“I felt it inside” : Lived experience of gender creative children 4-12 years related to gender identity in Sweden

• This is a qualitative study where the interview data from seven pre-pubertal and gender creative children 4-12 years old, was analyzed according to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, IPA. The data was drawn from a bigger qualitative doctoral project about the lived experiences of gender creative children and youth between 4-17 years and their parents, related to the children’s gender identities. Due to the greater verbal and cognitive functioning of the teenagers, we chose to split the analysis of the children’s interview material in two, as not to let the voices of the young ones drown in the greater verbal and reflective flood of the teenagers. As far as we know this is the first study made where gender creative children from 4 years old describe their lived experience related to gender identity in everyday life, not only in retrospect as for most research on transgender childhood experiences, but whileen actually happening. The overarching aim of the study was to learn more about pre-pubertal and gender creative children’s experiences related to their affirmed gender identity, in everyday life, as described by the children themselves. A dominating part of research on transgender children comes from children recruited from gender clinics and is based on quantitative data (i.e. from symptom scales or other diagnostic measurements for example) from a medical and/or psychiatric perspective. To broaden the scope, important aims for us were therefore to center the children’s own voices and focus on the children’s lived experience before and outside the gender-affirming care. 

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Genusstudier (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Gender Studies (hsv//eng)

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