Synthesis Essay On Identity

Over time, like many other complex topics in society, identity has been reduced to a simplified version of itself. Whether it was a conscious decision or it was fueled by the often lazy nature of humankind, identity was transformed from a far-reaching and perplexing wonder to a handful of terms. When it comes to gender, we are expected to believe that one’s identity comes in two forms: male or female; and with relation to race or ethnicity, we are often labeled by either the color of our skin, or a very large geographical region. Although in recent years, there has been a great deal of progress made towards accepting unconventional identities or being more specific when labeling, we still face an unwillingness to accept a spectrum of identity, rather than a sorted list.

She explains the idea of intersex, and that while we find that many people identify themselves as either male or female, it is not uncommon for someone to identify somewhere in between. And, this large spectrum can exist for an equally large number of reasons. Whether someone appears as a conventional male and identifies as a woman because of sexual desires, or someone who appears to be a woman chooses to identify somewhere between male and female because of personal appearance preferences, their identity is equally legitimate as a simple male or female.

In addition to gender existing on a spectrum based on personal preferences, intersex also exists at a biological level. While there remains the traditional categorizing based on XX and XY chromosomes, great variation can exist beyond that in one’s genes. And, as mentioned by Alice Dreger, these variations may go completely unnoticed until a random medical event occurs that results in their uncovering. These subtle differences can explain why someone may be drawn towards a typically feminine lifestyle or potentially masculine