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I've been reading this theory with an interest as to how different worldviews and perspectives are addressed in the issue and in light of Alive Dreger's report on the matter.  As an issue of worldviews and ethics as well as bias, it is deeply interesting.

Put simply, Bailey divides GID patients into two groups, largely based on their affirmed sexual identify and perceived level of masculinity.  For whatever reason, he only refers here to M2F patients - F2M candidates remain a pitiful enigma in the world of transpolitics - denied the level of surgical intervention on the grounds of both expertise and higher costs, not to mention caught up in the less binary world of feminist gender politics.  He divides M2F patients into two groups: very feminized candidiates who are attracted to men, and more traditionally masculine candidates who are attracted to women.  He suggests that the latter suffer from greater levels of misunderstanding than the former: something I can personally testify to, having seen many years in the late 1990s of "born women only" policies in Dublin lesbian nights out.

What seems to upset TG activists is that Bailey's suggestion that "woman trapped in a mans body" is a mthology that does not necessarily apply to all M2F folks can be taken to assert that therefore SRS as a means of therapy is not justifiable treatment.  In fact that appears to not be the case at all - what I like about Bailey's theory is that it in fact widens the net for SRS by making it just as acceptable to have "other causes" rather than unproveable and possibly spurious theories such as the "brain" theory (which apparently is based on a Dutch dissection of no more than 7 brains - hardly true "scientific" evidence).  What it does also, and this I find is evidence of holistic ethicality in systemic terms, is by permitting "cases for treatment" outside of the traditional (and probably massively outdated DSM criteria), it no longer requires patients to be socially conditioned to give a particular set of answers to practitioners in order to get treatment.  This surely would be wonderful.

Sadly, I think the TS movement has moved in the direction of the LGB movement in seeking a "physical irrefutable cause" politically to justify their case rather than making different sexual choices acceptable.  I have also heard TG activists in Dublin deeply insult other gender-different communities by insinuating that those who do not qualify for SRS as "perverts."  (This organisation is pushing this case hard in Dublin - in fact the "organization" consists of just one person!)  It is worrying that so many within the TG continuum are so intent on closing down debate on different perspectives, choices and possibilities.

I would highly recommend Alice Dreger's study on the issue as she specialises in ethicality in terms of medical treatment.

One of my favourite quotations is that of the Duke of Wellington when asked about the fact that he was born in Ireland: "If you were born in a stable, does that make you a horse?" replied the Duke.  This raises an interesting issue about loyalties, one that became topical over the weekend in 2 contexts.  An interesting letter from a French lady to the Irish Independent, and my avid support of Munster rugby, despite having grown up in Dublin (though I now haven't lived there for 7 years).

I have to reprint the ladies letter, as it is very thought provoking:

Sir -- With reference to Brendan O'Connor's page one article: 'No More Mr (Irish) Nice Guy' (Sunday Independent, September 14, 2008), Mr Paddy, sorry for disappointing you, but, no, not everyone likes you.

As a matter of fact, it is pretty amazing how disliked the Irish are.

Of course, this is not said aloud as it is not politically correct. (French and German are the only two nationalities one can hate openly). Anyway as I was saying, keep dreaming.

The great craic: where, when, how, who?

Did I miss anything these last 30-odd years? I never see any craic with the Paddies. I agree, you sincerely believe you've got it, but noooooooo, wrong again. Only when you're binge-drinking do you dare open your mouth. And then, it is to talk total rubbish. You are loud, that's for sure. Well, one is Irish, so, one must pretend to be enjoying oneself. The usual topic is -- God, we are great!!!! Everybody loves us. (Please God, let it be true!).

Your accent? Well, first of all, like in any country, there are different accents. But again, no, no, no, no -- the Irish accent is vile! Last month, I was in Ireland for a week. As soon as I arrived in Dublin and was surrounded by that awful noise coming out of the mouths around me, I wondered how would I be able to last that long. For sure, to wake up next to someone with such an accent must be some anti-climax! Give me the south east English accent anytime. But Irish?

It is a fact that the Irish are totally ignorant regarding the cultures of thousands of beautiful countries and regions all over the world. Most of those cultures include story-telling, playing music, singing. But , again, silly us, we forgot, only the Irish sing and play music .... How many times do you want to hear the boooooooring Danny song?

So Mr Paddy, I've been married to an Irishman for 32 years. I know the Irish history (I made sure I read the books), I know what Ireland was like 30 years ago, I know the mentality of the Irish, I know everything about you all. And it is not very pretty.

The chip on the shoulder? Well, you have one on each shoulder, for balance. And that stops you from rising up. You see the other nationalities, (let's take the French and the German you hate so much) they are very secure about themselves and they are bloody right about it. So, they don't care what anybody thinks about them. I am French (ho la la, a frog!) and the one thing I am proud of is that in France, unlike in Ireland, we are very curious about other nationalities.

