Both of the readings this week sought
to blur the distinctions between male and female, while also educating the
reader about the histories and conflicts of the “in-between” areas. I found the Myhre reading perhaps the
most interesting, because it gave a personal account of one person’s life, and
the decisions she made. Many of
the points she raised were legitimate and revealing, such as the idea that it “takes
work to look like a ‘woman’.” I
guess I have never really thought about it before in depth, but without any upkeep,
men and women have the potential to look very similar, especially from certain
angles. The reading was also
interesting because it is the first we’ve done from the perspective of someone
who self-admittedly takes on the appearance and habits of the stereotypical
feminist. The stereotypical
feminist has a very negative connotation, yet when explained through the
personal experiences of someone like Myhre, it comes across as far more
positive.
The
first two chapters of Fausto-Sterling’s Sexing
the Body, I found them very educational. For example, I knew very little about the development of
certain phrases that are not quite common in society and women’s studies, and
the distinctions between them all were new to me. In particular, I found the Kinsey scale very
interesting. Although it doesn’t
fit people with organs from both sexes as well, the idea that society can cause
individuals to slide on the scale, based on what they’re interested in or
personal preferences is thought provoking. I also enjoyed the connection to Plato’s Greece, since I
just finished a class where we read Plato’s Symposium,
which talks about different ideas of love. Several of the speeches at the dinner party revolve around
solely male love, which was considered above heterosexual couplings. The transition from those ideas to the
ones present in popular culture today is fascinating.
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