Nice articulation of the quandry.... On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 2:58 PM, E. Hunt Botting < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Joan, > > The first thing I would say is, how can you have a "gender reveal" party > when, technically, the fetus cannot "have" a gender except in the extremely > abstract sense that people project their conception of gender upon it? It > is true that the fetus has a sex (male, female, intersex, or perhaps some > other biological possibilities we haven't yet scientifically categorized). > A baby born into the world has a gender (feminine, masculine, trans, etc.) > because the baby inhabits a social context in which s/he is assigned a > gender, which s/he then performs. > > Generally, I find that regular (non-academic) people tend to use the words > "gender" and "sex" interchangeably, but use "gender" when they wish to > sound politically correct. The irony with the "gender reveal" party is > that using the word "gender" is actually more offensive and discouraging to > those of us who theorize the importance of ethical rhetoric regarding > gender roles. > > Technically, this event should be called a "sex reveal" party but probably > that would encourage the wrong ideas about what gifts to bring. > > All best, Eileen Hunt Botting > > Eileen Hunt Botting > Associate Professor > Dept. of Political Science > 216 O'Shaughnessy Hall > University of Notre Dame > Notre Dame IN 46556 > 574-631-5051 > > Get your copy of Hannah Mather Crocker's history of Boston here: > http://www.americanancestors.org/Product.aspx?id=23322 > > My new edition of Wollstonecraft's "Rights of Woman" is forthcoming: > http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300176476 > > > On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 2:43 PM, Joan Callahan <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > >> I've been pondering a what I take to be a relatively new cultural >> practice. It is the practice of having a "gender reveal" party, which a >> pregnant woman has prior to a baby shower. I probably don't need to tell >> folks on this list what I find disturbing about this. >> >> Anyone have any reflections on this practice and/or to help me out of my >> being fairly deeply disturbed by family members I really care about doing >> this? >> >> Thanks, >> Joan >> ############################ >> >> To unsubscribe from the FEAST-L list: write to: mailto: >> [log in to unmask] or click the following >> link: https://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=FEAST-L&A=1 >> > > ############################ To unsubscribe from the FEAST-L list: write to: mailto:[log in to unmask] or click the following link: https://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=FEAST-L&A=1