Vagina equals woman? On genitals and gendered identity
نویسندگان
چکیده
Gendered identity is often assumed to be predicated on the prior existence of dichotomously sexed bodies: penis equating to maleness and vagina (or the absence of a penis) equating to femaleness. But is it experienced in this way? We analyse talk about the vagina and female gendered identity in focus group (and interview) data collected from 55 women that explores this very issue. Women talked about genitals and identity in four ways: they affirmed a link between having a vagina and being a woman; they explored this link though associated functions (heterosex and reproduction); they questioned the inevitability of the link; and they attempted disruption of the link (although this frequently served only to reinstate the normativity of it). The implications of this analysis for theory and practice are discussed. D 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Genital panics: constructing the vagina in women's qualitative narratives about pubic hair, menstrual sex, and vaginal self-image.
An emerging body of research targets women's relationship to their genitals, particularly as pubic hair removal and the promotion of female genital surgeries increase in popularity and visibility. This study asked women to discuss their subjective feelings about three related but distinct genital attitudes: pubic hair grooming, sex during menstruation, and genital/vaginal self-image. Specifical...
متن کاملBacillus Coli Infections of the Female Urinary Tract *A Paper read at a Meeting of the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society, held in the University of Bristol on 8th March, 1933.
Primary infection of the vulva, vagina and urethra with B. Coli is not common, but cases do occur which give rise to a suspicion of gonococcal infection. The commonest type is the vulvo-vaginitis of young girls; this is limited to the external genitals, and does not involve the vagina above the hymen and rarely the urethra. The initial lesion is usually caused by trauma, either by the rubbing o...
متن کاملDenys-Drash syndrome, septated vagina and low level of anti-Mullerian hormone in male neonate
There is a wide variety of genital abnormalities observed in patients with Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS). WT1 is thought to influence the genes related to genital development and mutations in this gene have been associated with DDS. DDS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of newborns with genital anomalies. In contrast to other conditions with 46,XY disorders of sex development, ind...
متن کاملEffects of gendered racism on health practices of Black women: A racial and gender identity model
Effects of Gendered Racism on Health Practices of Black Women: A Racial and Gender Identity Model Shatina D. Williams, M.S. Dissertation Chair: Janet E. Helms, Ph.D. Black women have been more likely to suffer from negative health conditions in comparison to Black men and White women. The biopsychosocial model might suggest that gendered racism and related stress may contribute to poor health, ...
متن کاملThe use of prostate-specific antigen as a criterion for condom effectiveness.
A series of articles recently published in the Journal (1–4) reported on the use of preand postcoital levels of prostatespecific antigen (PSA) in vaginal fluid as a criterion for the effectiveness of condoms. The authors of course emphasized and interpreted the absence of PSA in the vagina as proof of the good quality of condoms as well as the reliability of mechanical contraception. However, t...
متن کامل