WMST 1000Y Lecture 4: Lecture 4
25 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 4: Challenging the Neutralit of Se
Sex as a Binary
• “e as Biar = “iee searhes for differee
• What akes a a differet fro a oa?
• On what are these perceived differences based? (e.g. biological, social, cultural or religious
beliefs)
• The question you ask pre-determines binary and hierarchy
Science of sex
Pre 18th century, science emphasizes similarities
Not equality means that women is just an extension of man
What makes a female?
• Chromosomal
• Internal organs
• External Characteristics
• Psychological
• Societal
Biological Determinism and its problems
• In the biologically determinist school of thought:
• Biological facts of sex are thought to constitute natural differences between men and
women
• Heteroseualit is osidered a atural outoe of this se differee due to the
drive to reproduce the species
• Key assumptions:
• The primary function and goal of all human sexual activity is the reproduction of the
species
• Humans have sex because we must reproduce
• Eerthig else eoes uatural
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Sex as a binary (cid:862) e(cid:454)(cid:863) as bi(cid:374)ar(cid:455) = (cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e sear(cid:272)hes for differe(cid:374)(cid:272)e: what (cid:373)akes a (cid:858)(cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:859) differe(cid:374)t fro(cid:373) a (cid:858)(cid:449)o(cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:859), on what are these perceived differences based? (e. g. biological, social, cultural or religious beliefs) The question you ask pre-determines binary and hierarchy. Not equality means that women is just an extension of man. The primary function and goal of all human sexual activity is the reproduction of the species: humans have sex because we must reproduce. Sex is biological male, female, also intersex (reproductive differences based on genitalia, chromosomes, hormones: also refers to sexual a(cid:272)ts, as i(cid:374) (cid:858)ha(cid:448)i(cid:374)g se(cid:454)(cid:859) Gender is (cid:858)the stru(cid:272)ture of so(cid:272)ial relatio(cid:374)s that (cid:272)e(cid:374)tres o(cid:374) the reprodu(cid:272)ti(cid:448)e are(cid:374)a, a(cid:374)d the set of practices that bring reproductive distinctions into social processes" (connell. 2002: 10: ge(cid:374)der u(cid:374)derlies assu(cid:373)ptio(cid:374)s regardi(cid:374)g (cid:858)(cid:373)as(cid:272)uli(cid:374)e(cid:859) or (cid:858)fe(cid:373)i(cid:374)i(cid:374)e(cid:859) (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iour. Gender boundaries: gender is culturally constructed so the boundaries are conceptual rather than physical, voice, physique, dress, behaviour, hair style, kinetics.
