Document Type
Honors Project
Publication Date
6-10-2026
Abstract
Despite evidence that gender diverse (i.e., transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid) people are disproportionately impacted by disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (ED), most of the theorizing for DE/ED has centered the experiences of White, cisgender women, limiting the extent to which we can theorize how gender diverse people experience DE/ED. This constructivist grounded theory study explored gender diverse people’s perceptions of how gender, desired gender expression, and societal narratives around gender and physical appearance intersect to shape their experiences with DE/ED. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 gender diverse participants led to the development of a theory that views DE/ED through a lens of enacted agency and resilience, tracing four interconnected categories: (1) Navigating pressure to perform and attain cultural ideals of gender and appearance; (2) Asserting power, control, and agency through DE/ED; (3) Navigating experiences of dissonance; and (4) Agentic pursuits for recovery: Redefining gender and embracing embodiment. These categories highlight how DE/ED behaviors were mobilized as adaptive, agentic tools for participants to negotiate gendered embodiment and desired gender expression amidst pervasive societal pressure and cisheteronormativity—ultimately suggesting the importance of attending to gender identity, desired gender expression, and sociocultural context within DE/ED treatment and clinical work with gender diverse populations.
Level of Honors
summa cum laude
Department
Psychology
Advisor
Rachel Dyer
Recommended Citation
Jarppi, Kayla, "Resilience and Agency: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Exploration of Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders Amongst Gender Diverse People" (2026). Lawrence University Honors Projects. 226.
https://lux.lawrence.edu/luhp/226