Scholarly record
ART AND SCIENCE OF CROSSDRESSING
Abstract
Alternative lifestyles, gender identities and fashion statements are gaining theirlegitimacy in mainstream social life in many cultures. However, even in those marginalsocial circles (LGBTIA+) there are inequalities where crossdressers are at the verybottom of perceived social status. As a result, crossdressing has not been studiedsufficiently neither from scientific nor from artistic viewpoint. Scientific researchpublications mentioning crossdressing are mostly addressing literature, film and theatreaspects of crossdressing, anthropological and some social aspects. Crossdressing ispresented in mainstream media as a very marginal activity of a small number of peculiarindividuals. In the past, health professionals have long considered ways to curecrossdressing and today are focused on helping resolve dysphoria and other sufferingscaused by societies’ reaction to crossdressing. Virtually there are no publicationsanalyzing or discussing potential benefits of crossdressing both for the individual andsociety, nor the aesthetical aspects in fashion industry and society in general. Fashion ishighly expressive and research shows that the way humans dress influences not onlymessages they send to others, but also how they feel themselves, especially how theyfeel about themselves. However there is also no research published exploring possibleartistic benefits of crossdressing. This paper presents results of interpretativephenomenological analysis of potential crossdressing benefits. It also discusses socialaesthetical habits and consequential aesthetical blindness established in modern westernsociety. Paper also aims at proposing some new views on scientific and artistic aspectsof crossdressing and indicating possible venues for future research from bothperspectives.
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