Research Interests
I am a researcher, Ph.D student and JSPS Scholarship Fellow at the University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences). My main research interest is the Sociology of Trans Medicine.
Research field: Sociology of Health and Illness/Transgender Studies
My Master Thesis Project(-2023/4)
Master's thesis: Depathologisation and Health Care Access for Gender Transition: (De)pathologisation in the Trans Medicine in Contemporary Japan
Specifically, the thesis clarified "how the pathologisation of gender diverse people and the access of the trans medicine have been related in the medical field in contemporary Japan".
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on the issue of depathologization in gender-affirming medical care. This movement aims to challenge the classification of gender nonconformity as a psychiatric pathology and advocates for providing medical care without pathologizing individuals. My master thesis explores the relationship between pathologization and medical access in Japan; it covers healthcare professionals' perspectives, institutional processes, and individuals' experiences. By examining these aspects, it contributes to discussions on pathologization, medical access, and the lived experiences of gender nonconforming individuals in Japan.
Themes specifically focused on in the master's thesis includes:
Tensions between medical sociology and trans studies (methodological decisions / theoretical explrolations)
Processes of constructing the legitimacy of treatment for gender transition
Research methods: historical sociology (medicalisation theory), medical discourse studies
The relationship between 'official' gender transition medicine and other forms of access to healthcare
Research methods: fieldwork, medical discourse, documentary research
Processes and effects of diagnosis in trans medicine
Research methods: interviews with people using trans medicine
Ambivalence of people using trans medicine, regarding pathological concepts, against diagnostic models and toward medical interventions
Research methods: interviews with people using trans medicine.
Research Project currently working in Doctoral Programme (2023/4-)
How has trans medicine evolved, or remained unchanged, from the 1990s to the 2020s? What challenges do transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals face in accessing trans healthcare? This study aims to provide a foundation for these debates by theorising the structures that establish (or undermine) ‘trans medicine’ in Japan.
Theme 1: Medical Discourses and Healthcare Frameworks in the "Depathologization Era"
Investigating the plurality of "social" models within medical professions (Work In Progress)
Theme 2: Clinical Encounters in Trans Medicine within Contemporary Medical Models
Examining the transition and preservation of "legitimacy" in trans healthcare
Assessing the roles and expertise of professionals in trans healthcare
Analysing the dynamics of diagnostic experiences in trans healthcare (Work In Progress)
Theme 3: Plurality of Healthcare Access Pathways and Its Consequences
Identifying unintended consequences arising from the "dysfunction" of medical guidelines
Understanding the implications of multiple healthcare access pathways
Research methods: Predominantly qualitative!
historical sociology (medicalisation theory), medical discourse research
interview with medical professionals
interview with TGD individuals seeking medical care