The CulturallyConstructedBody

Prof. Juliet DavisDept. of CommunicationThe University of Tampa

On one hand, the body is a biological On one hand, the body is a biological entity.entity.

But everything we believe we “know” about But everything we believe we “know” about the body is perceived through culture—the body is perceived through culture—therefore, the body is culturally therefore, the body is culturally constructed.constructed.

Emily MartinEmily Martin

”Medical ”Medical Metaphors of Metaphors of Women’s Bodies: Women’s Bodies: Menstruation and Menstruation and Menopause” Menopause”

from from The Woman in the BodyThe Woman in the Body, , 1987.1987.

Ancient Greece to 17th Century Britain:Ancient Greece to 17th Century Britain:

Human bodies possess more Human bodies possess more “heat“heat” than ” than animals and are therefore more perfect; male animals and are therefore more perfect; male bodies possess more “heat” than female bodies possess more “heat” than female bodies, and are therefore more perfect.bodies, and are therefore more perfect.

Men’s and women’s bodies are similar—but Men’s and women’s bodies are similar—but because women’s bodies are relatively cooler because women’s bodies are relatively cooler and less perfect, they are and less perfect, they are incapable of incapable of developing organs outside of the body.developing organs outside of the body.

This was a “biological fact” for hundreds of This was a “biological fact” for hundreds of years.years.

1919thth Century: More “Biological Facts” Century: More “Biological Facts”

Edward Tilt:Edward Tilt: blood turns to fat after blood turns to fat after menopausemenopause

Havelock Ellis:Havelock Ellis:Menstruation is Menstruation is pathological. pathological. Women are “periodically Women are “periodically wounded” in their “most wounded” in their “most sensitive spot” and “even in sensitive spot” and “even in the healthiest woman, a the healthiest woman, a worm however harmless worm however harmless and unperceived, gnaws and unperceived, gnaws periodically at the roots of periodically at the roots of life.”life.”

Patrick Geddes, 19th Century Biologist:

”It is generally true that the males are more active, energetic, eager, passionate, and variable; the females more passive, conservative, sluggish, and stable. . . . The more active males, with a consequently wider range of experience, may have bigger brains and more intelligence; but the females, especially as mothers, have indubitably a larger and more habitual share of altruistic emotions. The males being usually stronger, have greater independence and courage; the females excel in constancy of affection and in sympathy

-Women’s races longer than 200m were banned until 1960 when the 800m was reintroduced.

-The women’s marathon was not added until 1984.

20th Century

Belief that engaging in sports would harm women’s reproductive organs.

““Biological Fact” Biological Fact” for males: As for males: As recently as the recently as the 1950’s the 1950’s the majority of majority of Harvard medical Harvard medical students students responded that responded that they believed they believed masturbation masturbation caused blindness caused blindness and insanity in and insanity in males.males.

20th and 21st Century

Lack of research on female biology leads to widespread and dangerous misconceptions about medical treatments for women (heart attack, menopause, etc.)

Belief until the 1990’s that males were the suitable subjects of research and that female biology should either follow male biology or was too problematic to study.

Common belief until end of 20th Century that heart attack was a male medical issue.

NIH initiative in 1996 funded research for women.The first significant studies of menopause were funded.

Until 2002, doctors believed that estrogen prevented heart attack in women. Studies undertaken to prove this actually proved that it caused heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer.

Until the 90’s, women’s hormones were not studied because it was believed that they “fluctuated too much.”

Studies on obesity were only conducted in men, even though it affects primarily women.

2121stst Century Century

Belief that women are biologically:

Not suited for upper management of corporations (only 6% of upper management are women).

better “nurturers” than men

Suited for housekeeping

Belief that performance of feminine behavior is biological rather than cultural

Emily MartinEmily Martin

”The Egg and the ”The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Has Constructed a Romance Based on Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Stereotypical Male-Female Roles” from Female Roles” from Signs: Journal of Signs: Journal of Women in Culture Women in Culture and Societyand Society 16 (31), 16 (31), 1991.1991.

Cultural mythologies about women not Cultural mythologies about women not being as worthy as men are supported being as worthy as men are supported in medical texts.in medical texts.

Menstruation is Menstruation is described as the described as the failure of the egg to failure of the egg to fertilize. fertilize.

It is about the egg It is about the egg dying. At best, it is a dying. At best, it is a sloughing-off.sloughing-off.

Sperm production and performance, on Sperm production and performance, on the other hand, is “remarkable” and the other hand, is “remarkable” and “amazing.”“amazing.”

Image by Lennart Nilsson Image by Lennart Nilsson

Medical PhysiologyMedical Physiology edited by edited by Vernon Mountcastle (1980):Vernon Mountcastle (1980):

”Whereas the female ”Whereas the female shedssheds only a single gamete each only a single gamete each month, the somniferous month, the somniferous tubules tubules produceproduce hundreds of hundreds of millions of sperm each day.” millions of sperm each day.”

Nothing about all those nasty Nothing about all those nasty little deaths.little deaths.

No sloughing here—even No sloughing here—even though semen consists of though semen consists of soughed matter as well.soughed matter as well.

Sperm depicted as powerful—Sperm depicted as powerful—even though recent studies even though recent studies have found that they have have found that they have weak forward force and that weak forward force and that many sperm are not ideally many sperm are not ideally formed and are unable to formed and are unable to penetrate the egg (this is penetrate the egg (this is normal).normal).

What would the Pope think?What would the Pope think? Religious Logic to Ponder:Religious Logic to Ponder:

If masturbation is wrong If masturbation is wrong because it spills the seed because it spills the seed (kills sperm) that could (kills sperm) that could fertilize an egg, then how fertilize an egg, then how do women fit into this do women fit into this logic?logic?

Is masturbation O.K. for Is masturbation O.K. for women, then, because it women, then, because it doesn’t kill anything? doesn’t kill anything?

Is menstruation murder?Is menstruation murder?