Sunday, May 6, 2012
The Gender Binary
One issue that I found particularly interesting that was discussed often in class was the issue of transexuality, and whether or not it was actually an issue of science as opposed to an issue of cultural identity. The reason why this seemed to be such an interesting topic to me was because I found that there was no more of a connection between science and culture than in the context on transexuality. This issue was something that I have studied in previous classes, yet in these instances the discussions were within the context of pure cultural studies -- that is, there was no discussion of science involved. Taking the scientific advancements of gender reconstruction into consideration this topic became something much greater than merely how gender and sex played out within the eye of the public. It was an issue of biology, of cells and genes and hard science that tainted what was once a strictly gendered (not sexed) issue. After reading Anne Fausto Sterling's writings on gender and sex, I began to understand in greater depth the dissonance between gender and sex in society. I began to understand that because of the ubiquitous "male/female" binary more often people are looking to sex change in order to live outside of that binary. I further understood the harmful effects of this binary, because of its exclusionary nature towards those who did not feel as though their gender and their sex were compatible. Before the discussions we had, and before reading Anne Fausto Sterling, I was frankly unaware of how the male/female gender binary was such a hegemonic concept. Anne Fausto Sterling was the turning point for me, as she was ultimately the one who altered my view on the gender/sex debate. The fact that she made the call for a complete renovation of the gender binary was something that seemed so obvious to me after reading it. Science and culture both can be building blocks for doing away with the gender binary, and this is an essential point that I am taking away from this discussion as well as the class in general. In the case of transexuality science can radically alter the gender binary, and so can a society by redefining what it means to be "gendered". Through sex changes science allows a person to not only feel comfortable with their biological sex, but how a culture will accept them. The relationship between science and culture in this instance lies in the fact that science can lay the foundation for new social constructs. Sex changes are only the beginning of what could result in a dramatic shift towards a comforting ambiguity, an all encompassing androgynous gender concept, where culture would be more inclined to accept any and all, simply because the male/female binary would be surely fading.
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Justin, nice post. I have a similar experience with Fausto-Sterling, though this is not the class that introduced me to her, she definitely allowed me to think of the male/female binary in a much different way. She makes it such a crucial issue and makes me look to the future for the binary to one day change. I think this is so important to me because I see that there is too much pressure to live as either male or female. Even with being heterosexual, I find too much pressure to present myself as a "typical" female, as I'm sure many males have this problem too. With all the cultural and scientific advancements with sexuality and gender it is a surprise to me that identity presentation is such a problem still. Hopefully one day humans will live as Michel Foucault presents, a society that focuses on the pleasures of individuals and enjoy the pleasure of others with others, rather than allowing for unnecessary sexuality and gender rules and norms.
ReplyDeleteJustin - I really enjoyed reading your post. It is very well-written and encompasses much of what I have also taken away from our class discussions and readings on transsexuality. Prior to these readings and discussions, I feel like I tended to place individuals on one end of the male-female spectrum. (Those who were somewhere in between these two extremes of the spectrum were simply “in transition” between male and female sexes). Fausto-Sterling’s text really helped me to view sex/gender as something that lies on a continuum as opposed to something that may be placed cleanly into one of two categories. I find it quite fascinating that there are many trans individuals who seem rather satisfied living their lives somewhere within the aether between what is traditionally defined as “male” and what is defined as “female”. (For example, a trans female who has breasts due to hormone treatment, but who also still has male genitalia). I feel that sex and gender are becoming a bit more ambiguous and fluid as individuals grow more accepting of sex/gender preferences that don’t fit with the stereotypical view of normal.
ReplyDeleteJustin, I also found Fausto-Sterling incredibly persuasive for her arguments against the gender binary. Because I have personally never discussed with a transsexual their opinions regarding the transition and how they fit into society, this was very eye-opening for me. I, too, hope that the extreme, two-sided binary will become more "ambiguous" in the future to find a place for those that don't consider themselves part of it.
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