My origins are in Brittany. Brittany -- where people do not like the Irish. Why? Because you are ignorant. You are the ones who are not interested in other cultures. The Scottish and the Welsh are loved in Brittany, Why? Because they are interested in all those people coming to the festivals from all over the world to introduce us to their culture. But you? Forget it.

Even when it comes to business in France, you are known as not trustworthy. A lot of bullshit, yes!

When I was in sales in London, the Irish clients were the easiest to get. Why? Just telling them, "I am married to an Irishman" was sufficient to get the appointment/the deal. They all thought they were loved. Idiots! Sometimes I even found it too easy.

I have a friend who is the director of a recruitment agency for hotel industry management. Well, guess what? Irish women are the most difficult to place. Why? Because they are vile. They believe that being a good manager is to bully people. Very Irish!

Irish friends? No, it does not exist. I am not saying there are no nice Irish people. But friendship can be difficult among people who begrudge the success of their neighbour. (Don't deny it, even the Irish say it themselves). For whatever reason, you are obsessed with money. In France, we consider it vulgar to talk about money.

So, to your last comment, that everybody likes you when you are rich, let me tell you something. No matter what, Paddy, and don't forget it, no amount of money will hide the smell of dung which will always stick to your magnificent boots wherever you'll go.

And next time, don't mix up "patronising you" with "liking you".

A nationality is just an accident of birth, which means that when people say, for example: "I am proud of being Irish", it is an absurdity. We do nothing in order to have a nationality. And to be proud of something, you must achieve something, work at it, like when you succeed at your exams.

But for sure, I am very happy to be French. Thank God for that accident of birth. How awful to think I could have been born Irish! Italian, Spanish, yes. But Irish! And maybe that is why deep down you're so afraid of not being liked. You realise yourself how pathetic you are.

As for the accent of my husband, he has a great musical ear, and maybe that is why he has hardly any Irish accent. Lucky me!

Anyway, keep dreaming.

PS: All the people I know from Italy, France, Poland, etc are French, Italian, Polish. Nobody calls himself/herself European. Nobody.

Name and address with Editor

While some of the letter is blatantly rascist, there are a few interesting points. 
Firstly the point that nationality is an accident of birth and so does not automatically bestow you with amazing powers as many Irish people assume it does.  Secondly, the assumption (that actually the writer both seems to contradict and be aware of) that this is meaningful - I recognise the mention she makes of the Irish idiots who were willing to do business with her because they assumed that her maaiage to an Irish man would empower them - a very common misassumption in Ireland, most successfully exploited by FF politicians!

Now this leads me onto my theme of the day - how the influence of history and tradition to create culture and differences with others.  The traditions in Ireland certainly do lead to resentment of other peoples success and the "chip on both shoulders" mentality.  It is a common cultural symptom in Ireland, the begrudgement and obsession with money (and status).  However this is a result of learning as a result of the history and tradition.  I think there is a lot to be learned from this letter from anybody planning a holiday or emmigration.  Everybody assumes everybody "loves" the Irish.  My own experience of world travel is that people meet a lot of people from different countries and don't really care where you came from, they are only interested in you.  Irish people's navel gazing I suspect is a result of transference of similar tendencies from the British as a result of reading a lot of British tabloid newspapers with similar mentalities!

Anyway last night I was present at a glorious Munster rugby victory over Leinster in the RDS.  My sister is an avid Leinster supporter and doesn't understand why I prefer the Southern cousins.
Well here is a classic example of the influence of history and tradition.
I grew up on the north side, from a working class background and went to an ordinary, non fee paying school, accross the road from one of the top fee paying rugby schools.  The looked down their nose at us and naturally we didn't support their sport.  So when rugby professionalised in the mid 90s and entered European leagues, it didn't exactly hit me.

Until a soft night in autumn 2002 when friends took me to a lively Musgrave Park, where I caught the Munster bug.  What intrigued me most was how seriously people took the team and sport, how they knew every player and move, and most strikingly, the respectful silence when Ronan O Gara kicked to convert or a penalty.  Munster won the celtic league game that night, but it started a long love.

In fact, I barely noticed the blue Leinster cousins, until a famous sunny afternoon in April 2006.

On this occasion I had to reconcile for the first time, my loyalties.  I had supported Munster now for the guts of 4 years.  That couldn't stop.  But I had to think about why.
The reality was, was that this was the history and tradition I had learned in living down South, learning different values and ways than back home.  Home in fact, had changed dramatically and much of it I now find unrecogniseable.
So I am and remain a loyal Munster fan, though I feel sorry for Leinsters inability to translate their hunger into the same kind of success.
So its not just about where you come from, but what you experience that make you what you are.

Found this easier than block 1, as the material is all soft systems method

I am wondering if living life is better than studying it!

Read through Learning Journal for Block 1 - quite a lot of insight but also a lot of bias, I think at the outset I was more technical in my intentions but realised later that I had other needs