Oral Presentation by Ernesto Noronha & Premilla D’Cruz
Time & Date: 13 July - 09:30
Location: Room 0S13
Abstract
Rising societal inequalities are noted as a grand challenge of our times. Inequalities, linked to established and emerging social categories, are embedded into social life via social structures and institutions. Indeed, against the hegemony of the dominant elite, neoliberal claims about personal freedom, individualism and self-realization are ineffective in dismantling these inequalities. The disadvantage that accompanies inequalities is evidenced through various types of mistreatment and microaggressions including incivility, discrimination and bullying. Importantly, societal inequalities permeate workplaces, accentuating the inherent inequality of the employment relationship. This study, undertaken in India, reports a hermeneutic phenomenological study of 36 transgender employees.
Participants’ lived experiences emphasized the severe overt and direct bullying they experienced at work including offensive stares, malicious gossip, taunts, insults, threats, exclusion and even expulsion. Denial of participants’ trans identity, restrictions on the permissible range of job tasks and roles, reneging on promised accommodations and perquisites were reported. Participants’ experiences of bullying began from the time of joining the job and persisted even after their transitioning, reflecting deep-seated biases which othered them and violated their dignity. Some participants opted for self-employment while others remained unemployed after losing their jobs. Whereas the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, was ineffective in protecting participants, there were a few instances of responsible and inclusive workplaces, managers, HR professionals and co-workers who upheld their dignity.
Addressing societal inequalities has been documented as challenging, but not impossible. Notwithstanding the hegemony of the dominant groups, the role of human will and agency in seeking social change cannot be underestimated. Power is never absolute and the collective resistance of strategic social actors, who enlist the collaboration of like-minded fellow humans, can break the patterns of the past and steer the path of social life towards equality. These endeavours hold hope for disadvantaged groups, such as transgender employees, who emphasize the universal claim that all humans are born equal and deserve dignity.