Our AimsThe question of how cosmetic surgery fits into the transitioning process is worth investigating because it offers insight into the cultural expectations and ideals of gendered appearance. This question further considers how cosmetic surgery reconstructs transitioning individuals’ perception of their identity with their desired gender.
We explore this question through ethnographic research on the motivations behind transgender males and females seeking cosmetic surgery, the emotional repercussions of such surgeries, and the opportunities surgery opens up for transitioning individuals. Our ethnographic methods include two semi-structured interviews with individuals who are undergoing the transitioning process. Understanding the new opportunities that arise from the results of cosmetic surgery provide further insight into our culture’s perception and treatment of individuals who identify as transgender males or females. |
A Focus on the Transgender CommunityA concentration on surgery in the transitioning process for individuals who identify as transgender males or females allows exploration into the difficulties in redefining identity, how societal gender expectations pressure individuals to seek surgery, and the ways in which U.S. culture perceives gender and sex. Surgeries among transgender men and women deserve particular attention because coverage of these surgeries has been a controversial topic in the past. Genital reconstructive surgeries have been excluded from coverage for decades, which has limited the development and spread of the technical skills required to perform them (Plemons 2019). Acknowledging the societal pressures felt by transgender men and women to seek surgical interventions will hopefully provide readers with new perspectives on the coverage debate. |
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