For some reason I did not find Anne Fausto-Sterling’s first two chapters to be as interesting or compelling as other works we have read. It might be because I am not as interested in science as other aspects of our world, but it did not grasp my attention as other readings have. She might, later in the book, dive into some deeper issues but the speed at which she went through many different topics did not help either. I think it will benefit our discussions overall to have a science behind the issues we are debating, but I would like Fausto-Sterling to first narrow down some of her arguments. One point at which I noticed her seeming vagueness to topics was on page 5 when she begins the “Real or Constructed?” section of the chapter. She describes how she identifies with three different groups (biologists, scientists, and feminists), but I would like to hear more about these different groups and their thoughts and how they all relate together to prove something to us.
A part of chapter two that I found particularly interesting started on page 36, “The Making of the Modern Intersexual”. One of my roommates is taking a class where they are learning about intersex individuals and hearing about their discussions has intrigued me. I hope that we have a chance to continue to discuss this and read more about it as well.
I agree with Britt that some of what Fausto-Sterling wrote was a little confusing. I am not a science person and I found it hard, at points, to fully grasp what she was saying. The discussion today in class helped me to understand better, but some points are still a little confusing. I also think that she could have explained her stance on the topics better. She makes it clear that she does not agree with having just two genders, but on other points, I found her vague, like Britt did.
ReplyDeleteShe is very different from the other readings that we have done, mainly because she does not focus on women. Women are, of course, mentioned, but they are not the main focus of her writing.