-dress. This study revealed thick description of the adjustment processes for a sample of adult children of cross-dressing fathers. Specifically, the results revealed that the participants adjusted to having fathers who are cross-dressers relatively easily. The closeness of their relationships, the timing and nature of disclosure, their fathers’ comfort levels with being cross-dressers, and the familial response to the fathers’ cross-dressing were all revealed to play important roles in the participants’ acceptance of and adjustment to their fathers’ being cross-dressers. Overall, the participants identified more positive effects than negative in reference to their relationships with their fathers and their social adjustment. This research can assist clinicians in helping couples facing this issue to make informed decisions about having children and in deciding the timing and the preferred circumstances in which fathers should disclose their cross-dressing to their children.

Since the early 1990s with the AIDS pandemic, there has been an increasing interest on the importance of risky sexual behaviors, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). An important antecedent for these behaviors is alcohol use. Studies consistently show an increased frequency of both alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors in MSM populations. However, to date, there has not been a precise estimate of the effect size in these diverse populations and a consistent way to measure it. More so, the importance of context is often cited as a source of variability, but is rarely measured in these studies. Contextual factors are different and specific for MSM, as they have been approached by two theories, both of which will be guiding this dissertation: Singer’s Syndemic Theory and Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory. Chapter 1, then presents a comprehensive review of both theories as they apply to alcohol use, risky sexual behaviors, and contextual factors driving them. Chapter 2 answers the first research question about effect sizes through a systematic literature review. The effect sizes or measures of association of these contextual risk and protective factors were summarized using meta-analytic techniques. Using five electronic databases, we identified 26 studies in 26 years (1990–2015), all diverse in terms of sampling techniques, assessment of sexual orientation, operationalization of alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors, contextual factors included, and measurement of effect sizes. Despite this diversity, studies reporting an effect size were pooled and summarized using both descriptive and meta-analytic techniques, as appropriate. Meta-analyses were conducted using Cochrane’s guidelines for generic inverse variance outcomes with random effects. The pooled effects of alcohol use on condomless anal intercourse (CAI; OR 1.73 [95% CI 1.43, 2.10], I2 0%), heavy episodic drinking on CAI (OR 1.88 [95% CI 1.25, 2.81], I2 32%), and heavy episodic drinking on condomless oral sex (OR: 8.00; 95% CI 2.48, 25.81), as well as the effects of substance use, mental health status, violence and victimization, and self-reported HIV status as contextual factors in the pathway between alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors were calculated, reported, and discussed along with study limitations and implications for public health. Chapter 3 answers the second research question regarding a standardized measurement model for effect sizes and the multiple mediation of contextual factors. We used the male subset of Wave IV of the AddHealth dataset to test our hypotheses through structural equation modeling approaches, including measurement analysis with invariance testing, path analysis for direct effects, and multiple mediation analysis through bootstrapping for indirect effects. The AUD scale was invariant between MSM and MSW, but the risky sexual behavior scale was not. For MSM, the standardized direct effect of AUD onto risky sexual behaviors was –1.25 and the standardized total indirect effect of the multiple mediation model was 1.58, 95% CI [1.42, 1.73]. Among the mediators, the strongest indirect effect for any measured or latent mediator was the mental health construct (2.09). We conclude that even though AUD has the same measurement structure for MSM and MSW, its effect on risky sexual behaviors does not operate the same way for these two populations, supporting both causal and contextual behavioral theories. Conclusions are individually discussed, respectively, in Chapters 2 and 3. However, Chapter 4 puts both manuscript conclusions in context and further discusses future implications for public health research, practice, and policy.

