International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

search-icon

Transgender Coping Strategies Dealing with Family Members in Penang, Malaysia

Open access

Kumarashwaran Vadevelu, Paramjit Singh Jamir Singh, R.B. Radin Firdaus, Mohamad Shaharudin Samsurijan, Abdul Rais Abdul Latif, Mohd Haizzan Yahaya

Pages 83-93 Received: 17 Jan, 2018 Revised: 08 Feb, 2018 Published Online: 26 Feb, 2018

http://dx.doi.org/10.46886/IJARBSS/v8-i2/3857
This qualitative study was conducted in Penang, Malaysia. The study aims to analyze patterns of family member’s acceptance level due to their children’s transgender identity existence. In the same time, this study aims to gather in-depth understanding on transgender coping strategies towards family member’s acceptance level due to their transgender identity. Selection of 18 respondents was through the snowballing sampling technique due to the difficulty of getting the targeted respondents. Respondents who have participated in this study were among transgender populations between the ages of 18-40. Two (2) major themes have been identified in this study. The significant findings include: The existence of family acceptance and rejection towards their children’s transgender identity and (2) Youth transgender experienced negative and positive coping strategies towards family member’s acceptance and rejection due to their transgender identity. The study findings indicated that a total of 7 out of 18 respondents have experienced family members’ rejection due to their gender identity. This study suggests that both government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could play a role in educating family member and society in coping with their love one who identify as transgender.
Clements-Nolle K., Marx, R., & Katz, M. (2006). Attempted suicide among transgender persons. J
Homosex, 51, 53–69.
Connolly, C. M. (2006). A process of change: The intersection of the GLBT individual and his or
her family of origin. In J, J. Bigner (Ed.), An introduction to GLBT family studies (pp. 5–21). New York: Haworth Press. In Arnold H. Grossman , Anthony R. D'Augelli , Tamika Jarrett Howell & Steven Hubbard (2005): Parent' Reactions to Transgender Youth' Gender Nonconforming Expression and Identity. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 18:1, 3-16.
Cook, K. J. (2004). Gender identity disorder: A misunderstood diagnosis. (Doctoral dissertation).
Retreived from Marshall Disgital Scholar. Paper 53.
Factor, R. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (2007). A study of transgender adults and their non-transgender
siblings on demographic characteristics, social support, and experiences of violence. Journal of LGBT Health Research, 3, 11–30.
Galupo, M. P., Bauerband, L. A., Gonzalez, K. A., Hagen, D. B., Hether, S., & Krum, T. (2014).
Transgender friendship experiences: Benefits and barriers of friendships across gender identity and sexual orientation. Feminism & Psychology, 24, 193–215. doi: 10.1177/ 0959353514526218.
Galupo, M. P., Henise, S. B., & Davis, K. S. (2014). Transgender microaggressions in the context
of friendship: Patterns of experience across friends’ sexual orientation and gende identity. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 461-470. doi: http://www.ulib.niu.edu:2229/10.1037/sgd0000075.
Galupo, M. P., Krum, T., Hagen, D. B., Gonzalez, K., & Bauerband, L. A. (2014). Disclosure of
transgender identity and status in the context of friendship. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 8, 25–42. http://dx .doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2014.853638.
Goldberg, A. B., & Adriano, J. (2007). “I’m a girl”: Understanding transgender children.
Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id_3088298&page_1.
Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J. L., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at
every turn: A report of the national transgender discrimination survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Graham L. F., Crissman H. P., & Tocco J. (2014). Interpersonal relationships and social support in
transitioning narratives of black transgender women in Detroit. Int J Transgend 15:100-113.
Hughes, M., Kiecolt, K. J., Keith, V. M., & Demo, D. H. (2015). Racial identity and well-being among African Americans. Soc Psychol Q 78:25–48.
Human Rights Watch. (2014). “I’m Scared to Be a Woman”: human rights abuses against
Transgender people in Malaysia. Retrieved June 24, 2016 from: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/malaysia0914_ForUpload.pdf.
Institute for Youth Research Malaysia. (2012). National Youth Development Policy.
Retrieved from http://www.youthpolicy.org/national/Malaysia_1997_National_Youth_Development_Policy.pdf.
Lev, A. I. (2006). Transgender emergence within families. In D. F. Morrow & Messinger, L.
(Eds.). Sexual orientation and gender expression in social work practice: Working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people (pp. 263–283). New York: Columbia University Press.
Lombardi, E. L., Wilchins, R. A., & Priesing D. (2001). Malouf D: Gender violence. J Homosex, 42:89–101.
Matthews, S., Stansfeld, S., & Power, C. (1999) 'Social support in young adults at age 33:
The influence of gender, employment status and social class' Social Science and Medicine, 49: 133-142.
Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M., & Mullan, J. T. (2011). : Process the stress. J Health
Soc Behav 22:337–356.
Reisner, S. L., Gamarel, K. E., Nemoto, T., & Operario, D. (2014). Dyadic effects of gender minority
stressors in substance use behaviors among transgender women and their non- transgender male partners. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers 1:63–71.
Richmond, K. A., Burnes
In-Text Citation: (Vadevelu et al., 2018)
To Cite this Article: Vadevelu, K., Singh, P. S. J., Firdaus, R. B. R., Samsurijan, M. S., Latif, A. R. A., & Haizzan, M. (2018). Transgender Coping Strategies Dealing with Family Members in Penang, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(2), 83–93.