Our last seminar delved deep into the concept of “piecing” and how it relates to bodily integrity, autonomy, and identity formation in the Middle East. Piecing, as Jasbir Puar describes, involves the fragmentation and reconstitution of the body, often in response to violence and marginalization. It can be a means of asserting agency and reclaiming narrative.
In our robust group discussions, some key themes emerged:
Piecing as Reclaiming Identity
For trans individuals and people with disabilities in the Middle East, piecing allows the reassertion of an identity that dominant social norms delegitimize. Embodying gender transition or disability on one’s own terms resists narratives that label such bodies as “broken” or “abnormal.” As one participant noted, when society fragments you, piecing becomes an act of refusal.
The Commodification of Body Parts
We must critique how neoliberal capitalism intersects with piecing practices like medical tourism or organ trafficking. Within these systems, the body becomes a commodity—its parts assigned monetary value, accessibility dependent on ability to pay. This compromises bodily autonomy and raises ethical concerns. Who has the “right to maim” for profit?
Piecing as Ontological Multiplicity
Piecing also challenges static conceptions of identity. National, ethnic, religious, and gender identities in the Middle East are contested and in flux. Piecing embraces the coexistence of multiple identities within oneself, recognizing identity as an ever-evolving process rather than a fixed state.
Situating Trans Experiences
For trans people, piecing opens vital possibilities for embodying gender on their own terms. Yet we must also consider the broader context—cultural stigma, medical gatekeeping, lack of legal protections—that compromises trans bodily autonomy in much of the region. As one participant emphasized, realizing self-definition often remains an elusive struggle.
Ultimately, our dialogue revealed universal questions about bodily sovereignty, normalcy, and the relationship between individual and society. Piecing foregrounds the struggles for self-determination and belonging that marginalized communities face worldwide. It calls us to imagine a more just world, where all bodies can thrive in their own ways.
These discussions prompt deeper questions:
- How are queer and crip bodies portrayed in Middle Eastern media and popular culture? What counter-narratives exist?
- How do lived experiences of trans and disabled people from the region complicate Western assumptions and savior narratives?
- What traditional practices and communal care strategies exist in the Middle East that support bodily and psychic difference?
- How do we move beyond just “tolerance” or “visibility” and build a culture of true belonging?
- What would policies and societal changes that enhance bodily autonomy and integrity look like in this region and globally?
Our dialogues illustrated how the body becomes a lightning rod for core issues of identity, power and social justice. Piecing foregrounds the universal struggles for self-determination and belonging among marginalized communities worldwide. It calls us to imagine more just futures where all embodiments can thrive.
In our next session, we analyze how disabled bodies are impacted by nationalist projects, medical regimes and capitalism. This critical linkage between body, state and economy will expand our understanding of the forces shaping bodily autonomy.
OpenEdition schlägt Ihnen vor, diesen Beitrag wie folgt zu zitieren:
Victoria Mummelthei (9. November 2023). biopolitics, commentary on session #4: trans & disability. Keine Disziplin – No Discipline. Abgerufen am 9. März 2026 von https://doi.org/10.58079/13jod

