Date of Award
2013
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Keywords
Language, literature and linguistics, Social sciences, Identity, Kimberly nixon, Language, Law, Queer theory, Vagueness
Supervisor
Cradock, Gerald
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
In 1995 Kimberly Nixon, a transsexual woman, attempted to become a peer counsellor at Vancouver Rape Relief Society. Based on that organization's restrictive definition of the term `woman,' she was denied this opportunity based on her previous male identity. This thesis looks at the use of language in identity and category construction, using the Nixon case to ground theoretical work. It also uses the concept of vagueness to investigate the nature of categorical boundaries, and queer theory to propose possible solutions to problems of identity labelling.
Recommended Citation
Fisher, Meaghan, "Transgressive Definitions: Kimberly Nixon and the Sociological Effects of Language Imprecision" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4974.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/4974