SOCI 270 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Jeff Lorber, Judith Butler, Micropenis
Document Summary
Sociology of gender: week 2 the question of biology 1. Not nearly as natural/objective as we might think. Sex: determination made through socially agreed upon biological criteria for classifying individuals as male or female. Gender is all about managing conduct so we appear as our sex category. Sex appears a lot more objective what one is born with. Hints at the fact that sex" not immune to social influences (socially agreed upon) Multiple layers to sex: genital, chromosomal, hormonal, etc. (basis of label) Intersexed individuals and the challenge to establish categories (fausto-sterling, Biology is destiny (it determines social behaviour and [hetero]sexual choice) Society transforms bodies through social practices to adhere to the categories of female/male and man/woman that we have created. Lorber sees this happening through sports and technology. Fausto-sterling and kessler see this happening through the practices of medicine at birth/doctors adhering to own beliefs about men and women.
