Sexing the Body, page 1 - 16

Article: Sexing the Body

In this particular part of the text, ‘Sexing the Body’, the author, Anne Fausto-Sterling, discusses the ambiguous and indecisive line between male and female and the past attempts to separate human beings into the two conventional gender groups. By introducing to us the case of Maria Patino, a female Spanish athlete who was disqualified for being tested a male.  Sterling asserts that our social idea of gender (male or female) is crucial because it shapes the ‘politics of science’ concerning gender-related issues. In other words, the distinctions that we make as social beings affect the scientists’ research regarding the issue.

When further discussing whether gender is socially constructed or inherent to humans, Sterling suggests views from three different groups of people all of which she is a part of. Firstly, explaining the phenomenon from the perspective of the biologists using the scientific method and looking at the cells. Secondly, as a member of a group of diverse people sharing the common interest in gender identity, she re-enforces the biological explanations. Lastly, she views the issue from the feminist perspective who, by and large, believe that the atmosphere and the environment play a significant role in shaping their gender roles. They believe that “culture molds and effectively creates the body”. On the issue of the gender being a societal construction or an inborn quality, I agree with the view of Boswell who is quoted in the text and asserts that sexuality is “real” meaning an inborn biological characteristic. Sterling states “Boswell implies we are quite possibly born with particular sexual inclinations wired into our bodies. Growth, development, and the acquisition of culture show us how to express our inborn desires, he argues, but do not wholly create them.” I believe that no matter what the societal norms or more extremely speaking, taboos are, individuals are bound to express their inborn sexuality. Relating this to the earlier articles about how parents should react to their child’s gender, I believe that the right way for parents to help their child develop his or her is to be open-minded and provide a liberal environment in which he/she can exercise his/her innate gender identity freely. 

Just a little side note for my own clarification: 

According to Anne Fausto-Sterling, the author of ‘Sexing the Body’:

Sex: Sex refers to physical attributes and is anatomically and physiologically determined.

Gender: Gender is a physiological transformation of the self – the internal conviction that one is either male or female (gender identity) and the behavioral expressions of that conviction.