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Roughgarden Reading Notes
Just in case, I figured I'd post my reading notes on Roughgarden if any of us should need them.
Joan Roughgarden. Introduction and Part One: "Animal Rainbows." Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004. 1-181
Introduction
Page |
Comment |
1 |
View of different mixtures of gendered symbols at parade |
2-3 |
Book is a memoir/ trade book that travels through academic spaces of ecology and evolution, anthropology, sociology, theology and molecular biology |
3 |
CONCLUSION: Each academic space discriminates against diversity and needs to take refresher courses to relearn primary data |
3 |
Darwinistic theory of sexual selection is inaccurate |
4 |
Rainbow is a metaphor of diversity (racial, cultural and gay liberation) |
6 |
Joan suggests new theory “social selection” (reminds me of nature vs. nurture theory) |
Chapter 1: Sex & Diversity
Page |
Comment |
16-17 |
Asexual animals (reproduce alone) but most are sexual |
18 |
Sex = winner in survival of the fittest as asexual=diversity repressed |
20 |
Diversity repressing theory for asexual animals= family lineage dies off faster due to mutation accumulations and recombining |
Chapter 2: Sex vs. Gender
Page |
Comment |
23 |
ARGUMENT: Social categories rest w/ society not biological categories |
23 |
Biologist definition of male/ female has to do w/ gametes male=small (sperm) / female=large (eggs) HOWEVER in some species gamete size is the same or varies opposite (social category difference= man and woman) |
27 |
Gender= expression of sexual identity BUT Joan suggests gender=appearance, behavior, and life history of a sexed body |
29 |
ARGUMENT: “We don’t have to deny the universality of the biological male/ female distinction in order to challenge whether the gender of whole organisms also sorts into a male/ female binary. In humans specifically this distinction is not clear cut regardless of gamete size.” |
Chapter 3: Sex within Bodies
Page |
Comment |
30 |
Common occurrence of hermaphrodism |
36 |
According to mammals the definition of hermaphrodite is misleading as mammals can be intersexed with a combination of male/ female plumbing parts |
Chapter 4: Sex Roles
Page |
Comment |
43-44 |
Body size reversed when it comes to anglerfish (big women, dwarf males) |
45-48 |
Example of pipefish and seahorses but there’s no definite answer for “is one specie sex role reversed?” |
Chapter 5: Two-Gender Families
Page |
Comment |
49 |
2-gender family roles seen as “normal” = nuclear family but there are debates here |
56 |
Funny writing @ why female birds are monogamous “female birds can check out prospective husbands by flying to party from party…. With so much choice around her, a female bird can demand a husband who is faithful and helps with the dishes, while a female mammal can’t.” |
65 |
Reproductive skew= the distribution of reproductive activity |
71-74 |
Reproductive inequity is related to distributional inequity combined with genetic relationships |
Chapter 6: Multiple-Gender Families
Page |
Comment |
75-76 |
Language: using terms like normal and alternative = prejudice |
93 |
Feminine males- the deceit myth: universal male/ female template= false |
100 |
Language: discriminating vocabulary (ex: silent bullfrogs= sexual parasite) |
Chapter 7: Female Choice
Page |
Comment |
110 |
I’m not comfortable to her comparison of people to animals. Ex “newspapers are filled with advertisements for new toys and chemicals to help people have sex more often. Well, how often is enough? Birds illustrate…” I understand this section is called animal rainbows, and the next is human, but don’t use the transition above if referring to animals. |
Chapter 8: Same-Sex Sexuality
Page |
Comment |
127 |
Darwin says same sex relations are impossible b/c of the need to transfer sperm in order to procreate |
132 |
Same sex courtships are covered up in science as it challenges evolutionary biology so it’s hard to come by this sort of information |
141 |
Example of dolphins and male pairings |
149-150 |
Purpose for sex w/in primates |
Chapter 9: The Theory of Evolution
Page |
Comment |
159 |
Although we shouldn’t lose sight of Darwin’s contribution to evolution, his theory of sexual stratif. is very wrong and also contributes to social injustice |
169-171 |
1. Bodies don’t conform to binaries. 2. Genders don’t conform to binaries. 3. Sex roles are reversible. 4. Sperm aren’t cheap. 5. Females don’t choose “great genes.” 6. Family size is negotiated. 7. Social deceit isn’t demonstrated. 8. Same-sex sexuality is common. 9. Mating isn’t primarily for sperm transfer. 10. Secondary sex characteristics aren’t just for heterosexual mating. |