Canadian Academy Discover, Publish, Thrive
This article investigates the relationship between food, gender, and socialization among transgender individuals through four biographical interviews. It finds that transgender individuals often conform to societal norms related to gender through their food choices, particularly during transitions. The study suggests avenues for future research, including exploring the alignment between internal and external realities in food habits, as well as addressing non-binary gender experiences in food culture.
Food and gender play pivotal roles in shaping daily existence, often without much reflection. Both are viewed through scientific and cultural lenses, with nutrition serving physiological needs and food habits reflecting socio-cultural practices. Gender, determined at birth, molds social life significantly. Food and gender intertwine throughout life, with eating habits serving as markers of gender identity. The transgender movement, challenging binary norms, has brought visibility to diverse gender identities. While existing research on transgender individuals and food largely focuses on health interventions, there’s a lack of socio-cultural examination. Empirical studies confirm the relationship between food habits and gender, showing socio-cultural differences in consumption beyond binary norms. Notably, adherence to new masculinity norms influences meat consumption among men. However, transgender experiences in relation to food remain underexplored. This paper aims to fill this gap by exploring how transgender individuals’ food habits change across the life course, considering their transition experiences. Through interviews with transgender individuals in Germany, insights into these changes and their implications are discussed, highlighting the need for further research on the intersection of food, gender, and transgender experiences.
Eating and gender are interconnected cultural constructs influencing each other and societal structures significantly. Eating behaviors often act as gender differentiators, particularly in discussions focusing on cisgender individuals. However, there is a curiosity about how gender transitioning impacts these differentiating eating patterns when individuals do not align with their assigned sex at birth. Eating habits encompass various activities such as grocery shopping, food preparation, and consumption, all of which contribute to expressing gender identity. Like gender, eating is viewed as an ongoing production process shaped by personal biographies and external influences.
The development of food and gender identities occurs through socialization across the lifespan, influenced by family, peers, media, and societal norms. Gender identity formation begins early, with children learning and embodying societal expectations of masculinity and femininity. These gender norms also influence eating habits, with individuals learning to associate specific foods and meals with gender roles. The process of doing gender and doing food involves performing gendered behaviors and consuming gendered foods, respectively. Transitioning individuals often experience incongruences between their inner and outer realities, leading to shifts in behavior and identity.
Research questions explore how transitioning affects the eating habits of transgender individuals and the role of gender socialization in shaping these habits. While recognizing the spectrum of transgender identities, the focus remains on individuals identifying with a gender opposite to their assigned sex at birth, excluding non-binary aspects. Overall, the study aims to shed light on the evolving relationship between gender identity, socialization, and eating behaviors across the lifespan.
In the context of gender and food socialization , understanding the interaction between gender identity and eating habits is crucial for comprehending transgender experiences. Our research sought to explore how the transitioning process influences the food choices and eating behaviors of transgender individuals throughout their lives. Our findings indicate that transitioning transgender individuals often align their food preferences with societal perceptions of their identified gender, which influences their eating habits. This alignment serves to establish a congruent inner and outer reality as they navigate their gender identity. While family plays a significant role in initial socialization, transgender individuals adapt gendered norms and behaviors over time, including in their dietary choices. Our study reveals that transitioning often prompts changes in eating habits, potentially enhancing congruence with gender identity. Gender connotations heavily influence food choices, with individuals selecting foods perceived as masculine or feminine to reinforce their gender identity. This study offers initial insights into the intersection of transgender identity and food practices, particularly within the German-speaking cultural context, a topic largely unexplored in socio-cultural food research. Further investigation into the role of peers and media in shaping transgender individuals’ food experiences is warranted. Social media, in particular, may serve as a platform for identity exploration and expression through food-related content. Additionally, exploring how transgender individuals negotiate societal ideals of masculinity and femininity through food choices could deepen our understanding of gendered eating habits. The role of the body in shaping transgender experiences with food merits further examination, including how bodily ideals intersect with broader social categories such as race and ethnicity. Moving beyond binary gender distinctions in food research can illuminate the complexities of transgender experiences and challenge existing stereotypes. Our study underscores the importance of considering gender dynamics in understanding food practices and suggests avenues for future research in this emerging field.
Source:
Tobias Diewald, Juliane Yildiz & Stefan Wahlen (2024) Exploring transgender transition and food socialization, Food, Culture & Society, DOI: 10.1080/15528014.2024.2329431