6210 Wk5 Discussion Responses

SOCW 6210 Week 5 discussion post responses.

Respond to the colleagues posts in one of the following ways:

Respond in one or more of the following ways:

· Add to your colleague's explanation of how gender identity affects an individual's life-span development.

· Explain whether you might use your colleague's strategy for applying the concept of gender identity to social work practice. Provide support for your position.

Be sure to support your posts with specific references to the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.

· At least one reference and citation is required in each post.

MMV’s post states the following:Top of Form

A new understanding you have gained in the resources about gender identity

 

A new understanding, I have gained in the resource about gender identity is that people explore relationships and engage in nonmarital intimacy during the emerging adulthood stages (Brewster, & Moradi, 2010).  They also explore nonmarital relationships in various and gender identity during emerging adulthood may differ from middle adulthood. They may vary because the difference of cohorts illustrates that during the emerging adulthood people go through a period of identity exploration with little commitment but gradually increases with early and middle adulthood (Brewster, & Moradi, 2010).  Genetic and environmental factors influence both childhood and adult gender identity, but it is more difficult to identify the elements in women (Burri, Cherkas, Spector, & Rahman, 2011).  

 

An explanation of how individuals' gender identity affects their development through young and middle adulthood

 

A person's gender identity affects their development through young and middle adulthood.  The increasing number of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people that seek out mental health services in comparison the heterosexual counterparts illustrate the effects (Ferguson, & Miville, 2017).  Men and women differ in the way they approach their sexual identity because women are more susceptible to analyze their identity.  After analyzing their identity, they then come out later on in the young adulthood where men do not examine their status, and unlike women do not gradually come out (Brewster, & Moradi, 2010).  Instead, men abruptly come out, and this may be due to the acceptance gap both genders receive towards their gender identity because women can still be feminine as gays, but a mans masculinity is questioned as gay (Brewster, & Moradi, 2010).  

 

A strategy you might use to apply your understanding of gender identity development to social work practice

 

A strategy I might use to apply my understanding of gender identity development to the social work practice is to approach every case in a professional manner and show respect to the client at all times and reframe from passing judge or viewed as passing judgment.  I would also use caution and practice in an ethical manner as dictated by the national association of social work (NASW, 2018).  Using my professional judgment to address issues and recommend treatment will have a holistic approach with the client as it moves to a better rapport with them as well.  Critical thinking will also be applied to carefully analyze the person behavior with the current placement in adulthood and implement the best method of therapy. However, embracing diversity is the overall best strategy to apply to social work practice.   

 

References

 

Andrea Burri, Lynn Cherkas, Timothy Spector, & Qazi Rahman. (2011). Genetic and environmental influences on female sexual orientation, childhood gender typicality and adult gender identity. PLoS ONE, (7), e21982. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021982

 

 

Brewster, M., & Moradi, B. (2010). Personal, Relational and Community Aspects of Bisexual Identity in Emerging, Early and Middle Adult Cohorts. Journal of Bisexuality, 10(4), 404–428. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/15299716.2010.521056

 

Ferguson, A. D., & Miville, M. L. (2017). It’s complicated: navigating multiple identities in small town America. Journal of Clinical Psychology, (8), 975. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1002/jclp.22507

 

NASW. (2018). Ethics. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics

Bottom of Form

SR’s Post states the following

Transgender identity affirmation (and conflict) in different types of relationships should ideally be seen in the context of life course and generational factors that potentially bear on these relationships. Disclosure of transgender identity to one’s parents, for example, could be more problematic during early adolescence as compared to parental disclosure of this identity during later stages of life (Nuttbrock, 2009). A new understanding I have gained after reading the resources about gender identity is that it is more difficult for an adolescent than a grown adult to tell their parents their wishes to transgender. While understanding adolescents is hard enough deciding whom they want to be, I would have thought it easier to tell a parent or loved one's verses into adulthood. Adolescents will vocalize wanting to be an individual or their disdain for opposition more freely.  However, after reading about it, I can agree that talking about true feelings as an adult is easier. For example, talking with your parent as an equal, one is more apt to open up and become oneself. 

