The Role of Hermaphrodites in Society Essay -- Sociology Essays Resear

The Role of Hermaphrodites in SocietyIn Ruth gibibytes At the Borders of the Human, she discusses societys avocation in hermaphrodites in terms of peoples desire to examine, scrutinize, and march objects which are alien, strange and other (6). The anomalous and bizarre spectacle of the hermaphroditic torso has drawn the focus of scientists since the early sixteenth century. Hermaphrodites have long elicited a mixture of disgust and desire, and fear and fascination(Gilbert 150) that has led to their stance as objects of scientific scrutiny. As defined by Random planetary house Websters College Dictionary, a hermaphrodite is an individual in which reproductive variety meat of both sexes are present. Besides hermaphrodites challenging societys physical norms, they challenge and have recently changed its cultural norms as well. In ancient societies, dual-sexed beings were either exterminated, considered to be beings of suffering, or regarded as strange phenomena (Brisson 40 ). Their roles in society were nonexistent because they were viewed as threatening deviance from the...