Trans Abroad: American Transgender Students’ Experiences of Navigating Identity and Community While Studying Abroad

Taylor Michl (), Alexandra Stookey, Jillian Wilson, Katie Chiou, Trisha L. Raque and Amanda Kracen
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Taylor Michl: Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W 120th St., New York, NY 10027, USA
Alexandra Stookey: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Jillian Wilson: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
Katie Chiou: Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Trisha L. Raque: Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80210, USA
Amanda Kracen: Department of Psychology, School of Business, National College of Ireland, Dublin 1, Ireland

Social Sciences, 2023, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: Despite significant and increasing numbers of students studying internationally, there are few data about the experiences of study abroad for various marginalized students, including transgender and gender expansive (TGE) students. Therefore, 15 TGE adults from the United States were interviewed about navigating gender and culture during undergraduate study abroad programs. Interviews were analyzed using consensual qualitative research (CQR). Participants shared how they benefited from international study and navigated intersecting social identities, including gender, which was complex and nuanced. They discussed how they actively managed issues of disclosure and its consequences, explored their identities and the influence of their social setting, and dealt with anticipated, deliberate, and unintentional harm from others. Relationships and community were priorities for participants when studying internationally; they explained how they determined whether to invest in relationships or not. Participants also clarified what their relationships looked like during study abroad, as well as unique considerations that arose from their marginalized identities. These findings can help inform the development of more inclusive, safe, and satisfying study abroad experiences for all students, especially TGE individuals; implications for future research and study abroad interventions are provided.

Keywords: transgender; gender expansive; study abroad; identity; community; minority stress; consensual qualitative research; intersectionality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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