Strategies of Image Construction Among Non-Binary Individuals

Abstract

The article focuses on a minority group, namely non-binary individuals. The author describes the strategies they employ in constructing their self-presentation, based on original research conducted for a bachelor’s thesis, which examined their embodied practices. The findings are situated within the field of sociology of gender and of the body. The interpretive framework draws on the ideas of Erving Goffman concerning the construction of personal front and the notion of gender, as well as the concept of the “non-body” developed by Judith Butler. The data were analyzed using tools derived from grounded theory methodology. This process identified specific strategies that non-binary individuals adopt in constructing their self-presentation. While medical transition does not appear to be of interest to this group, they do engage in efforts to cultivate an androgynous appearance. This is achieved primarily through avoiding gender-specific image elements or balancing features of physical appearance and clothing that are stereotypically associated with femininity and masculinity. The group is characterized by a high level of reflexivity in the selection of means of expression. At the same time, through careful control of information, individuals attempt to produce a sense of ambiguity or confusion in their interaction partners, which is understood as a confirmation of the successful performance of non-binary identity.