Anvita Datla week 1

1.THE EGG AND THE SPERM: HOW SCIENCE HAS CONSTRUCTED A ROMANCE BASED ON STEREOTYPICAL MALE-FEMALE ROLES

The reading talks about the stereotypical portrayal of the sperm and the egg and how the sperm and egg are personified and portrayed in a sexist manner even in the scientific accounts and reproductive biology. Emilie Martin in her reading talks about how the male organ is shown as valuable, and worthy having the capacity to produce millions of sperms each day in abundance. In contrast, the female organ is described as containing thousands of pre-existing useless eggs from birth that get released every month and only a few remain by the time the female reaches menopause and Menstruation is seen as the death of the tissue and as a failure. Oogenesis as seen as wasteful as most germ cells degenerate in the ovary. However the millions of sperms produced each day by a male are not seen as ‘waste’ but it is celebrated as warriors while the production of ovaries ends at birth and they are stockpiled. Sperm is seen as active, energetic, motile having the capacity to travel miles and having the power to reach the egg and accomplishing a mission successfully of reaching the egg and in disparity the egg is seen as passive like a sleeping beauty just lying there waiting for the sperm to come like a dormant bride awaiting her mate’s magic kiss. The female biological process is thus seen as less worthy than the male biological process which shows the misogynistic thinking prevalent in the society.

2.”NIGHT TO HIS DAY”: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

Judith Lorber discusses about the gender stigmas and gender roles as seen and perceived by the society. He gives an easy example of how when men are seen taking care of a child, they are seen with astonishment. From the very birth itself these gender stigma’s come into picture and are at work and how people simply by the colour of the clothes or by the accessories one is wearing itself assume the gender. It shows the thinking of the people about how people expect a particular gender to dress and act in a particular way. Gender is constructed by the society around us and male and female genders are seen in the light of certain characteristics that is determined socially. The working of gender markers is also seen in the way a baby is named, dressed etc. The author explains the various phases of life wherein gender disparity exists and works whether it be the kind of job they work in or how a parent is supposed to act differently according to their gender. There are strict boundaries and this can be seen as the very inception i.e. birth and how parents are sceptical that their child should not be misjudged as the other gender and thus follow the specific roles assigned. Gender inequalities are established and work is divided according to gender with females seen as less worthy and only capable of staying at home and doing work which doesn’t involve intellect whereas men are seen as worthy and intellectual, capable of doing highly advanced work.