Group Discussion #1 - "Gender and Identity Markers"
My original post:
In "Dude Looks Like a Lady" Kathy Wilson wrote about hair, breasts, and identity. To illustrate this she used phrases such as "black woman with barely there hair and 40 C's", "hair buzzed short", "flaxened-haired white girls", "50ish, silver-haired matron", "boy-lookin ass", and "bald black bitch". When I read her story the thesis statement I see is "I am a bald women whose bald head makes me invisible to some, boyish to others, and beautiful to me." (pg 23)
In "The "He" Hormone" Andrew Sullivan wrote about testosterone and how it effects men and women differently, and why it is important to each of is in some of the same ways. In detail he discussed his own medical reason for taking testosterone injections, and how they effect him personally. Those effects are anger and when the injection brings that anger on, and the energy levels he feels and at what point that is after the injection. He also discusses the reasons other people take the injections. Those reasons are to change their sex and identity as a man to woman or vise versa, to gain energy for body building, and in turn it can treat depression.
Sullivan also writes about the natural aspects of testosterone, meaning that it is part of the adrenaline; when committing crimes, in a war-time environment, or having arguments the testosterone increases. He also indicates that while men have a higher arrest percentage, affair percentage, and criminal/violence percentage, there is still a nature-nurture effect. Sullivan discusses sports and how testosterone is cause for creating men and women leagues, and why they don't intertwine. He goes into further detail about the testosterone in black men; they have 3 - 19% more than white men, causing them to dominate in certain sports. There are risks to being someone who carries a higher testosterone level, such as baldness, heart disease, and infectious diseases. When I read his story the thesis statement I see is "Testosterone is clearly correlated in both men and women with psychological dominance, confident physicality, and high self-esteem." (pg 30).
I think that White would not necessarily agree with Sullivan, because she states a few times that she is a woman; that the short hair does not make her a man. She states "And without it my name is all woman." I do however think that Sullivan would agree with White because he states a few times that women do have testosterone, some of us have higher levels that others. He also stated that one of the risks to having higher testosterone is baldness. While White referred to herself as bald, she was that way because she went to the barber and asked for it. But Sullivan is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others.
Classmates Response #1:
Would you say that Wilson would agree with Assumption #1: Identity is what we're born with? In your post, you mention a lot about the outward traits that Wilson wrote about, including her hair and 40 C's. I wonder if she would also agree with Assumption #3: Identity is shaped by personal choices. It seems like she was definitely one who made the choice to be a certain way. It didn't matter what anyone else thought about her choices, she was going to be what was comfortable for herself.
My Response:
I feel that nature may effect the outcome of the identity issues for Wilson. She doesn't really care what people think of her as you mentioned, and stated in her story that she felt like going to get shaved bald. I think we are born with a personality, but it is built upon based on nature and influences of the environment.
I think Wilson would agree with Assumption #3, because she made a personal choice which created her identity. I didn't read the story in a way that she was sorry for wanting short hair, etc. She knew why people thought she was a male, but it didn't make her feel like growing her hair out.
Classmate Response #2:
After reading your post a question popped up in my head. It appears that White chooses to be who she is, whereas Sullivan "is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others." Do you think testosterone determines who you are, and how you act and appear to others?
My Response:
I definitely think testosterone makes us act the way we do. As an example, which Sullivan also stated, people with a higher level are apt to get angry quicker, and possibly more often.I feel that DNA makes us look the way we do. However, someone with higher levels of testosterone are probably more inclined to want to change their looks, possibly towards the opposite sex or take on more of their traits.
Classmate Response #3:
I agree with your thesis statements. I am a little unclear on one thing though. When you say "But Sullivan is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others." are you saying that it's possible that the reason she cut her hair is because she might have more testosterone than the average woman? Or that Sullivan might use it as an argument to Wilson's article?
My Response:
I thought that because she may have more testosterone that she could be more at ease, and like, having her hair short. Most women don't want to have such short hair that it makes them mistaken for a man. In homosexual people there are often women who want to portray more of the male figure and they do this. From his article it made it easier for me to see how this happens, and could explain more about heterosexuals. (I'm not against them either, just so I say that)
Classmate Response #4:
You make a strong point about Sullivan's disagreement with Wilson. He obviously has a much different view on sex than your typical person does. Through Wilson's social interactions it would be hard for Sullivan to see her socially as a woman when some think she is a man at first glance.
Classmate Response #5:
I came up with the same thesis statement as you did for Wilson's essay. I didn't have the same one for Sullivan though. I can see how "Testosterone is clearly correlated in both men and women with psychological dominance, confident physicality , and high self-esteem." (30) is a great thesis statement. It does a great job summing up the highlights you chose from the essay. I didn't made the connection about Sullivan mentioning baldness as a possible side-effect of testosterone and Wilson choosing to be bald. That seems to be a great point in pointing out the differences in their beliefs.
