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Nereida Lopez
Signature Assignment
Anthropology 1020
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Over the course of recent years, the form in which we view gender and race has been

challenged. We typically group gender into two groups; male and female. We also define a

person’s race in regards to their physical characteristics, such as skin color. With gender, we treat

patients according to their biological makeup, and continue to culturally recognize them with

binary forms of male and female. In recent years, gender fluidity has become a common practice,

which leads to many viewing genders as a social construct, instead of something one is born

with. In accordance to race, depending on your ultraviolet radiation, is what we use to categorize

people of various nationalities. Individually we will analyze how it affects our culture, and how

these two are viewed through our society.

The first point which we need to analyze is the idea the gender is not necessarily formed

by our biological makeup. Daniela Crocetti writes in her analysis titled, “Genes and

Hormones;What Make Up an Individual’s Sex” that in various occasions, the chromosomes XX

and XY are called that because they are considered to be the primary indicators of the genetic

and biological sex. These are what essentially make one a male or female, with XX being female

and XY being male.

This is true in science, and other aspects of studying life. However, Crocetti states that

individuals with XX, or female, chromosomes are not always biologically female. She continues

by adding that the same applies to those with XY chromosomes, or male chromosomes. Such a

concept can somewhat be difficult to understand. To clarify, this occurs in occasions where

multiple X chromosomes are present, or other defects. She says that these would fall under the

category of pathological disorders.

As it is commonly known, various forms of mutations can occur in the human embryo

during development. Chromosomes can alter gender, and in cases such as Morris syndrome, in
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which the X-linked recessive trait causes complete or partial insensitivity to androgens. In turn it

results in a failure of normal masculinization of the external genitalia and chromosomally male

individuals and leads to individuals whom have this condition to not have properly formed

external genitals. This condition is also known as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome.

Some of the symptoms of this condition are the fact that both female and male

characteristics or signs of both male and female sexual development are present. There are a few

forms of this condition, which include a Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS), in

which a person with this condition have the external sex characteristics of females, but they do

not have a uterus. This therefore causes a lack of monthly menstruation and they are unable to

conceive a child. Those with this androgen insensitivity are typically raised as females and have

female gender identity. However, the affected individual has male internal sex organs, which are

abnormally located in the pelvis or abdomen.

The second form of Androgen Insensitivity is called MAIS and this affects those who

identify as males. Individuals with mild androgen insensitivity syndrome are bone

phenotypically as males, with all the male genitalia. People with partial insensitivity can also

have genitalia that look typically female, have both male and female genitalia characteristics, or

genitalia that generally looks male. They can be raised as either male or female. They are also

infertile, and often tend to experience breast enlargement at puberty if they are born with male

sex characteristics.

Another condition that does not fit into the box of gender identity is Klinefelter’s

syndrome. This syndrome exclusively affects males and occurs when a male has 3 sex

chromosomes as XXY. Some symptoms of this condition include small testes, which leads to a

lower production of testosterone. This is the hormone that direct male sexual development in
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males before birth and during puberty. Without it, many individuals experience breast

enlargement, reduced body, and facial hair, as well as infertility. Many doctors recommend

hormone treatment, which will allow a patient to masculinize the appearance of their body.

Crocetti continues by adding that early history of hormone research focused on male

sexuality, emphasizing their sex drives and the need for such. However, from the 1930’s onward,

the focus shifted to the female body for hormone therapies.

Crocetti uses these as an example to justify the idea that gender is essentially something

that is formed by society. It is not necessarily something that someone is when they are born.

She also adds that hormones certainly shift what we consider to be secondary sex cell

characteristics. If someone is lacking or has certain deficiencies that generally are more

masculine or feminine, these individuals might feel a struggle with their gender identities and

what roles these identities are supposed to play within their daily lives. This causes many to turn

to hormone treatments, and although hormones allow an individual to feel and look like their

gender identity, it might not change the idea of who a person is.