In response to a dearth of empirical literature concerning the mechanisms underlying female same-sex intimate partner violence (FSSIPV) perpetration, the purpose of this research is to inform intimate partner violence intervention and prevention strategies specific to sexual minority women. The research responds in particular, this research aims to inform a working intersectional model predicting FSSIPV perpetration, and to evaluate the face validity and construct coverage of existing survey measures related to gender, minority stress, and violence. Fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer women recruited from the greater Portland, Oregon area participated in a series of in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended one-on-one and focus group interviews. Participant recruitment involved a combination of purposive and convenience sampling methods aided by the involvement of multiple community partners working in violence and education related fields. Interview and focus group questions addressed participants' experiences with gender role stress and minority stress. Grounded theory analysis of participants' narrative responses informed the coverage and relevance of constructs in a working intersectional model predicting women's use of violence in their same-gender intimate relationships. In particular, findings indicate that sexual minority women's experiences of gender role stress and minority stress, particularly in combination, were especially influential on their identities. Sexual minority women's experiences with minority stressors were not confined to minority stressors specific to their gender identities and sexual orientations, but intersected with minority stressors related to race and class as well. These findings support an intersectional and contextually-minded approach to IPV intervention and prevention strategies.

This thesis addresses spiritual violence done to queer people in the sacrament of Communion, or Eucharist, in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in the U.S. Rooted in the sexual dimorphic interpretation of Genesis, theologians engendered Christianity with sexism and patriarchy, both of which have since developed into intricate intersections of oppressions. Religious abuse is founded on the tradition of exclusionary practices and is validated through narrow interpretations of Scripture that work to reassert the authority of the experiences of the dominant culture. The resultant culture of oppression manifests itself in ritualized spiritual violence. Queer people are deemed “unworthy” to take ‘the body and blood of the Christ’ and, in fact, are excluded altogether. This “unworthiness” is expressed as spiritual violence against queer people who are shunned and humiliated, internalize hateful messages, and are denied spiritual guidance or life-affirming messages. By “queering” Scripture, or reading the Bible anew through a framework of justice, queer people have begun to sacramentalize their experiences and reclaim their place at the table.

This ethnographic study intends to explain the recent mobilization practices within the LGBTQ movement in contemporary Madrid in reference to the strategic use of identity and networking in collective action. It describes the Spanish movement as an ideologically polarized heterogeneous aggregate. The active challenging groups criticize the dominant part of the movement for giving up its original message of sexual liberation and diluting it in consumerism by supporting capitalist tendencies and the power of leading political parties. Via launching protest campaigns and collaborating in internationally supported networks with other ideologically related social movement communities, the challenging groups demand civil rights for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity. They mobilize upon the collective identity of "precariousness" while integrating elements of queer and transgender theory into their radical leftist oriented politics in order to transform the Spanish society. By bringing on new critical ideas and adherents, the success of the leftist oriented challenging groups has an impact on the direction of the politics of the dominant group, which thereby is forced to adopt such ideas into their politics. Despite the disunity and antagonistic character of the movement, the...

Sexual stereotyping -- United States and Spain -- Attitudes toward homosexuality and gender.

HBT-personer rapporterar lika stor, eller större utsatthet för våld i nära relationer jämfört med heterosexuella personer. Tröskeln att söka hjälp vid våldsutsatthet är hög. Ett sätt att förbättra omhändertagandet är att bidra med mer kunskap inom området. En metaanalys är en vetenskaplig metod som sammanfattar resultat från flera studier men har knappt använts inom området våld i nära relationer bland HBT-personer. Våra resultat visar att homosexuella män har 80 procent ökad risk att utsättas för våld jämfört med heterosexuella män, och homosexuella kvinnor har 15 procent ökad risk jämfört med heterosexuella kvinnor. Bisexuella män var inte mer utsatta för våld i jämförelse med homosexuella män, men bisexuella kvinnor hade 36 procent ökad risk jämfört med homosexuella kvinnor. Transpersoner hade 75 procent ökad risk jämfört med cispersoner, men sambandet kunde inte säkerställas. Dessa resultat kan öka förståelsen, förbättra omhändertagandet och minska barriären för utsatta HBT-personer att söka hjälp. / LGBT individuals report similar or greater risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) in comparison with heterosexuals. However, the barrier to seek help is high when exposed to IPV, and one way to improve the care of LGBT individuals is presenting firm knowledge. Meta-analysis is a scientific method which summarizes results from many studies but has rarely been used in this area. Our results showed that homosexual men had 80 percent greater risk of being exposed to IPV in comparison with heterosexual men. Homosexual women had 15 percent greater risk in comparison with heterosexual women. Bisexual men were not more exposed than homosexual men, however bisexual women had 36 percent greater risk of being exposed than homosexual women. Transgender individuals had 75 percent greater risk of being exposed in comparison with cisgender, although not significant. These results enhance our understanding of IPV and could improve support of those exposed to IPV.

