Jyl Josephson, Ph.D.

jylj@rutgers.edu

Rutgers University, Newark

Phone: 973-353-5105

Address: 360 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

City: Newark, New Jersey - NJ

Country: United States

About Me:

Professor of Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University-Newark.

Research Interests

LGBTQIA Politics

Gender and Politics

Public Policy

Race, Ethnicity and Politics

Countries of Interest

United States

Iceland

Publications:

Journal Articles:

(2016) Language Purism and Gender: Icelandic Trans* Activists and the Icelandic Linguistic Gender Binary, TSQ

Coauthored with Þorgerður Einarsdóttir. ABSTRACT: In this essay, the authors offer the case of Iceland as a “language frontier” for the trans* community, given the nationalistic linguistic context and the deeply gendered nature of the Icelandic language. We begin by briefly outlining the legal situation with respect to trans* identification and the ability to transition. We then outline the conflict over terminology in the context of the Icelandic language and Icelandic national identity. Using empirical interview data, we discuss the difficulty Icelandic poses as a language for trans* identified people, given the deeply gendered nature of the language. We see no easy solution to this complex problem of language, nationalism, and identity.

Books Written:

(2016) Rethinking Sexual Citizenship, SUNY Press

The book offers a more democratic way to think about families, politics, and public life.