Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6192

Date

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Major

Communication

Concentration

Communication

Committee Chair

Craig Stewart

Committee Member

Amanda Edgar

Committee Member

Christina Moss

Abstract

Current dominant understandings of biological sex and gender that rely upon binary constructions are problematic on cultural, political, and individual levels. Cultural misunderstandings of the complexities of biological sex have harmful consequences, including the unnecessary surgical and medical interventions on intersexed bodies and the negative psychological effects of gender stereotypes. Anne Fausto-Sterling’s book, Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality (2000), advances necessary progressive feminist perspectives on the subject. I employ critical discourse analysis comparing original scientific and academic discourses with the author’s translations. I argue that she questions binary sex development and assignment in ways that challenge the problematic foundational arguments of Science. This study contributes to current research on the rhetoric of science, positioning Sexing the Body as a model for engaging a dual audience, and as a pedagogical tool for scholars who translate knowledge from specialized disciplines in the Sciences for popular audiences.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

Download

Share

COinS