Anushri Joshi Week 1

Opinion piece on ‘The Egg and the Sperm' through gender norms 

The present paper brings out the difference in the way the egg and the sperm are attributed traditionally ‘female’ (i.e passive) and ‘masculine’ (with aggressive/head-on) characteristics and the connotations of the same. One of the most interesting aspects of the reading was the manner in which research that proved that the egg was not a passive participant was then used to attribute another female stereotype of an overly-aggressive woman. Moreover, the author draws a parallel between how female’s production of Ovum is considered wasteful while the male’s sperms (which are incidentally much more in number) is considered in positive light and said to be necessary. Research that goes into the female gamete has historically been more intensive than that of the sperm and the similarity between this and the intensive study and attributes given to a woman is no coincidence. This parallel between the female and the masculine has also been shown in the article named The Gender trap that shows the enforcement of certain stereotypes which also play into the scientific aspect of women and men's bodies. It should be noticed how this bias created in individuals during their childhood later impacts something like education which is considered a separate aspect of individuals growth.