Gender Identity and the SBGG: Contextualising Trans Issues in Mainstream Tagesschau News
(2024) SOCM04 20241Sociology
Department of Sociology
- Abstract
- End of this year legislation will be introduced in Germany which will simplify legally changing one’s gender through the SBGG, removing stricter requirements still applied under current TSG law. To situate this occurrence, the portrayal of transgender individuals and their issues in one German mainstream media outlet, the Tagesschau, was analysed to formulate a generic framework, using framing theory. Thereby, the media depiction of this trans demographic was channelled through the lens of oppression with subthemes such as a) language (inclusive gender-neutral speech vs. sex-based terminology) b) the melding of distinct LGBT demographics c) democratic values in a national (German) and international context and the d) conflict surrounding... (More)
- End of this year legislation will be introduced in Germany which will simplify legally changing one’s gender through the SBGG, removing stricter requirements still applied under current TSG law. To situate this occurrence, the portrayal of transgender individuals and their issues in one German mainstream media outlet, the Tagesschau, was analysed to formulate a generic framework, using framing theory. Thereby, the media depiction of this trans demographic was channelled through the lens of oppression with subthemes such as a) language (inclusive gender-neutral speech vs. sex-based terminology) b) the melding of distinct LGBT demographics c) democratic values in a national (German) and international context and the d) conflict surrounding the SBGG out of concern for women, facilitating this overall understanding. Yet, this was a one-sided portrayal of trans issues, based on a postmodern constructivist understanding of gender, likely to have influenced the SBGG proposal, though this thesis cannot draw causal links to the introduction of this legislation and the Tagesschau. Furthermore, the exclusive understanding of trans individuals as vulnerable, can have unintended consequences when applied to an entire population, particularly when emphasising gender identity over sex, which will be demonstrated through practical examples such as the prison system in Britain and Wales, to highlight the importance of retaining strict sex categories for women’s safety. This thesis suggests increased debate surrounding the real-world implications of gender identity in areas where sex matters, instead of shying away from such urgent topics. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- In recent years, topics surrounding transgender individuals have received greater attention by countries and media outlets. This year, a new legislation called the SBGG will be introduced in Germany, which will make it very easy to change one’s legal gender and receive new ID documents. To understand the context behind this decision better, this thesis focuses on the general way transgender individuals are described within news stories. To do this, 41 online news articles were examined by the Tagesschau, a well-known mainstream media outlet in Germany. The result of this analysis showed that transgender individuals are typically seen as discriminated against in different ways such as a) through language b) by comparing the fight for gay... (More)
- In recent years, topics surrounding transgender individuals have received greater attention by countries and media outlets. This year, a new legislation called the SBGG will be introduced in Germany, which will make it very easy to change one’s legal gender and receive new ID documents. To understand the context behind this decision better, this thesis focuses on the general way transgender individuals are described within news stories. To do this, 41 online news articles were examined by the Tagesschau, a well-known mainstream media outlet in Germany. The result of this analysis showed that transgender individuals are typically seen as discriminated against in different ways such as a) through language b) by comparing the fight for gay rights with the current fight for trans rights c) stressing democratic values in a national and international context and d) discussing the conflict surrounding the SBGG out of concern for women and trans women. What has not been talked about, is the psychological perspective, which formulates trans individuals as having a mental disorder, and does not change whether the person in question is biologically male/female. Instead, an empathetic portrayal of transgenderism is seen across news stories, which encourages the idea that if someone says they are a specific gender, then they should be treated as if they really are this gender biologically speaking. Unfortunately, the unintended effect of this perspective is that in areas where biological sex is important, such as in the prison system, women have been raped by men pretending to be trans, which can be seen in England and Wales. It is important that more people are aware of this and discuss such issues. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9161168
- author
- Heidenreich, Johanna Maria Katharina LU
- supervisor
-
- Olle Frödin LU
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- SBGG, transgenderism, Germany, framing theory, women's safety
- language
- English
- id
- 9161168
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-12 18:06:05
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 18:06:05
@misc{9161168,
abstract = {{End of this year legislation will be introduced in Germany which will simplify legally changing one’s gender through the SBGG, removing stricter requirements still applied under current TSG law. To situate this occurrence, the portrayal of transgender individuals and their issues in one German mainstream media outlet, the Tagesschau, was analysed to formulate a generic framework, using framing theory. Thereby, the media depiction of this trans demographic was channelled through the lens of oppression with subthemes such as a) language (inclusive gender-neutral speech vs. sex-based terminology) b) the melding of distinct LGBT demographics c) democratic values in a national (German) and international context and the d) conflict surrounding the SBGG out of concern for women, facilitating this overall understanding. Yet, this was a one-sided portrayal of trans issues, based on a postmodern constructivist understanding of gender, likely to have influenced the SBGG proposal, though this thesis cannot draw causal links to the introduction of this legislation and the Tagesschau. Furthermore, the exclusive understanding of trans individuals as vulnerable, can have unintended consequences when applied to an entire population, particularly when emphasising gender identity over sex, which will be demonstrated through practical examples such as the prison system in Britain and Wales, to highlight the importance of retaining strict sex categories for women’s safety. This thesis suggests increased debate surrounding the real-world implications of gender identity in areas where sex matters, instead of shying away from such urgent topics.}},
author = {{Heidenreich, Johanna Maria Katharina}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Gender Identity and the SBGG: Contextualising Trans Issues in Mainstream Tagesschau News}},
year = {{2024}},
}