Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation
There is a lack of research on young trans people's everyday leisure. This article analyses how leisure, defined within a broad spatial context beyond sport and physical activity, is perceived and experienced by trans youth in relation to their mental health and wellbeing. We draw upon theoreti...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Wellbeing, Space and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558123000131 |
| _version_ | 1797798617597083648 |
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| author | Anne Christina Gotfredsen Ida Linander |
| author_facet | Anne Christina Gotfredsen Ida Linander |
| author_sort | Anne Christina Gotfredsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is a lack of research on young trans people's everyday leisure. This article analyses how leisure, defined within a broad spatial context beyond sport and physical activity, is perceived and experienced by trans youth in relation to their mental health and wellbeing. We draw upon theoretical concepts of cisnormativity and spatiality to our analysis of sixteen interviews with young trans people (16-25 years old) in Sweden. Three themes emerged. The first refers to how both queer- and non-queer-specific leisure spaces connect people with similar (and different) experiences regarding queer and trans identities and shows how these identities can shift in importance. The second highlights how creative spaces (e.g., theatre, cosplay) can offer opportunities to carve out a leisured space to explore different gender identity/ies and expressions that are often crucial and life changing. The final theme illustrates how leisure is avoided, postponed, waited for, and reclaimed by trans youth. Excluding mechanisms such as transphobia, cisnormativity, and the lack of access to gender-confirming care can hinder young people's leisure participation. Our analysis illustrates the complex connections between leisure and mental health among young people with trans experiences. Leisure can be a source of discomfort and distress but also of belongingness and affirmation of one's identity. Finding and accessing strengthening leisure spaces demands emotional investment, engagement, and navigation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:06:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a004595ee7054f86a1f25a9214b3370c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-5581 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:06:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wellbeing, Space and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-a004595ee7054f86a1f25a9214b3370c2023-06-21T07:00:44ZengElsevierWellbeing, Space and Society2666-55812023-01-014100139Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigationAnne Christina Gotfredsen0Ida Linander1Corresponding author at: Anne Gotfredsen, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.; Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, SwedenDepartment of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, SwedenThere is a lack of research on young trans people's everyday leisure. This article analyses how leisure, defined within a broad spatial context beyond sport and physical activity, is perceived and experienced by trans youth in relation to their mental health and wellbeing. We draw upon theoretical concepts of cisnormativity and spatiality to our analysis of sixteen interviews with young trans people (16-25 years old) in Sweden. Three themes emerged. The first refers to how both queer- and non-queer-specific leisure spaces connect people with similar (and different) experiences regarding queer and trans identities and shows how these identities can shift in importance. The second highlights how creative spaces (e.g., theatre, cosplay) can offer opportunities to carve out a leisured space to explore different gender identity/ies and expressions that are often crucial and life changing. The final theme illustrates how leisure is avoided, postponed, waited for, and reclaimed by trans youth. Excluding mechanisms such as transphobia, cisnormativity, and the lack of access to gender-confirming care can hinder young people's leisure participation. Our analysis illustrates the complex connections between leisure and mental health among young people with trans experiences. Leisure can be a source of discomfort and distress but also of belongingness and affirmation of one's identity. Finding and accessing strengthening leisure spaces demands emotional investment, engagement, and navigation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558123000131Transgender youthLeisureMental healthCisnormativitySpatiality |
| spellingShingle | Anne Christina Gotfredsen Ida Linander Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation Wellbeing, Space and Society Transgender youth Leisure Mental health Cisnormativity Spatiality |
| title | Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation |
| title_full | Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation |
| title_fullStr | Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation |
| title_short | Young trans people's experiences of leisure and mental health: Belonging, creativity, and navigation |
| title_sort | young trans people s experiences of leisure and mental health belonging creativity and navigation |
| topic | Transgender youth Leisure Mental health Cisnormativity Spatiality |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558123000131 |
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