My original post:
In "Dude Looks Like a Lady" Kathy Wilson wrote about hair, breasts, and identity. To illustrate this she used phrases such as "black woman with barely there hair and 40 C's", "hair buzzed short", "flaxened-haired white girls", "50ish, silver-haired matron", "boy-lookin ass", and "bald black bitch". When I read her story the thesis statement I see is "I am a bald women whose bald head makes me invisible to some, boyish to others, and beautiful to me." (pg 23)
In "The "He" Hormone" Andrew Sullivan wrote about testosterone and how it effects men and women differently, and why it is important to each of is in some of the same ways. In detail he discussed his own medical reason for taking testosterone injections, and how they effect him personally. Those effects are anger and when the injection brings that anger on, and the energy levels he feels and at what point that is after the injection. He also discusses the reasons other people take the injections. Those reasons are to change their sex and identity as a man to woman or vise versa, to gain energy for body building, and in turn it can treat depression.
Sullivan also writes about the natural aspects of testosterone, meaning that it is part of the adrenaline; when committing crimes, in a war-time environment, or having arguments the testosterone increases. He also indicates that while men have a higher arrest percentage, affair percentage, and criminal/violence percentage, there is still a nature-nurture effect. Sullivan discusses sports and how testosterone is cause for creating men and women leagues, and why they don't intertwine. He goes into further detail about the testosterone in black men; they have 3 - 19% more than white men, causing them to dominate in certain sports. There are risks to being someone who carries a higher testosterone level, such as baldness, heart disease, and infectious diseases. When I read his story the thesis statement I see is "Testosterone is clearly correlated in both men and women with psychological dominance, confident physicality, and high self-esteem." (pg 30).
I think that White would not necessarily agree with Sullivan, because she states a few times that she is a woman; that the short hair does not make her a man. She states "And without it my name is all woman." I do however think that Sullivan would agree with White because he states a few times that women do have testosterone, some of us have higher levels that others. He also stated that one of the risks to having higher testosterone is baldness. While White referred to herself as bald, she was that way because she went to the barber and asked for it. But Sullivan is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others.
Classmates Response #1:
Would you say that Wilson would agree with Assumption #1: Identity is what we're born with? In your post, you mention a lot about the outward traits that Wilson wrote about, including her hair and 40 C's. I wonder if she would also agree with Assumption #3: Identity is shaped by personal choices. It seems like she was definitely one who made the choice to be a certain way. It didn't matter what anyone else thought about her choices, she was going to be what was comfortable for herself.
My Response:
I feel that nature may effect the outcome of the identity issues for Wilson. She doesn't really care what people think of her as you mentioned, and stated in her story that she felt like going to get shaved bald. I think we are born with a personality, but it is built upon based on nature and influences of the environment.
I think Wilson would agree with Assumption #3, because she made a personal choice which created her identity. I didn't read the story in a way that she was sorry for wanting short hair, etc. She knew why people thought she was a male, but it didn't make her feel like growing her hair out.
Classmate Response #2:
After reading your post a question popped up in my head. It appears that White chooses to be who she is, whereas Sullivan "is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others." Do you think testosterone determines who you are, and how you act and appear to others?
My Response:
I definitely think testosterone makes us act the way we do. As an example, which Sullivan also stated, people with a higher level are apt to get angry quicker, and possibly more often.I feel that DNA makes us look the way we do. However, someone with higher levels of testosterone are probably more inclined to want to change their looks, possibly towards the opposite sex or take on more of their traits.
Classmate Response #3:
I agree with your thesis statements. I am a little unclear on one thing though. When you say "But Sullivan is trying to state that testosterone plays a role in our looks, and how we appear to others." are you saying that it's possible that the reason she cut her hair is because she might have more testosterone than the average woman? Or that Sullivan might use it as an argument to Wilson's article?
My Response:
I thought that because she may have more testosterone that she could be more at ease, and like, having her hair short. Most women don't want to have such short hair that it makes them mistaken for a man. In homosexual people there are often women who want to portray more of the male figure and they do this. From his article it made it easier for me to see how this happens, and could explain more about heterosexuals. (I'm not against them either, just so I say that)
Classmate Response #4:
You make a strong point about Sullivan's disagreement with Wilson. He obviously has a much different view on sex than your typical person does. Through Wilson's social interactions it would be hard for Sullivan to see her socially as a woman when some think she is a man at first glance.
Classmate Response #5:
I came up with the same thesis statement as you did for Wilson's essay. I didn't have the same one for Sullivan though. I can see how "Testosterone is clearly correlated in both men and women with psychological dominance, confident physicality , and high self-esteem." (30) is a great thesis statement. It does a great job summing up the highlights you chose from the essay. I didn't made the connection about Sullivan mentioning baldness as a possible side-effect of testosterone and Wilson choosing to be bald. That seems to be a great point in pointing out the differences in their beliefs.
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