Anthropology Reading Analysis - Essay Example

In Anne Fausot-Sterling's article, “The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are not Enough,” Ann summarizes her opinions why the two dominant gender identities, which are socially, and medically accepted are not adequate in classifying every gender. Most modern societies accept the two obvious sexes: male, identified by having testicles and a penis and a Y-chromosome, and female, identified as having a clitoris and vagina, developed breasts, and deficient a Y-chromosome. Although the two genders mentioned above are undoubtedly the dominant sex groups, Fausto-Sterling maintains that there are many more intersexual existing in societies worldwide for them to be assumed as being abnormal incidences of nature.

In a bid to reinforce her claim, Ann alludes to Johns Hopkins University psychologist John Money, who suggested the possibility that intersexual may constitute as much as 4 percent of the total births. Arguing from a world’s point of view, taking the world's total population to be 7 billion, this would imply that there may be as many as 280 million intersexual on the planet. The author also defined the considerations of her five-sex classification system. We first have the well-known male and female, and then we have three other lesser-known groups.

These include, but not limited to hermaphrodites, having one testis and also one ovary, male pseudo hermaphrodites, having certain features of the female genitalia and testes, but no ovaries, and female pseudo hermaphrodites, having some features of male genitalia and ovaries, but without testes. Today’s Society continues to be male controlled. In addition, scientific terms reflect a macho society. In her article, “The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles,” Martin maintains that Scientific writing has attempted to present the egg and the sperm with feminine and masculine characteristics respectively.

This shows the sperm as the authoritative aggressor while the egg assumes a weak position. This perspective according to Martin is influenced by cultural stereotypes. Recently, the researchers Johns Hopkins University concluded that the sperm and egg attract together because of adhesive molecules on each surface. The egg traps the sperm and continues to wiggle ineffectively. However, this new account of the role of the sperm and the egg did little to help change the stereotype saga. Researchers most of whom made the discoveries continued to err in their time worn metaphor of the sperm being the active member which penetrates the egg.

In conclusion, Martin compels us to correct one’s thinking about the science of one’s reproduction. Being conscious not to project stereotyped cultural imagery into studies will help improve one’s capability in understanding nature and avoid harm caused by gender bias in society. M. Miedzien’s intention of writing this article, “Real men, wimps, and one’s national security was to address the pending issue that failure to equip boys with masculine values will result in raising harmless male who will do anything to avoid violence and war.

According to some, this may promote national disaster since other nations train their men ready to fight at the slightest provocation. The realists will say one’s national security is at stake.” He wanted to put this objection to rest, but his intention changed when he initiated his