Changing her tune : how a transsexual woman claims a new identity through voice
Name
228414050-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
241.2 KB
Format
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Checksum (MD5)
da9f7ca2b037e9143cbc8bee88129589
Author(s)
Gammon, Katharine Stoel
Advisor(s)
Marcia Bartusiak.
Alternative Title
How a transsexual woman claims a new identity through voice
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The human voice is an important indicator of a person's gender. For male-to-female transgender individuals (or transsexuals) the voice is one of the most difficult parts of the gender transition. Males have larger and heavier vocal apparatuses (larynx and vocal folds), which generally produce a lower sound. Transgender women can have voice surgery, but it can sometimes cause a Minnie Mouse-like falsetto or the complete loss of the voice. As a result, many transgendered women turn to specially trained voice therapists to learn how to speak more convincingly like women. The voice's pitch, although important, is not the only factor in creating a more female sound. Intonation, resonance, volume, speech patterns and formant frequencies also play significant roles in making a realistic feminine sound. There continue to be many unanswered questions about how listeners perceive the voices of transgender women and how best to blend the voices of transwomen into a comfortable range. Transgender women have many hurdles to face as they transition from male to female, and possessing an authentic voice is a way to smooth out the bumpy path they face.
Description
Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2007.
"September 2007."
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37).
Subjects
Graduate Program in Science Writing.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing
MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
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