A Literature Review

This page contains an annotated listing of literature relevant to the transgender community, social justice and the power of difficult conversations. You will also find very conveniently located to the left a link entitle Embedded Literature, here you can read for yourself each piece of annotated literature and decide for yourself its impact.

Levitt, H. M., & Ippolito, M. R. (2014). Being Transgender: The Experience of Transgender Identity Development. Journal of Homosexuality, 61(12), 1727-1758. doi:10.1080/00918369.2014.951262

In a world where most people experience a gender identity replete with role models and examples of their gender expectations, the transgendered individual develops an identity within a silo of loneliness and a paucity of information. This article explores how the transgender identity develops through a series of close communications with trangendered individuals throughout the United States. Moreover, it exposes the reader to the depth of struggle a transgendered person experiences as they balance the needs for personal authenticity within the social and legal constraints of the world in which they live.

Beemyn, G. (2014). Transgender history in the United States. In L. Erickson-Schroth (Ed.), Trans bodies, trans selves (Special unabridged ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University.

There is little about this chapter that isn't revealing. What becomes immediately apparent is that long before the modern term "transgender" was coined, there always existed genders and gender identities outside of the socially constructed gender binary known by most societies today. It is also equally apparent that once a gender binary society is created that prejudice, oppression and violence is immediate for this subordinate culture. Indeed, I recommend that viewers take the time to read this piece because it is a well known fact that a history ignored is a history that repeats itself.

Kelly, T., Shivers, N., & Walthour, N. (2016). Overview of transgender issues in the workplace. 2016 National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law, 1-22. Retrieved May 25, 2016.

A paper that capitalizes on the flurry of activity within the social justice movement for transgender rights. They provide the reader with an overview of the basic transgender terminology, current court cases, and the legal protections that exist on a federal, state and local level. Moreover, this paper seeks to provide institutions and corporations with directional opportunities to create paths of acceptance and inclusion and of particular importance to this case study is section E, Customer/Co-Worker Relationships found on page 15, which pointedly says, "Reactions may be strong and give rise to potential Title VII claims and actions, especially where no education or training has occurred to help managers or supervisors understand gender transition or transgenderism" as well as section V. Best Practices for Effective Workplace Gender Transitions found on page 18, which provides a critical outline for employers and employees who may find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

Reynolds, M. (2014). Discomfort zone : How leaders turn difficult conversations into breakthroughs. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler. ISBN:9781626560673

This book opens with, "The Discomfort Zone is the moment of uncertainty when people are most open to learning". It sets the tone for everything to come. It is a combination of neuroscience, the science of how people learn, case studies and experience, and it is wholly and wonderfully mind expanding. Reynolds walks you through a process that teaches the reader to recognize those moments that are prime for difficult conversations, and then she provides key information about how to talk to people, how to make it practical, insightful, useful as well as careful and considerate, but Reynolds does it in such a way that feels new and inspiring. This is a book for change agents; not only will it help you think differently, it will help you help other people think differently.

Rosado, C., Ph.D. (1997). Paradigm shifts and stages of societal change: A descriptive model. 1-27. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from http://www.rosado.net/pdf/Paradigms.pdf

Interesting. Fiercely interesting. I'm not certain that I can sum it up with enough vibrancy to make you reader wander into that link on the left (Embedded Literature) and read it for yourself but I hope that you will. A paper such is this is needed not only for social justice, but for any change. It is a purview of social change and paradigm shifts over centuries and what this means for the change that we need today, tomorrow, a hundred years from now. It informs your vision through connections that are revealed with enough information that you can see in full, bright and brilliant color.