Research Paper on Gender Trajectories

Introduction

Gender is the most commonly used physical feature used to identify a person whether they are male or female. The first thing when people meet, gender defines whether the person is male or female. One can differentiate between a man and woman either by a dress code, physical features, and biological features such as genitalia which is the first step done after birth. However, according to psychologists, some people may later in life find that their sex does not coincide with their gender identity, which is the case for transgender people. "Gender Trajectories: Transsexual People Coming to Terms With Their Gender Identities" is an article on a study carried out by Pinto & Moleiro (2015), with the aim of the exploring how the transsexuals recognize, acknowledge, and finally fit into the terms of their gender identities. This paper will critically analyze Pinto & Moleiro (2015) study. Also, the article will focus on how they will conduct the research and its implications for nursing practices.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Rationale for the Research Methodology

The study design was naturalistic and was conducted in Portugal. The study involved twenty-two participants who resided in major cities of Portugal. According to Pinto and Moleiro (2015), participants were picked from all ages as from teenagers to elderly group. Some of the participants were students, and most of them identified themselves as heterosexuals. It is evident that the target for the study design was to give quality results that were unbiased on a particular age group. Also, it is evident that the participants were picked from the age of 16 and above as they can give consent for their decision on gender identity. Additionally, the participants were diverse in regards to the transitions of the developmental stages. As mentioned in the study, the transsexuals undergo through five developmental stages until they identify their gender. The main idea for the methodology in the study was to ensure quality results entirely. According to the American Psychological Association, research knowledge and information is based on the actual information rather than beliefs and theories as other studies, thus empirical research method (Mertens, 2014). With the empirical research methodology, it is apparent that the results of the study will be factual and based on what exists at the time of study unlike the other studies which base their knowledge on beliefs, and theories, of which some could be outdated as the world is still evolving, and new issues are emerging. Therefore, it will be correct to say the study used the best research methodology as the data findings were from the group that was studied. As the purpose of the study was understanding transsexuals, therefore the findings are likely to be correct and most appropriate rather than asking and basing knowledge on theories which may be biased at times and contain false information. With empirical research method, first-hand information was collected. The researchers referred to previous studies conducted on development models and finally arrived at choosing an empirical research method. In the article, Pinto and Moleiro (2015), mentioned about a study by Gagne et al., (1997), who focused on the experiences of MTF transgenderisms and they elaborated on the main themes that surrounded identity formation of the individuals. Another study that was carried by Devor in the year 2004, the identity of sexual formation the main focus and a model based on homosexual identity was developed. According to Pinto and Moleiro (2015), not all the previous studies derived their findings from empirical research, therefore making them one-sided. Pinto and Moleiro's (2015), the study focused on specificities of transsexual men and women, making it the first study of its kind in Portuguese context.

Research Purpose

The research purpose was to explore how transgender people recognize, acknowledge, and come to terms with their gender identities. The research purpose is significant as much as the transgender topic is involved. It is apparent, according to the article, that the research is the first of its kind to have ever been carried out in the Portuguese context. Therefore, as aforementioned, to understand the transgender, it is essential to understand their stages of development as from when they start having an increased sense of gender identity to the last step which is identity consolidation and invisibility in the society where they can now live freely socially. Understanding each stage of development of the transgender, helps researchers to have insights on the challenges that they undergo in each scene, hence can develop some models which can help them overcome the obstacles. Also, as the purpose states, it is a critical step in understanding how they acknowledge their gender identity. This goal is vital in that one can understand why and how individuals end up denying their assigned sex after birth and later try to identify themselves to the gender they feel best fits them. Also, the study targeted in exploring how the transgender finally come to terms with their gender identity regardless of the assigned sex after birth. Targeting how the individuals finally fit into the gender identity that they chose is an important step. These research questions are of significance to the research as their answers will give an insight of the entire life of transgender and transgenderists. Additionally, as the title of the article suggests, the gender transgender coming to the terms of their gender identity. Therefore, after answering the research questions from the study findings, it is apparent that the individuals will be understood quickly and how they came to the final stage of development.

