Transgender identities and social changes from George H. Mead’s perspective

Abstract

In this paper, I think about gender identity of transgender people from George H. Mead’s ideas. I use Mead’s self theory’s concepts, emphasizing links between concepts of Generalized Other and Me, and society’s principles, values and beliefs. Based on these concepts, I think about ways we predominantly understand individuals’ gender in Argentina, I analyze the challenge posed by transgender persons to gender hegemonic conceptions, and I consider changes in ways we conceive gender in Argentina in recent years — specially after Gender Identity law enactment. Conclusions: Mead's ideas allow us to think about individuals’ gender identity as an interaction between subjective experience of self-perceived gender and society’s prevailing gender conceptions.