Empowerment Approach to Social Work with Transgender Youth: A Literature Review

Abstract

Transgender youth are among the disadvantaged groups living under pressure in society. One of the emancipatory values of the social work profession, which advocates for human rights and social justice, is empowerment. Therefore, it is among the responsibilities of the social work profession to fight together with transgender youth on a dialogic axis so that they can become more empowered and live a free and dignified life. However, it is observed that research and practice examples in Turkey on the empowerment approach to social work with transgender youth are limited. Therefore, the aim of this article is to evaluate the issue of empowerment-oriented social work with transgender youth through studies in the international literature. In the relevant literature, it is addressed that transgender youth experience oppression at the intersection of gender and age-based discrimination ideologies. In other words, within the framework of the literature examined in this article, it can be concluded that the oppression-based discourses and actions created by cissexist and adultist discrimination ideologies affect the power of transgender youth in society at personal, relational, communal, cultural and structural levels. This conclusion was evaluated through empowerment-oriented social work models and practice examples with transgender youth in the international literature. It is hoped that the recommendations developed based on these evaluations will offer an insight into academics and experts working with transgender youth in Turkey.

Keywords

• power
• empowerment approach
• empowerment-oriented social work
• trans-affirmative social work
• transgender youth

Trans Gençlerle Sosyal Hizmette Güçlenme Yaklaşımı: Bir Literatür Değerlendirmesi

Abstract

Trans gençler, toplumda baskı altında yaşayan dezavantajlı gruplar arasındadır. İnsan hakları ve sosyal adaleti savunan sosyal hizmet mesleğinin özgürleştirici değerlerinden biri güçlenmedir. Dolayısıyla trans gençlerin güçlenerek özgür ve onurlu bir yaşam sürmeleri adına diyalojik bir eksende onlarla birlikte mücadele etmek, sosyal hizmet mesleğinin sorumlulukları arasındadır. Fakat trans gençlerle sosyal hizmette güçlenme yaklaşımı üzerine Türkiye’deki araştırma ve uygulama örneklerinin kısıtlı olduğu görülmektedir. Bu yüzden bu yazının amacı, trans gençlerle güçlenme odaklı sosyal hizmet konusunu uluslararası literatürde yer alan çalışmalar üzerinden değerlendirmektir. İlgili alanyazında, trans gençlerin toplumsal cinsiyet ve yaş temelli ayrımcılık ideolojilerinin kesiştiği bir noktadan baskı deneyimleri yaşadıkları görülmektedir. Başka bir ifadeyle, bu yazı kapsamında incelenen literatür çerçevesinde, sisseksist ve yetişkinci ayrımcılık ideolojilerinin yarattığı baskı temelli söylem ve eylemlerin trans gençlerin toplum içindeki gücünü kişisel, ilişkisel, komünal, kültürel ve yapısal düzeylerde etkilediği sonucuna varılabilir. Varılan bu sonuç, uluslararası literatürde yer alan trans gençlerle güçlenme odaklı sosyal hizmet modelleri ve uygulama örnekleri üzerinden değerlendirilmiştir. Bu değerlendirmeler üzerinden geliştirilen önerilerin Türkiye’de trans gençlerle çalışan akademisyen ve uzmanlara ışık tutması ümit edilmektedir.

Keywords

• güç
• güçlenme yaklaşımı
• güçlenme odaklı sosyal hizmet
• trans-olumlayıcı sosyal hizmet
• trans gençler

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