| Due to the lack of research on transgender men, this study explored the perceptions and experiences of masculinity among female-born male-identified men, or transmen. Having been socialized as female, transmen men possess a unique perspective on the social construction of gender. The problem resides in that little is known about how this population subjectively perceives and interprets their experiences as men. Interview research was used to describe 7 transmen's experiences with masculinity. Over 321 transgender men also responded to an online survey, which gathered demographic data about geographic locale, preferred gender terminology, support services, and transition status. Interview data were transcribed, participant-checked, loaded into qualitative analysis software, coded, analyzed, and parallel-analyzed to identify common themes and experiences. Results revealed six commons themes among a majority of the interview participants, including the idea that masculinity is experiential; a penis does not make the man; being a man is dynamic; and being a man entails specific codes of conduct. Data from the online survey were exported into SPSS software, where descriptive statistics were calculated. Results showed that a majority of respondents identified as transgender were under 35 years of age and had a least some level of college education. A majority of online participants had not completed lower surgery, and most believed that a penis was not indicative of a transman's masculinity. Recommendations include keeping the voices of transmen at the forefront of FTM research, addressing the needs of transmen-of-color, including FTMs in men's studies research, and educating human service providers on the unique needs of transgender men. This study aimed to dismantle the overt and subtle barriers of social misunderstanding facing transmen. As a result, implications for social change include the need for health and human service professionals to examine their own essentialist gender stereotypes, including issues of transphobia, homophobia, sexism, and gender oppression. |
