Beyond the Binary: Chapters 1-4 Response

Question 1 Response: 

Society uses the terms gender and sex interchangeably. However, sex is the technical term to refer to the sex that is chromosomally assigned at birth. Gender is how human beings identitfiy themselves. If a human being is a male chromosomally and female morphologically, then they are considered a male. On the other hand, if the person considers their gender to be female, then they are female. Although being female morphologically means having female form, sex is determined by chromosomes.  There could be sex sub-categories made; however, there are only XY chromosomes and XX chromosomes. When deciding sex chromosomally, there are only two possibilities. 

Question 2 Response:

When we see someone or meet someone, we assign a gender to someone. According to psychologists, Kessler and McKenna, this is called gender attribution, and we often do this without awareness.   It is possible to meet or interact with someone without performing a gender attribution. However, society has taught us that the norm if female or male, making it difficult to not create an attribution. After reading Kessler and McKenna’s claim, I realized that I often do this when walking down the street, especially when thinking to myself that someone’s outfit or shoes are cute. Without meeting them or knowing what pronoun they prefer, I attribute a gender.  I probably mentally attribute a gender when talking to someone, but I typically avoid pronouns in conversation. Since society uses masculinity and femininity to define people and gender, it is probably very difficult for society as a whole to stray away from attributing gender when looking at someone. 

Question 3 Response:

Aristotle believed that males and females coexist within the same species, but have different matter, which is the stuff something is made of. He believes that male and female organs are just two expressions of the same exact structure. Aristotle agrees with other philosophers that one’s sex is determined in the utero and the sex is determined on the temperature of the womb. Obviously with today’s technology and knowledge, we know that sexual reproduction and sex identification is not the ability to generate physical heat to concoct blood into form-bearing semen. Without the technology we have today, I can understand why Aristotle and other philosophers believed this. For the time period, as well, the center for these theories were males. I think if we didn’t have the technology we had today, there would definitely be multiple theories that center women or even have women as equals.  

Questions 4 Response:

I believe that religious text plays a heavy role within society, and has shaped the way society thinks and behaves towards one another. Throughout the centuries, religion has been a huge part of people’s daily life and has greatly influenced our culture. When understanding and interpreting religious text, theories of right versus wrong and societal norms are created. However, everyone, even people within the same religion, can interpret religious text differently causing opposing views. 

I believe that interpretation of religious text and societal norms are a two-way influence. Religious text can influence how society views gender and what’s right. As society’s view on gender changes, so does our interpretation of the religious text.  I was raised Catholic, and I went to a Catholic high school. I could tell that my high school only viewed gender as female and male without verbally saying so. We had to take Theology all four years, and we were taught a specific interpretation of the text. However, since I was raised to view that there are more than two genders, my interpretation of the religious text slightly opposed what I was taught by my teachers. Overall, culture and religion both influence each other, and how we view gender norms.