Identity as a 'patchwork': aspects of identity among low-income Brazilian travestis.

This paper is based on findings from a qualitative study that took place within the context of a four-year healthcare programme directed towards low-income travestis in the central area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Throughout the study the formation of social identity among travestis was investigated through a focus on four axes: gender, body, work and violence. This paper subjects the identity of the travestis to a critical analysis and proposes a view of their sense of self as a 'patchwork' assembled through the assimilation of various fragments of identity common in Brazilian society.