Trans-Patient Behavior - Essay Example

This paper will summarize three peer-reviewed articles on the topic of transsexuality and will present a coherent piece of writing to synthesize the arguments of all three writers.

In “Knowledge legitimacy: how trans-patient behavior supports and challenges current medical knowledge.” Dewey, J deals with the involvement of transsexual patients with the medical professionals in the Midwestern, US. (Dewey). This article is based on careful participant observation of three transsexual organizations and in-depth interviews conducted over a period of time. Dewey has basically argued how transsexual patients interact with medical professionals and how they adapt to different environments and ideologies such as religious and political ideologies.

Kennedy (2008) however argues that the overall interests of transsexual children are ignored by both the schools as well as the families besides department of children is also paying attention to them. (KENNEDY). This argument is therefore in conformity with the arguments of Dewey who claim that transsexual children internalize different environments on their own and plan their strategies in a manner that allows them to comply with the changing conditions besides allowing them to deal with their future medical conditions. The synthesis of both of these articles therefore would suggest that though transsexual children are ignored by their families, schools, and even the department of Children, however, they have the capability to develop their own internal images of how to deal with the different difficult and easier situations. This development, therefore, contributes towards the achievement of their necessary survival within society.

Menvielle (2009) also argues on the role of families in helping their children to learn to cope with the reality of transsexuality and whether a child is helped to make a transition to genders from the stage of puberty is discussed. (Menvielle). Menwielle however provides a description of how families can be taught and trained to deal with the challenging situation of dealing with their children and helping them to make a transition. This argument therefore inherently points out the fact that existing family systems and values may be insufficient in providing deliberate support to such children to face the difficult situations in life and make successful transitions and go through various developmental stages easily.

What is significant, however, about the arguments of all three arguments is the fact that Kenney provides evidence regarding the role of schools and families in helping their children to better cope with reality. Menvielle, therefore, provides further evidence as to how families can actually contribute towards the achievement of important transitions in a child’s life. Dewey’s arguments therefore can be considered vital for showing that despite such negligence on the part of families, children have the ability to cope with different situations and internalize different ideologies. Though the context of Dewey’s research is based on the clinical responses of the children, however, it provides a critical link between transsexual children and the role of other external agents such as their families, doctors, and society as a whole.