Trans Kids - by Tey Meadow (Paperback)

About the Book

"In the first comprehensive academic treatment of the emerging social, medical, and psychological category of the transgender child, ethnographer Tey Meadow introduces readers to a generation of parents who actively facilitate gender nonconformity in their children. Previous generations of parents sent such children for psychiatric treatment aimed at cure, but today such families call their children new names, allow them to wear whatever clothing their children choose, and even approach the state to alter their children's legal gender. Drawing on sociology, philosophy, psychology, and sexuality studies, Meadow depicts the intricate social processes that shape gender acquisition. Atypical gender expression was once considered a failure of gender, but now it is a form of gender that underscores both the centrality of ever more particular configurations of gender in psychic life and the increasing embeddedness of personal identities in social institutions"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Trans Kids is a trenchant ethnographic and interview-based study of the first generation of families affirming and facilitating gender nonconformity in children. Earlier generations of parents sent such children for psychiatric treatment aimed at a cure, but today, many parents agree to call their children new names, allow them to wear whatever clothing they choose, and approach the state to alter the gender designation on their passports and birth certificates.

Drawing from sociology, philosophy, psychology, and sexuality studies, sociologist Tey Meadow depicts the intricate social processes that shape gender acquisition. Where once atypical gender expression was considered a failure of gender, now it is a form of gender. Engaging and rigorously argued, Trans Kids underscores the centrality of ever more particular configurations of gender in both our physical and psychological lives, and the increasing embeddedness of personal identities in social institutions.

From the Back Cover

"Trans Kids shows us how stories are social actions and how description can let us understand the lived struggle of trans kids as they find themselves defined within any number of social forms. In this book, new stories make for new knowledge and new forms of care. This thoughtful work helps bring an expansive sensibility into the world."--Judith Butler, author of Gender Trouble, Bodies that Matter, and Undoing Gender

"This is the leading edge of trans today."--Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw

"A major, clear-eyed, and beautifully written contribution to thinking intelligently and empathetically about gender today."--Don Kulick, author of Travesti

"Carefully researched, deeply thoughtful, and beautifully written. This book captures the fear, love, and hope that swirl around these lives and tells us something important--and new--about gender itself."--Raewyn Connell, author of Masculinities

Review Quotes

"Altogether, Trans Kids advances our understandings of gender in critically important ways and will stand as an important text for future generations of scholarship."

-- "American Journal of Sociology"

"Clearly, more information is urgently needed to counteract ignorance, and one hopes, accordingly, that this fine book will be enlightening."-- "Booklist"

"Meadow captures the rapidly changing and charged social landscape of trans and transitions. . . . Today trans childhood represents one iteration by which gender is done."-- "Contemporary Sociology"

"Presents an important sociological snapshot of the experiences of parents and guardians of transgender and gender nonconforming children and youth. . . . The stories of individuals' interactions with the medical industry, parent-support groups, child-protection services, and the anxiety produced in these navigations provides valuable information for social and moral analysis."-- "Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy"

"Trans Kids is excellent work that combines compelling narratives with extensive ethnographic descriptions of parents' and children's experiences."-- "ForeWord"

"[A] landmark study."-- "Public Books" (2/5/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"A vital and necessary read. . . . Beyond the daring of its title, this is a book whose depth and sensitivity pull you in throughout."-- "PopMatters" (3/5/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"Invites readers -- and anyone genuinely interested in studying or understanding gender-nonconforming people -- to ask questions that reach beyond readily available vocabulary, arguing that that's the next right, respectful thing to do."-- "Bay Area Reporter" (11/13/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Meadows is a superb scholar and storyteller and, with this work, makes a critical contribution to family and gender studies. Everyone should read this book."-- "CHOICE" (12/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Tey Meadow is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. Meadow is coeditor of Other, Please Specify: Queer Methods in Sociology with D'Lane Compton and Kristen Schilt.