 

Emerging adulthood is particularly important for identity formation in that this is “the period of life that offers the most opportunity for identity exploration. Of particular relevance to sexual identity is that emerging adulthood is a time of experimentation with dating and relationships, entering intimate and nonmarital relations, and beginning to treat romantic relationships as serious quests for emotional and physical intimacy (Brewster, 2010). An individuals' gender identity affects their development through young and middle adulthood by how they are either told to see themselves or how they see themselves in relation to their gender. For example, a person born male was told all their lives to be a male. Yet hat child always had feminine tendencies and felt attraction to other males. They may be confused or not want their family or friends to think differently about them. It causes stressors and can be mentally debilitating.

 

Ongoing training could be one important way to increase faculty knowledge about LGBT issues. Social work faculty knowledge about sexual orientation and gender identity/expression was associated with how well students are being prepared to work with LGBT individuals and youth and perceived LGBT student comfort in the program (Martin, 2012). A strategy I would use for understanding gender identity development as it relates to social work practice would be to develop research bases for faculty members to use. I would want to be involved in ongoing training as gender identification in perpetual motion. Ongoing training would allow for modifications as needed. Proof of this would be how a few decades ago Transgendered was not a term, and now is more open than before.

 

References

 

Brewster, M. E., & Moradi, B. (2010). Personal, relational and community aspects of bisexual identity in emerging, early and middle adult cohorts. Journal of Bisexuality, 10(4). Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=e57a3025-233e-4609-a80f-394809338d73%40sdc-v-sessmgr02

 

Martin, James/Messinger, Lori/Kull, Ryan/Holmes, Jessica/Bermudez, Flor (2012). Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression in Social Work Education. Retrieved from https://www.cswe.org/CSWE/media/APM-2012/SexualOrientationAndGenderExpression.pdf

 

Nuttbrock, L. A., Bockting, W. O., Hwahng, S., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., & Becker, J. (2009). Gender Identity Affirmation Among Male-to-Female Transgender Persons: A Life Course Analysis Across Types of Relationships and Cultural/Lifestyle Factors. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 24(2). Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=13d87065-2d12-4dfa-aaa4-ad457004f0b4%40pdc-v-sessmgr01

AR’s post states the following:

A new understanding you have gained in the resources about gender identity

 Before this week discussion, I have always associated gender identity with an individual choice of having a particular identity. However, with this week discussion, I have learned that gender identity is more than that. "The process of disclosing gender identity involves a series of developmental stages." (Nuttbrock, et al., 2009) gender identity is a feeling that is often difficult to understand, cope with, and explain. Regardless of how one chooses to identify, ultimately, everyone would like to be accepted and respected for who they are.

 

An explanation of how individuals' gender identity affects their development through young and middle adulthood

 

"Sexual orientation is organized differently in women and men and suggest a biological component to this difference (Nuttbrock et al., 2009.)  Young adulthood, individuals are in the stage of acceptance. For some individuals, this process can be a little bit difficult, some have the feeling that may be going against society "social norms" or even family beliefs. Individuals may also become victims of bullying, depression, and even suicide. Nevertheless, middle adulthood individuals reflect a greater societal acceptance of gender variance among post-adolescents or, perhaps, a higher level of interpersonal sensitivity associated with long-term relationships (Nuttbrock et al., 2009).

 A strategy you might use to apply your understanding of gender identity development to social work practice

 Strategies that I will use would be reflection and self-awareness as a needed tool in achieving positive outcomes with iindividuals within this population . This is extremely important as it relates to reflecting on mine own cultural biases and privileges. The strength-based would also be a great way to focus on their strength, and empower them to make their own decision and find power in their choice as well as their voice. I want to make sure that as a social worker, I am doing all I can to advocate for all individuals fairly and provide justice and dignity and worth of a individual. 

References:

Nuttbrock, L. A., Bockting, W. O., Hwahng, S., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., & Becker, J. (2009). Gender identity affirmation among male-to-female transgender persons: A life course analysis across types of relationships and cultural/lifestyle factors. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 24(2), 108–125.