Resilience and Flourishing Amidst Minority Stress: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Transgender Women in Yogyakarta

Johanes Gerandtino; Fx. Wahyu Widiantoro

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i02.3915

Johanes Gerandtino Universitas Proklamasi 45, Yogyakarta
Fx. Wahyu Widiantoro Universitas Proklamasi 45, Yogyakarta

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i02.3915

Keywords: Keywords: Resilience, Transgender Women, Minority Stress, Flourishing, Waria Crisis Center.

Abstract

Background: Transgender women constitute a marginalized group highly susceptible to minority stress, stemming from both internalized social stigma and external societal pressure. In Yogyakarta, these pressures manifest through exclusion from both public and domestic spheres, triggering chronic psychological vulnerability. Objective: This study aims to explore the subjective meaning of resilience among transgender women as they negotiate environmental stressors, and to examine how they cultivate flourishing despite systemic limitations. Methods: This qualitative study employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. The participants consist of three transgender women affiliated with Shelter KEBAYA and the Waria Crisis Center (WCC) in Yogyakarta. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and participant observation. Results: The IPA analysis identified seven superordinate themes: (1) Negotiation of Space and Identity Shields; (2) The Spiritual Paradox between Rejection and Surrender; (3) Intergenerational Stigma and Hypervigilance; (4) WCC and KEBAYA Shelters as Psychological Oases; (5) Transitional Efficacy from Marginality to Professionalism; (6) Collective Memory of Trauma and Anticipatory Vigilance; and (7) Community Resilience as a Collective Womb. Conclusion: Resilience among transgender women is not merely passive endurance, but an active form of existential resistance. The presence of community (shelters) and the reinforcement of self-efficacy serve as crucial protective factors that transform trauma into resilience, enabling the achievement of positive mental health despite a discriminatory environment.

Keywords: Resilience, Transgender Women, Minority Stress, Flourishing, Waria Crisis Center.

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