Methodology as Pedagogy: Trans Lives, Social Science, and the Possibilities of Education Research

Abstract

Over the past decade, public awareness of transgender people has rapidly increased. Yet people who do not conform to the expectations of their assigned gender often face social prejudice and structural marginalization. Within this context, an increasing number of education researchers have shown interest in taking up questions related to transgender communities. Although there is great potential for education researchers to play a useful role in cultivating trans-competent educational environments, this heightened engagement raises new challenges. How can education researchers design methodologies that avoid reinforcing the structures and epistemologies that have done harm to trans people? This article places that question in historical context through an overview of the relationship between transgender people and social science research over the last century, and the emergence of transgender studies as a response to that history. Then, the article presents a consideration of the role of education research in bridging tensions between the fields of social science and transgender studies.