PHL243H1 Chapter Notes -Plastic Surgery
Document Summary
Gender is a social identity, which is a shared understanding of who a person is based on his or her membership in a group. Acquired identity = characteristic that has been permanently ascribed or earned and doesn"t require any type of action in order to be maintained, ex. being a birth mother. Aspirational identity = an identity that must be perpetuated through ongoing action, ex. being a good mother. All people have the right to say what their gender is, although this is a moral rather than an epistemic claim. Both trans and cis may seek surgery to perform gender identity, ex. cosmetic surgery, or take hormones such as estrogen or contraceptives or testosterone. Sometimes trans people are forced to exemplify rigid role of other gender in order to access medical treatment/surgery. Some people don"t feel comfortable with either gender at all and choose to live.