Male and female hormones are found in essentially all human. As mentioned earlier, it is

common for females to have gonads develop within their abdomen or other areas. Many doctors

recommend removing them to not alter their gender identities. However, many have reported

negative results of such a surgery. Although they are insensitive to androgens, their body still

uses and needs them, not necessarily for reproduction, but other processes in which the hormones

are involved in various bodily functions such as bone density, heart regulation, endocrine

regulation, etc.
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With Klinefelter’s syndrome, hormones are used specifically for the gender aspect of

their syndromes. This syndrome is also known to cause cognitive issues, but many focus

specifically on hormone therapies. Interestingly, the hormone therapy does not affect the

person’s gender identity or sexual orientation, but many individuals do report that it makes them

feel more like themselves, which is a positive. Overall, many forget that hormones have many

other functions beside balancing what traits are more masculine and feminine. They regulate our

bodies metabolically, despite the gender of a person.

By using these points, Crocetti makes a good argument when stating that in not all

occasions can gender be something as simple as male and female. Although these topics are

interesting, and important to understanding how our bodies work, I believe we do need to

continue to culturally view individuals by their biological sex. I feel this way because with

respect to a person to get proper care for their bodies, depending in certain occasions, an

individual’s biological sex is needed. In addition, with the conditions that we previously viewed,

these are rare occasions where it is important to be flexible with these individual’s gender

identity. It is necessary to make the accommodations when it comes to what they feel their

gender is and what their needs are. We are also arguing that what makes a person male or female

is how a person feels. However, I believe it is possible for a person to have certain characteristics

the opposite sex might have, but not necessarily need to identify as that opposite sex. In the end,

a person’s gender is determined by their biological sex. It ends up going back to the physical

characteristics of which we are born; our genitalia.

Race is another component of our society that we need to understand. All humans

essentially come from the same ancestral mother and father. Gary D. James writes in his article

Climate-Related Morphological Variation and Physiological Adaptations in Homo Sapiens

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about certain characteristics different groups of populations have developed. The idea that there

are different races because of phenotypically expressed genes, cause by UV radiation seems

absurd. Every individual human around the world has more in common with one another, than

they have differences. Our skin color is determined by the amount of melanin exposed on the

epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin.

On the contrary, our society emphasizes the physical differences that groups of people

have in comparison to each other. These differences have lead to the classification of different

‘races’. In all actuality, the cause of these differences in individuals has to do with the climate,

and the amount of ultraviolet radiation our bodies receive. Evolution has been a key component

in changing our morphological, physiological, and genetic variation within our species. Skin

pigmentation is complex and has as many as sixty genes or more involved.

As populations dispersed throughout the globe, they began to change and adapt to their

environments. We can observe such changes in skulls of the Homo Erectus or as it is also called,

Homo Ergaster. They are essentially the same species but have distinct differences in their skulls

that lead many to think that they are two separate species. However, continuous evidence shows

that there is not enough difference to consider them different.

We can view another example of this if we view the physiological aspect of modern

humans. The circulatory system is different for societies that live in high altitude areas versus

those who live in lowland societies. Some people experience hypoxia, which is a severe

physiological stress caused by a decrease in available oxygen which results from a decline in

barometric pressure with an increasing altitude. In other words, their bodies were not adapted to

higher altitudes, which makes them sick and possibly die.

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There is a latitudinal variation in skin pigmentation among indigenous populations, with

populations living closer to the equator being darker skinned. This means that the areas that

receive more exposure to sunlight have more populations with darker skin. The body reacts in

such a way because the more melanin an individual has, the more protection from sunburns and

skin cancer they have. Their bodies need this protection, so they produce more melanin. In areas

where the sunlight is not as heavily exposed, the populations have fairer skin, because they don’t

need it as much. This is the only difference between populations around the globe.

Because of the ultraviolet radiations, we have categorized groups of people that look the

same into different races. An example of this would be to categorize groups into black and white.

This has allowed for people to somewhat identify with each other, and to share the same

experiences with each other. However, this is not always a good thing, as the issues of race have

also been prominent in the United States.

