Diploma in ECDE - This is how it always is

Running head: ECDE 1
Diploma in ECDE
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The title of the book to be critiqued is “This is how it always is”: by Laurie Frankel. The
primary objective of the author is to get to convince people to embrace transgender people and
embrace them like any other family member. The author contends that transgender issues scare
people away and maybe they have not come into contact with anyone affected by transgender
issues. Such a move is difficult but urgent. The author is inspired to write on the transgender
issue by examining the family of Rosie (medical doctor) and Penn (works from home) because
one of their five children Poppy was born and identified as a boy but at age six began expressing
interest in being a girl. The author chooses to go public and share their experience in bringing up
a transgender child with the aim of encouraging those with similar situations to embrace them
and that it is a natural phenomenon.
Additionally, the author aims at raising awareness in the parenting of transgender
children by striking a balance between protecting the children and allowing them to fully express
themselves. The book argues that the idea of fully trusting the decision-making ability of a child
and working with that is not the most appropriate way, even though this was how they initially
treated Poppy. The book discourages their initial approach to parenting and also common among
other families in which the parents make a judgment call and expect a child to follow especially
when the child’s wish is contrary to normal practice.
The thesis of the author that is not explicitly stated but can be summed up from the book.
The book points out that transgender people are like any other people but with a varying gender
expression from that assigned at birth, and thus it is not an issue of controversy. However, this
contradicts existing research that has shown that transgender people are seriously discriminated,
scorned and considered as a bad omen in most of the societies. For instance, Bradford, Reisner,
Honnold, and Xavier (2013) assessed the experiences of transgender people in Virginia using a

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quantitative research approach. The participants were self-identified transgender people who
passed the eligibility tests. The authors found out that 41% of the participants had experienced
discrimination that is associated with transgender. Some of the factors associated with the
discrimination of such a group included geographic location, low socioeconomic status and
visible signs of gender transition. Similar findings were also reported by (Budge, Adelson, &
Howard, 2013; Bockting et al., 2013). Therefore, there is literature evidence of the controversies
surrounding transgender issues, but the author is determined to counter all these by using the
real-life experience of the family of Rosie and Penn with one of their transgender child Poppy.
There are theoretical assumptions implied by the case study explored by the author. The
author contends that gender orientation is not only identified through the traditional binary
approach of either male or female. The studies by Nagoshi and Brzuzy (2010) and Nagoshi,
Brzuzy, and Terrell (2012) have also criticized the traditional binary of defining genders. Instead,
the emerging theoretical orientation on the identity of gender and its nature should be based on
the lived experiences of transgender people. The author reasons that the theory surrounding the
transgender controversy is distinct and should focus on the significance of physical embodiment
in gender identity. However, the author doesn’t explore the theory in detail.
The book has a significant contribution to the topic of transgender in childhood
discipline. The initial understanding of the family of Rosie and Penn is that which is common in
the society. The author points out how the parents of Ponny were affected when they came into
terms that their child was showing signs of transgenderism. The mother is a medical doctor who
has a different view and solution for the issue of transgender, whereas the father is a writer and
who works from home also views the situation differently and is with a different solution.
Similarly, the brothers to Poppy are very much affected by his transformation. The author uses

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such a scenario to point out the controversy that exists in the topic of transgenderism in the
society. Therefore, the work shows that transgenderism is an issue that is viewed differently by
different professions and families. The author also contributes to the issue of transgenderism by
pointing out that it requires an open mind to address it.
The book also presents the general challenges and concepts that the transgender
community faces. The concept of acceptance of transphobia is an issue that the family must
come to terms with. Both the parents and the siblings have difficulty in accepting her
transformation. The problem of acceptance of body changes is a common problem in early
childhood discipline and requires an open mind to address and not to coheres the child to follow
the societal norms which are contrary to her inner identity.
The content of the book is based on secondary material and its fiction. The author
narrates the story in close third person, and the narrator basically shadows Rosie and its primarily
about her personality. The book uses a fictitious story to show the behavior or attitude of the
society towards transphobia people. Additionally, the secondary materials are effective in
educating the masses and creating awareness.
The author writes the book in a close third person and uses secondary material to
demonstrate her thesis. The narrator basically reflects the reflection of Rosie including her
personality. The shadowing of Rosie’s personality justifies the use of personal observation as a
writing technique of the story. The narration is practical, calm but very analytical, seldom
persistent and ingenious. The story is in most cases narrated directly to the reader, however in
times of authority, the narrator shifts into a literacy register that allows more explanation to be
done by the language than what explanation can do. "Rosie went to check on the worm-girl so
she could finish her shift so she could go home and start packing and go home."

