I feel embarrassment for not being able to fully articulate my question in the debate yesterday. So here it is again (stated more clearly this time):
How does a five sex classification help to understand humanity from a biological perspective when in order for reproduction only two sexes are required (union of gametes)?
It seems the only reason to switch to this system is to make the 1.7% of the population feel like they fit into one of our Cartesian boxes.
any thoughts?
Mark, I understand your position--and agree. Perhaps were are confusing the reproductive act (sex) with gender identity. The former, a least in human terms, requires one biologically functional male and one biologically functional female. The latter, provides a fluid platform to define as many boxes as Fausto-Sterling or anyone wants.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a fascinating, provocative question. I'll take a stab at it. Reproduction, from a biological perspective, requires the union of two specific types of gametes (sperm and egg). For the reproduction of the species, it is required that these gametes are made to unite; the circumstances and context of this union are immaterial. So: the decision to name two types of gametes is biological, stemming from direct observation. The decision to DEFINE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE (sexes) based on their possession of gametes is cultural; it need not logically follow.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I've got for the moment.
I'd disagree with Ben. I'd say that defining two biological sexes does follow logically; one that produces a viable type of one kind of gamete, eggs, and the other that produces sperm. Biologically, its important to know what kind of individual+ another kind of individual= offspring.
ReplyDeleteI think this question is so ambiguous is because we're looking at it in two different scales. Mark is looking at sexes in the species as a whole, biologically. And EVOLUTIONARILY speaking, if you're not willing/capable to produce viable offspring you, quite frankly, don't really matter. (And just for the record, I do put myself in this category)
The reason why the 2/5/6/infinite sexes matter is because we're are not defined solely by our ability to reproduce. On the level of the individual, however, we ALL matter. We are capable of free thought, emotion and expression and so who we are and how we relate to/understand others is something hugely important. Thus, we do what we can to create systems of classification to make it easier for ourselves to go out into the world and know how to interact with people.