With the mentality of our society, it is easy to believe that those with these types of

differences are much different from each other. But in all actuality, we are no different from one

another. Our bodies over time have evolved and changed to fit the environment that we are living

in. These changes and differences have allowed the human race to thrive and survive, and

continue to reproduce. However, a person might identify by having a certain ethnicity, which is

somewhat different from race.

Race is associated with biology, while ethnicity is associated with culture. There are

small variations among homo sapiens across the that allow for a diversity in physical

appearances. As mentioned before, humans sometimes divide themselves into races, regardless

of there not being major differences in DNA. Ethnicity is relating to the geographic region,
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language, heritage, religion, and customs of groups of people. In many instances these two can

overlap and get confusing.

The issue of race has really been a large part of American history. There have been

centuries of segregation due to the way someone looks, and where they come from. There have

been many injustices and continue to be injustices because of race. But the reason the race

continues to be an issue is because in our society we continue to segregate those that are different

from us. Bias quickly attacks minorities, and in out country, those people of color are the

minority. This also applies to the issues of gender. Women have been viewed as the minority and

underneath the superiority of men. Luckily, this idea has been changing over the years, with

women being seen as equals to their male counterparts.

Out of all the categories, I believe that the topic that will have a continuum is ethnicity. I

feel this way because your ethnicity is not something anyone else can label you. This is

something you can define for yourself. All the other topics we spoke about (race, gender) are

things that other people can label you ask, even if you don’t feel in such a way. You may be

biologically born as a female but feel like you are a male. You may also have a darker

complexion, but not necessarily feel like you belong to a set branded group of people. This is

something and individual can own, which can make them feel that they have a place, and they

have an identity in this large world.

Your ethnicity depends on where you were born, or the culture in which you have been

submerged. Culture is something that is learned, and not what you are born with. Culture is

similar to personality, the different characteristics to make up that person. Culture includes a

person’s values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, experiences, language, etc. Therefore, your

ethnicity is something you decide based on the culture that you are around.
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In conclusion, race and gender are both topics that will continue to be debated as the

changing world develops. Specifically, many will view gender as something constructed, and

they will challenge these views and chose not to conform to set rules that have been placed in our

society. For many years, gender has assisted in shaping certain ideals of certain roles a male and

female should have or pursue to accomplish. Today, many have already broken out of these

roles, and have decided to pursue those things that they love and have always dreamed of, even if

it is not predominated by their gender. However, viewing gender as the binary male and female

is important to keep a structured and morally correct society. We do need to understand

conditions such as Klinefelter’s syndrome, and question how to help such individuals feel most

comfortable in their bodies. The lines of gender for these individuals might be somewhat blurred,

because they are not one or the other.

In addition, race will continue to be an issue in this country because of the emphasis and

hatred out in the world, despite the scientific evidence showing us that as humans we have more

in common with each other than we have differences. The way we view race is heavily

influenced on those we have as leaders, and their feelings about the different nationalities living

in a land we all share. The negatives about race are related to ignorance that have been passed

down from generations, but if we look at a human skeleton, you cannot tell whether that

individual was black, white, brown, or purple. With anthropology, there is not skin color or

ethnic background that is greater than another.

After exploring the reading, it has allowed me to better understand that constructs that

make our societies, and it has challenged me to analyze what might be necessary to change in

order to have a more progressive world. Exploring the labels that our society has places on
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gender and race has been eye opening to me. It challenged me to analyze what my personal

definition of these things are, and how they affect my perception of others.
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References

Androgen insensitivity syndrome - Genetics Home Reference. Retrieved March 06, 2018, from

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/androgen-insensitivity-syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome - Genetics Home Reference. Retrieved March 06, 2018, from

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/klinefelter-syndrome

Crocetti, D. (2013). Genes and Hormones: What Make Up an Individual’s Sex. In M. Ah-King

(Ed.), Challenging Popular Myths of Sex, Gender and Biology (pp. 23-32). Switzerland:

Springer International

James, G. D. (2010). Climate-Related Morphological Variation and Physiological Adaptations in

Homo sapiens. In C.S. Larsen (Ed.), A Companion to Biological Anthropology (pp. 153-166).

Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell