Introduction: The Body in Symbolic Interaction

This chapter examines the concept of 'reflexive transembodiment' that effectively highlights 'the embodied nature of the transition and the central role of reflexivity'. It examines the role of reflexivity in experiences of nine white, middle class male-to-female transsexuals, whom the first author interviewed and observed during fourteen months of fieldwork in a transgender community. The chapter examines how interviewees mitigate shame by adopting transgender community as a reference group, created a sense of coherence through reflexive storytelling, and transformed their corporal and social selves via reflexive bodywork. Contemporary gender scholars view the maintenance of transsexual's gender boundaries as fundamental to the reproduction of inequality. Interviewees straightened out gay sex and queered straight sex primarily by using gender ideology that equates submissiveness with womanhood. Although some significant others may withdraw material and emotional support regardless of how transsexuals come out, interviewees believed that the more skilfully they controlled the coming out process, the better able they were to maintain important relationships.