Vem får man vara i vårt samhälle? - Statens folkhälsoinstitut

Summary
1. Structure of the research report,
theory, concepts and method
1.1 Purpose
This is a narrative research report (Bergmark & Oscarsson 2006) concerning
transgender individuals. The general purpose of the report is to
supply important material that can be used for further discussion about
how structural changes aimed at improving the psychosocial health of
transgender individuals – focusing on transvestites and transsexuals –
might be introduced. More specifically, the report provides important
knowledge about transgender individuals and their lives and offers suggestions
to improve the group’s psychosocial health. The purposes of
this study are consequently to increase both our theoretical and practical
knowledge and understanding of the experiential worlds of transgender
individuals.
The report is structured so that not only does it provide a presentation
of the theoretical concepts and perspectives discussed in the relevant
literature but also it integrates different concepts and perspectives
to offer a multi-dimensional model focusing on identity which will enable
us to better understand transgender individuals (Bullough & Bullough
1993; Docter 1998; Hutchison 1999; Larsson 1997).
1.2 Some theoretical and methodological guidelines
The research report presents a selective narrative overview (Bergmark
& Oscarsson 2006) of the experiential world of transgender individuals.
To provide a background picture to this world certain metatheoretical
perspectives, e.g., hermeneutics and post-modern thinking
(Kvale 1997), multi-dimensional theoretical analysis (Bullough & Bullough
1993; Docter 1998; Hutchison 1999), are employed to enable
a discussion of themes, concepts and perspectives significant in the
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