In the first two chapters of Anne Fausto- Sterling’s “Sexing the Body,” she discusses many important ideas and implications behind our society’s construction of sex and of gender. She points out that placing a label on an individual (such as “man” or “woman”) is a social decision, and it thus must not be confused with a scientific one. In fact, Fausto-Sterling states that the major conflict surrounding sex and gender is between scientific and social forces (i.e. the nature vs. nurture debate). Fausto-Sterling summarizes that “sex” differs from “gender” in that one’s sex can be viewed as one’s physical attributes, while one’s gender can be viewed as one’s conception of self in relation to social expectations. She also states that today, a continuum exists for sex since there are many possible combinations of physiological attributes and mental states for differing individuals.
One of the most interesting ideas that I have gleaned from these chapters is that while Western culture is deeply devoted to the two extremes of this continuum, biology often contradicts what we have come to accept as normal. Moreover, due to our inherent tolerance of only two sexes in today’s world, inter-sexed individuals are forced into silence through legal and social action. Fausto-Sterling also discusses the history of how inter-sexed individuals have been perceived in society throughout time. She states that today, we have come to an Age of Conversion in which any deviation from the sexual continuum is seen to be unnatural, and even “pathological.” Thus, in dealing with hermaphrodites we require physicians to “cure” this pathology through gendered surgeries in order to correct nature’s “mistakes.”
This mindset is extremely problematic when it comes to treating inter-sexed individuals as humans. For example, when a doctor chooses a sex for an inter-sexed child they are not only disregarding this child’s naturally born physique, but they are also violating this child’s future life choices. Thus, because of the existent sexual continuum, I believe that as a society we need to re-conceptualize our ideas of gendered norms and practices devoted to solely two sexes (i.e. begin to think about whether a mere two gendered labels is enough). We also need to attempt to stray from the Age of Conversion, so that we can reach a place where inter-sexed individuals do not need to choose one of our socially constructed genders, thus reaching full integration into society. Overall, only when we both recognize the many levels of sex that exist and accept them as normal can we move forward and grow as a society.
I definitely agree with Zoe’s perspective that Western culture needs to alter its two-gendered system in order to include and recognize inter-sexed individuals. Thus, gender should be seen as part of a continuum in which all individuals will be considered natural rather than focusing on male or female identities as the only true genders. I believe that the first step towards this cultural change is education so that people better understand that not everyone falls into the category of male or female. Rather than society ostracizing these individuals, it must be stressed that sex is a continuum. It seems that from a young age we are taught that you are either male or female, and that there is nothing in-between. However, society must begin stressing the commonality and naturalness of inter-sexed individuals so that all humans are better encompassed in our view of the sexes.
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