Summary Of Fausto-Fausto-Sterling

1) Fausto-Sterling is examining the relationship between discourse and public policy surrounding women’s bone health, since bone frailty is considered to be more common in women. Fausto-Sterling asks why bones are more likely to break in certain populations, and if bone health and fragility are considered effects of sex-related traits why are there so few studies conducted on females specific health issues such as pregnancy and childbirth. Her hypothesis states that by using the existing framework to analyze social categories can help improve health conditions and treatments of individuals.

2) Theory/Qualitative Data; Exegesis/ Archival Data Research.

3) Fausto-Sterling argues that there is a disconnect between feminist theorists and the

medical field with regards to discourse around sex and gender which promotes confusion and lack of consensus in formulating the best responses to improving bone health. Fausto-Sterling contends that medical officials and public policy surrounding increasing bone health will improve with a greater understanding of intersections of culture and identities.
4) Fausto-Sterling’s arguments were effective because they were supported by a variety of research journals. She also constructed a table that displayed observations and comments, which provided a visual by which Fausto-Sterling could interpret and critique for the reader.
5) The concepts of gender and race are central to Fausto-Sterling’s thesis because the author is arguing that public policy and discourse surrounding improving bone health and the need to incorporate intersections of social categories such as gender and race.

*Fausto-Sterling

1) Fausto-Sterling defines race as a social construction and argues that current definitions lack a theoretical foundation within the field of medicine. She is questioning if there is a medical difference in bone density with regards to social constructions, such as race. The author’s main hypothesis states race is a poor object of study with regards to understating bone density health, and bone development is effected by other social factors that may or may not be race related.

2) Theory/Observation; Exegesis/ Case Study.

3) Fausto-Sterling argues that in order to understand the relationship between race and bone density, there needs to be a new theoretical framework for research. She argues that biological race is not a helpful tool for understanding variations in bone density and can only be used as a medical variable in accordance with other social factors such as culutre and economic

status.
4) Her research design was effective because she provided a diverse range of evidence such as case studies, tables/flow charts, and critiques on previous publications.

The variety of methods and data collection within the research design provided the author with a greater ability to support her thesis.

5) The concept of race is central to the thesis because Fausto-Sterling is arguing that using race, as causation for bone density is a flawed within the field of medicine.

* Fujimura

1) Fujimura is studying the definitions of sex determination and the materiality of nature within molecular genetic research. Her question asks how the social sciences should engage with the biological sciences with regards to nature and culture. Fujimura argues that biological sex is variable, diverse, and old medical frameworks of sex determinations as binary are flawed. She argues for the broadening of understandings of the material and the natural.

2) Theory/Reexamination of Observations; Exegesis/Archival Data Research.

3) Fujimura argues that collaboration between the natural and social sciences will achieve a better understanding and different perspective of sex determination. She also argues for reconsideration of scientific data and awkward surpluses as a method to better understand social and cultural frameworks regarding sex and

gender.
4) Fujimura’s research design included a reexamination of experiments on mice and was effective in critiquing its shortcomings. The argument was effective because she acknowledged the experiment’s shortcomings and provided an alternative framework by which to understand sex determination as both biological and social.
5) Fujimura approached sex/gender as a concept that cannot be solely understood as separately biological or social.
* Fujimura
1) Fujimura definitions revolve around race and cotemporary debates and research regarding biology and race. She is questioning why some scientists advocate that their research biologizes race and why other do not. Fujimura argues that race-based research within the field of medicine is misleading with regards to treating disease.
2) Theory/ Previous Research; Exegesis/ Archival Data Research.
3) The author argues that race is a misleading variable when conducting medical research and researchers should incorporate other factors that effect health more directly than race. Race is a social concept that changes with regards to situation, location, and historical context and therefore is an inaccurate method for understating biology and health.
4) Fujimura’s research design was effective because it included a variety of sources.
5) Fujimura deals with race as a socially constructed concept that has little to do with an individual’s health and biology.