Gender Transition and Job In/Security: Trans* Un/der/employment Experiences and Labour Anxieties in Post-Fordist Society

Authors

  • Dan Irving Carleton University

Keywords:

transgender, post-Fordism, employment

Abstract

Undergoing gender transition is a risky endeavor in these violent times. Transitioning signifies the affirmative of self and new beginnings; however, the extent to which transition can mark the start of a new life is framed by one’s social location vis-a-vis material power relations. Un(der)employment allows a glimpse into why particular bodies are rendered worthless. This article draws from my larger qualitative study addressing trans* un(der)employment in Ontario, British Columbia, and Washington State.

Résumé

Se soumettre à une transition de genre est une entreprise risquée à cette époque violente. La transition signifie l’affirmation de soi et de nouveaux débuts; toutefois, la mesure dans laquelle la transition peut marquer le début d’une nouvelle vie est formulée par l’emplacement social de la personne vis-à-vis des relations de pouvoir matériel. Le chômage et le sous-emploi nous donnent un aperçu de la raison pour laquelle certains corps sont rendus sans valeur. Cet article s’inspire de mon étude qualitative plus étendue portant sur le chômage et le sous-emploi parmi la population transgenre en Ontario, en Colombie-Britannique et dans l’État de Washington.

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Author Biography

Dan Irving, Carleton University

Dan Irving is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies

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Published

2017-06-09