Target Population, the Study Participants, and Setting

The study targeted individuals who had self-identified themselves as transgender. It was essential to this particular group as they could give correct answers and personal experiences. The study also focused diverse sample of individuals who had undergone several developmental stages from the confusion stage to the identity consolidation stage. As explained in the article, participants age is between 16 and 55. The target population was Portuguese citizens who lived in two of the major Portuguese cities, Porto and Lisbon. When conducting research, it is essential to select an appropriate study population and target group to ensure quality results. Hence, the researchers opted for a diverse group of teenagers to the elderly age group. It was important also to target the transgender individuals as they could give personal beliefs and experience living the life of a transgender. Therefore, according to the study, the target population was appropriate. However, it is remarkable that the study sample was so small, hence less accurate results.

Ethical Considerations

In any research, it is important to have ethical considerations when collecting data as from target population. Ethical considerations are the set principles and moral values of the society that addresses what is good or bad morally in the human affairs. The ethical considerations look upon the reasons for acting in a particular way of refraining from the action. In the study, the ethical considerations are not mentioned, but they are very critical when it comes to collecting data as well as the choice of topic. One of the ethical considerations that were employed in the study is the choice of topic. The topic chosen for study is ethically acceptable. Therefore, making the research relevant to the society as the transsexual individuals are among the community members who must be acknowledged and accommodated. Secondly, participant privacy and confidentiality are among the ethical considerations that are safeguarded. Therefore, it is important to hide the identity and personal information of the participants. In case personal information of an individual is exposed, they may get a negative attitude from the society they live in and hence, making it important to hide the identification of individuals. Thirdly, it is important to target age groups that have the consent of information, hence the researchers targeted population aged 16 to 55. Also, it is important to collect data from voluntary individuals. According to Profetto-McGrath et al., (2011), ethically, it is not correct to force one to give feedback when doing research, that being, the researchers used willing participants. Also, it is important to note that the researchers indicated the aims of the study as well as the assurance of confidentiality in their data collecting tools. It is ethically required that the researcher informs that participant of their confidentiality and anonymity during data analysis. In the article, the authors failed to list a number of the ethical considerations, which is a mistake done. It could be better for the authors to mention the ethical considerations to make the study population aware of their rights.

Data Collection and Data Quality Methods Used

Data collection for the study included interviews and electronic brochures. Questionaire as a data collection tool involves person to person conversation where the researcher asks questions of the participant. On the other hand, brochures are like questionnaires, where the interviewee is given to fill the forms with answers according to the set questions which will answer all the research questions of the research. The data collection tools used is likely to give quality data that are first-hand information. In the study, it indicates that the interviews lasted between 40 to 120 minutes. It is apparent that the time used in the questionnaire was not logical as it makes the interviewee impatient and tired. Also, some will avoid the interviews as it takes a lot of time. However, the data collected from the interviews were qualitative as they were recorded then transcribed later by the first assistant to the researcher, making it useful as the interviewer could not manipulate them.

With the use of brochures, it is notable that it is one of the commonly used tools in data collection around the globe. For the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and transgender, they offer electronic brochures which were efficient in collecting actual data as they could feel free and anonymous thus willing to participate. However, the data from the electronic brochures cannot be trusted since anyone can join the online platform and participate thus altering the quality of the results. Also, some can give false information as they won't bother on the need for factual information and answers (Profetto-McGrath et al., 2011). Putting into consideration that the date from electronic brochures is going to alter, it may not be the best tool for this kind of research, therefore, rendering interviews to be the best tool for data collection in this research.

Findings and Limitations

The results showed the transition of the participants from one stage of development to the other one. In each step, the participants were showing an implementation of strategies to cope with the conditions and the consequences. Additionally, the results indicate a series of events which trigger the transitions in particular stages. Each event facilitated the development from one scene to the following. Apparently, between FTM and MFT there were no discernable differences that will identify, this means that each sex similarly went through the same stages. However, it is notable that every individual had a unique experience at each stage and therefore, according to the article it would be hard for any theoretical model to capture the complexity of experience. Moreover, for the gays and transgender, it is noted that it is possible to predict the emerging theory if conditions occur thus as it is very likely for the same con...