Date of Conferral

9-2-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jay Greiner

Abstract

In recent years, transgender people have been more open to living as the gender they believe they were meant to be, instead of the gender they were born as. With this decision, they are more susceptible to mistreatment and discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the experiences and perceptions of discrimination of transgender individuals within workplaces in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Transgender identity development (TID) and social identity theory provided a theoretical framework for examining participants’ lived experiences of perceived transgender workplace discrimination, navigation of this discrimination, and the role of identity development and social identity in shaping experiences of discrimination. The 10 participants were 18 years of age or older, had worked in Mississippi in the past 3 years, had experienced discrimination at an organization where they no longer worked, and identified as transgender people. Data from semi-structured individual interviews were manually coded. Seven themes emerged from the analysis: (a) identity development and authentic living during TID; (b) family support and rejection during identity development; (c) social isolation and group dynamics at the workplace; (d) barriers to career advancement and economic impact during the integration process; (e) emotional and psychological impacts from workplace discrimination; (f) coping, resilience, and support systems while experiencing workplace discrimination; and (g) cultural and religious influences on discrimination toward transgender people The study may contribute to positive social change by raising awareness of transgender workplace discrimination and the need for practices and policies that counter such discrimination.

Download

Share

 
COinS