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The book is written to demonstrate the power of a story and it is a fairy tale. For instance,
the first chapter is entitled "Once upon a time" and the last phrase is "ever after." However, the
writing style is not thorough but an antiquated story that depicts human cruelty to each other and
the compassion of children on issues that even adults cannot sympathize with. The writing style
of the author is amusing, thoughtful and warm, only disadvantaged by excessive use of
foreshadowing and indications of fate as transitions. The comprehensive feeling of the writer on
the issue of transgender is indeed based on individual experience. The writer begins in a
pessimistic tone but ends the story in an optimistic tone. Additionally, there are numerous
positives than negativities in the story which makes the writing style unique and which keeps the
reader engaged and earnestly turning to the next page to get to know more about the previous
narrated excerpts.
The writing style of the author also shows that there are other ways of argument using
secondary material. The author could also argue from the same material but using literacy
biographical accounts. The writer could use real-life experiences but conceal the actual identities
of the characters so as to actually show that the issues of transgender are not a fairy tale but
actual life experiences. However, the author seems to be aware of such alternative ways of
writing from the same material in the manner in which she quotes some weighty statements of
the characters.
The book raises some critical topics and theoretical issues for further discussion. The
author raises topics on issues of addressing transgender issues in the family and how to cope up
with the society. It also raises concerns about the role of parents in hindering or promoting
transgenderism. There is a need for future discussion on how the parents or close family
members can help transgender people to freely express themselves or condemn their bodily

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expression of gender identity. The book also raises the topic of providing new definitions of
social identities and not restricted to the traditional gender identity binaries, thus necessitating
the need for future discussion on transgender theory to incorporate the exceptional experiences
of transgenders. The author posits that the conflict is about social identities and self-
determinants.
The future discussions on the theory of transgender should, therefore, develop complete
approaches to social work practice. The societal norm of fixed social identities can also justify
other differences such as racism, gender, and status to be natural and thus result in various forms
of oppression. Based on the author's arguments, the idea of critiquing and undermining of all
social identities breaks one’s sense of worth in a socially oppressed society, even if such an
identity can be a means of individual empowerment and fight against social oppression.
The book necessitates the need for future discussion on the transgender theory beyond
essentialism and social constructivism. This will ensure the development of a gender identity that
would integrate both a flexible self-personification and a self-development of identity would
possibly interrelate enthusiastically with this embodiment from the perspective of social
expectations and actual life experiences. The optimistic ending of the writer provides a hint to
the need of the future discussion on transgender theory. The author doesn’t fully agree with the
notion that gender is only based on the definition at birth because this gives rise to traditional
stereotypes regarding gender and gender roles.
The writer instills here characters with fun, anguish and heart and her ability for thought
is always delightful. Her capacity of creating humor during transitions of events makes her prose
to appear grammatically askew in most cases. More specifically, Frankel enjoys an intricate
association with the comma (just placing it in places you least expect and not being concerned to

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place them in other places where they would have been better used). This aspect almost distracts
her and almost compromises her ability as an excellent storyteller. Thus, the writing style of the
author is likely to make her work challenging to access in the initial chapters. Nevertheless, after
she has explored her theme and the reader has understood the story and the characters, the
significance of the lesson in the story captures the interest of the writer and at the end of it, the
reader is warmed-up with the insightful story of the existing confusion social identity in the
world. This is a critical and challenging topic but the writer handles it with humor, modesty, and
civilization.
As much as I enjoyed reading the novel, I have reservations with the writers view on the
issues of transgenderism. The writer is of the belief that the traditional binary way of identifying
gender, especially during childbirth is archaic and is a source of conflict in itself. The writer
subscribes to the thought of fluidity in gender identity. This implies that transgenderism is
simply an expression of gender identity beyond the societal norm of male or female gender
definition. I do not agree with this conclusion because it violates my Christian perspective of the
creation of human beings. The notion that an individual can reach at some point in life and desire
to express himself/herself in a different gender than that which was identified at birth or is
physical directly contradicts my Christian values and the concept of creation.
As much as I do not want to be understood as a straight sect alarmist on the issue of
transgenderism, I am equally cognizant of the fact that the feelings and desires of having a
preference for other genders are real. However, this does not justify the transition because the
feelings are likely to be influenced by some factors in life and are likely to be short-lived. Does
this mean that an individual will be shifting on the gender status every time based on the
feelings? Again, what do we do with the clearly identifiable physical body characteristics of the

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gender, was the problem ingrained in the biological make-up during pregnancy or at birth. As
much as I enjoyed reading the novel, I totally disagree with the writer on her view of
transgenderism.

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References
Bockting, W. O., Miner, M. H., Swinburne Romine, R. E., Hamilton, A., & Coleman, E. (2013).
Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender
population. American journal of public health, 103(5), 943-951.
Bradford, J., Reisner, S. L., Honnold, J. A., & Xavier, J. (2013). Experiences of transgender-
related discrimination and implications for health: results from the Virginia Transgender
Health Initiative Study. American journal of public health, 103(10), 1820–1829.
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300796
Budge, S. L., Adelson, J. L., & Howard, K. A. (2013). Anxiety and depression in transgender
individuals: the roles of transition status, loss, social support, and coping. Journal of
consulting and clinical psychology, 81(3), 545.
Nagoshi, J. L., & Brzuzy, S. I. (2010). Transgender theory: Embodying research and
practice. Affilia, 25(4), 431-443.
Nagoshi, J. L., Brzuzy, S. I., & Terrell, H. K. (2012). Deconstructing the complex perceptions of
gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation among transgender
individuals. Feminism & Psychology, 22(4), 405-422.