Our bodies our politics

Gender Stereotypes in Modern Culture and Science The first reading by Natalie Angier is devoted to the issue of gender stereotypes in relation to femininity and masculinity. The author analyzes the issue based on the popular belief that pink color should be used in womens clothing, while the blue color is suitable for men and boys. The author notes that this is due to gender stereotypes about masculinity and femininity. Society as well as science demonstrates the confidence that the man is a strong and active being, while the woman is a weak and passive creature. All this leads to the fact that even science shows a desire to dissociate itself from femininity that has primarily a negative connotation.
Another article written by Rebecca Chalker examines this issue in its specific aspect, namely in terms of knowledge and understanding of the female sexuality and female genitalia. The author concludes that women around the world do not have enough knowledge about their sexuality and the structural features of their female reproductive system. In turn, in her article, Emily Martin conducts an even deeper analysis of the problem. This allows her to come to the conclusion that modern notions of masculinity and femininity have an impact on scientists ideas about the features of the reproductive functions of men and women. In particular, Martin points out that science considers the process of menstruation as a phenomenon, which marks the death of the female eggs (failed production), while the process of maturation of sperm is being evaluated solely from the positive point of view as a surprising phenomenon that allows men to produce millions of spermatozoons. Finally, the value of the video from Betty Dodson is that it provides an opportunity for all women to obtain important information about the structure of their genitals, namely the internal clitoris. In addition, the value of a given video is also in the fact that Betty draws attention to the fact that “ that women get erections just like men.” This information allows all women to improve their sexual experience and make their sexual pleasure more diverse.
As one can see, the main reason for the problems identified in all of these articles is related to gender stereotypes that continue existing in modern culture and science. Femininity is seen as a phenomenon associated with such qualities as weakness, passivity and inertia. For this reason, masculinity presupposes the rejection of any characteristics that suggest its association with femininity. In science, this has led to the fact that the features of female sexuality and female genital structures are still a mystery and enigma. As a result, many women do not know the structure of their genitals and are unable to obtain sexual pleasure similar to that observed in men. The solution to the problem should be seen in the elimination of gender stereotypes and conducting activities aimed at sexual education especially among women. Women should have full information regarding female sexuality and structural features of the female genitalia. This work should be carried out both in the cultural and scientific plans.