Kumchenko, S.K.

Background. The relevance of gender issues is associated with discussions outside the scientific field, while in the science itself, the popularity of gender studies is increasing every year.

Objectives. The present article aims at the application of the conceptual mechanism of the cultural-historical approach to gender issues.

Methods. Abstraction, analysis and synthesis of literary data, comparison of theoretical models, and generalization were used.

Results. Sex as a biological entity is divided into an innate “natural” category and a gender as a culturological one. A number of examples demonstrate the non-identity of sex and gender as well as variants of their combination and interaction. It is proposed to disidentify gender and gender identity as a psychological category. The latter is understood as an analogue of the higher mental function which forms intravitally under specific social conditions, it is mediated by gender signs (appearance, manners, norms, preferences, values, taboos, etc.) and is possible to self-regulate. In the meantime, the limitations in mastering one’s own behaviour are emphasized, since the origin of the gender identity is connected to the biological parameters of sex, inconsistency of gender norms and their wide field of influence. Here the field of cultural pathology in the sphere of gender identity and intersex interaction reveals itself.

Conclusions. The cultural-historical approach is seen to be heuristic in the multifactorial understanding of gender issues which include biological, cultural, psychological, and ontogenetic aspects.

Background of the work is associated with the high significance of an accurate assessment of the adaptive potential of a transsexual sent for transgender transition. To date, psychological constructs that make it possible to predict this potential look unconvincing due to the blurriness of these constructs, as well as ways to evaluate them. The ability for adequate self-assessment is proposed as a relevant construct.

Objective is to state the self-esteem of transsexuals at different stages of transgender transition in comparison with non-transexuals.

Methods. The anonymous questionnaire includes the M. Kuhn — T. McPartland test «Who am I» modified by A. Thostov, E. Rasskazova, V. Emelin (2014); «Cognitive Beliefs Inconsistency Study Method» (Rasskazova, Thostov, Abramova, 2015); «Satisfaction with Life Scale» (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, Grin, 1985; adapted by E. Osin, D. Leontiev, 2008). ANOVA is used in the SPSS 23 program.

Sample. Control group: 120 cisgender people. Main group: 151 transsexuals: Male-to-Female (MtF), Female-to-Male (FtM).

Results. Well-being level of MtF in final stage of transgender transition is equal to that of cisgender people, and FtM's level is lower (F = 8.384; P < 0.01). FtM in all stages of transgender transition give higher marks of social recognition of their self-identifications than MtF
(F = 8.996; P < 0.01). FtM rate their masculinity from the point of friends' view higher than MtF (F = 3.413; P < 0.05). MtF transsexuals in all stages of transgender transition rate their self-identifications lower than FtM (F = 3.532; P < 0.05).

Conclusion. FtM have an overestimation of self-esteem in terms of masculinity, social recognition. It is associated with psychological compensation of a lower level of well-being than MtF. MtF more accurately rate reality in all stages of transgender transition and do not resort to compensatory mechanisms.