Search

This research draws on a series of qualitative in-depth interviews to better understand how social structure is seen by trans individuals as a both an enabler and constrainer of their identity development. The socio-structural effects of the social and physical space that respondents inhabit, their legal standing and ability to change their legal standing, and the impact of the evolving nature of their historical settings, were all powerful influences on their identity development. A particular case study of identity on official surveys will be used to highlight how social structure impacts identity presentation within the confines of limited response options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the central issues facing the trans community today is not only to be counted, but also how to be properly counted. If and how trans people are counted has a huge impact on what we know, or what we think we know, about the trans community. When trans people are not counted, we know nothing, but when trans people are counted incorrectly, the results can be even worse. The question addressed in this paper, therefore, is how to develop a question(s) that will more accurately account for the trans population on national surveys. By drawing on cognitive interviews testing a gender identity and sexual identity question for a national official health survey, an argument is made for an improved method of understanding trans measurement on surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much has already been written on how a gay identity is a stigmatized identity I wish to more carefully dissect this relationship. I propose a continuum from being out to being closeted and intersect this with a continuum ranging from discreditable stigma to discredited stigma. This creates a four-fold table with each of the quadrants representing a different way in which a homosexual identity is impacted by stigma. I will examine each of these in turn to gain a better understanding of the general ways in which a homosexual identity is stigmatized. I will then explore the central dimensions informing each of the axes - namely place, time, and meaning through an analysis of environment, a social sense of normalcy, and language respectively. This will culminate in propositions for the transformation of a stigmatized gay identity into a "normal" one. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language is an important part of our daily lives. It shapes internal thought, communication, interaction, and social relationships. It provides the means by which we come to understand ourselves to ourselves and is the means by which we translate our inner selves to outer others. It is effective both in presence - the spoken word - and also in absence - silence. It's role in our understanding of mental health, however, has been given insufficient prioritization. This paper examines the role of language in how we conceive of mental language - both in terms of how concepts are created by vocabulary and how vocabulary are created for concepts. It then focuses on the role of language in communicating mental illness and examines various interpersonal dynamics which affect this dynamic. Finally, it turns attention to the role of language in the attribution of mental illness to individuals. The concluding section notes the empirical realities of mental illness outside of linguistic construction but ends with a call to pay greater heed to the powerful, and often neglected, role of language in how we conceive, communicate, and attribute mental health and illness. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the evolution of consumption settings from cathedrals to communities, achieving a full vertical integration of the daily lives of people. The self-contained consumption settings utilizes postmodern techniques such as implosion, the compression of time and space, and simulation to create spectacular locales designed to attract consumers. These settings can be considered cathedrals, because much like their religious counterparts they are seen as fulfilling people's need to connect with each other and with nature, as well as their need to participate in festivals. According to the study treats community, as a concept, can be interpreted as a sense of belonging, a way of life, and diversity with a common purpose.

New Urbanism is growing as a model for both an empirical and ideological approach to urban development. Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio is the paradigm of what I hypothesize will be the next urban revolution – a fusion of an advancing consumer culture with this latest trend in urban development. This presentation will outline how Easton represents something new as an urban form, a form of new urbanism, and in particular, a new form of new urbanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]