Transpersoner är en samhällsgrupp som i stor utsträckning och på olika sätt missgynnas i förhållande till andra grupper i samhället. Samtidigt som den svenska socialtjänsten enligt lag har i uppdrag att främja människors jämlikhet i levnadsvillkor har transpersoner ett svagt förtroende för socialtjänsten. Detta på grund av upplevelser av dåligt bemötande från professionella. Denna studie fokuserar på socialsekreterare inom den svenska socialtjänsten och ämnar undersöka samt belysa på vilket sätt socialsekreterare förhåller sig till och arbetar med klienter som är transpersoner. Studiens material har samlats in genom tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med socialsekreterare i en region i södra Sverige. Materialet har analyserats med hjälp av tematisk analys för att ta fram mönster i socialsekreterarnas utsagor. Genom kodning och tematisering genererade den tematiska analysen tre teman som i denna studie benämns med människan som utgångspunkt, människokompetens i fokus och som riktlinje och människan bakom rollen som socialsekreterare. Studiens resultat analyserades med hjälp av delar av Butlers queerteori samt tidigare forskning inom det aktuella området. Socialsekreterarnas gemensamma ingång i det enskilda klientmötet är enligt dem själva att bemöta alla klienter lika och att försöka se människan bakom klienten. Det handlar därmed i det specifika mötet med klient med transidentitet i slutändan om att möta en människa, inte en transperson. / Transgender people are in society at large and in many different ways more disadvantaged than other groups in society. Simultaneously as the Swedish social services by law are obliged to promote equality in people's living conditions transgender people have a low trust and confidence in the social services. This is due to experiences of being poorly treated by professionals. This study focuses on social service workers in the Swedish social services and has the purpose to examine and illuminate social service worker´s approach to and way of working with clients who are transgender. The data in this study have been collected through ten semi-structured interviews with social service workers in a region in southern Sweden. The data have been analysed by the use of thematic analysis in order to bring forth patterns in the social service worker´s statements. By coding and thematization the thematic analysis generated three themes that this study labels as with the human as the outset, humancompetence in focus and as guideline and the human behind the role as a social service worker. The result of this study was analysed with the help of parts of Butler's queer theory as well as previous research on the field of concern. The common way of entering a meeting with a client is according to the social service worker's themselves to treat all clients in the same way and to attempt to see the human behind the client. In the specific meeting with a client who have a transgender identity it therefore comes down to meeting a human, not a transgender person.

Reviewing literature on the histories of and the attitude studies about transgender people, the use of ‘they’ as a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun, prescriptive grammar ideology, and aversive prejudice theory provides insight into how these topics are interrelated and relevant to current issues surrounding nonbinary transgender people. This review inspired my research study. My participants (n = 722) completed an online survey in which they reported demographic variables and answered scales that measured ‘they’ attitudes in generic and queer contexts, attitudes toward trans people, and prescriptive grammar ideology. I found that the majority of participants approved of using the singular ‘they’. Regression analyses revealed that in a queer context, negative attitudes toward 'they' were best predicted by trans prejudice, while in a generic context, both valuing prescriptive grammar and anti-trans prejudice similarly predicted 'they' attitudes. This indicates that negative attitudes toward the singular 'they' are not merely an issue of taking a principled stance against "improper grammar". Additionally, both sexual orientation and gender (trans vs. cisgender) moderate the relationship between prescriptive grammar ideology and 'they' attitudes. Age, sexual orientation, and education level also influenced my pattern of results such that older participants, queer people, and more highly educated individuals were more likely to have positive attitudes toward the singular ‘they’. These findings have implications for LGBTQ+ individuals’ relationships with cisgender and heterosexual people as well as for theories of prejudice, particularly with regard to the increasingly important area of attitudes toward people with diverse gender identities.