‘They’re at a different level actually’: Social class, language, and inclusion/coercion for intersex children in Hong Kong hospitals

Abstract

<p>The human body exhibits a variety of innate sex characteristics, spanning from typical, accepted variations (i.e., endosex) to less common ones that don't adhere to medical and/or societal standards of binary male and female (i.e., intersex). The way these traits are explained to parents and to intersex children themselves can significantly impact healthcare experiences and potentially complicate a path to mental well-being (Carpenter 2016). This research employs metapragmatic discourse analysis (i.e., examining discussions about language). The data analysed is sourced from interviews with Hong Kong doctors who work closely with intersex children and their families. Doctors recount an imperative to encourage (and manoeuvre) parents to actively participate in managing their child's needs. There ensues a subtle shaping of subjects through a delicate dissemination of biomedical knowledge that balances between English and Cantonese languages. Utilizing biomedical terms in English is reported to be less alarming to parents compared to their Cantonese translations, with Cantonese clearly providing disturbing denotations and connotations to the primarily Cantonese-speaking listener that English does not. It is reported by the doctors that this dilemma is compounded when speaking to parents of lower social class, who lack the education to quickly comprehend concepts of biological science. This reported crafting of perceiving (parent) subjects (Rosa and Flores 2017) is a key aspect of biopolitical management. Parents are recruited into the management of their intersex child’s body but with certain ratified perceptions that are multifariously shaped at the intersection of language and social class. This disparate ratification process has profound implications for intersex babies of all social classes.</p>