T O B E OR NOT TO B E

SRE E, L ISA & T HAND EK A

BY: AMRITA
 RLS
CASTER SEMENYA IS A FEMALE GOLD-MEDALIST FOR THE 800M AND 400M RACES. MANY STARTED TO QUESTION
HER IDENTITY AND SEX AS MANY OF HER FELLOW CONTESTANTS SUSPECTED THAT SHE WAS TAKING HORMONES.
IT WAS FROM THESE SUSPENSIONS THAT THE IAAF DECIDED TO TAKE SOME TESTS ON HER. FIRSTLY, IT WAS FOUND
THAT ALTHOUGH SHE HAD “ABNORMALLY” HIGH LEVELS OF THE MALE HORMONE TESTOSTERONE AND THEN IT WAS
LATER DISCOVERED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE EXHIBITS THE EXTERNAL FEMALE ORGANS, SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE
INTERNAL FEMALE ORGANS AND RATHER UNDERDEVELOPED MALE ORGANS. WITH THIS THE IAAF BANNED HER
FROM RACING ASKED SHE TAKE HORMONE SUPPRESSANTS AND THEN LIFTED THE BAN ONLY TO PLACE ANOTHER
BAN THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO HER RACES: 800M AND 400M. SHE IS CURRENTLY IN HIDING. THE QUESTION COMES
IN HOW WE CLASSIFY HER AS ACCORDING TO HER IDENTIFICATION; WHICH IS WHAT SHE HAS KNOWN ALL HER
LIFE OR ACCORDING TO HER SEX; WHICH WAS ONLY RECENTLY DISCLOSED TO HER.
SO WHAT QUESTIONS ARISE FROM THIS
MICRO
• DID BIAS AFFECT THE OUTCOME AND RESULT OF
THE CASE
• DOES AN ANATOMICAL ADVANTAGE FROM BIRTH
PLAY ROLE IN AN ATHLETE’S PERFORMANCE?
• IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE RULING OF THE CASE
COMES FROM A STAND-POINT OF NEOCOLONIALISM
MACRO
• HOW DOES EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE HUMAN
SCIENCES AFFECT OUR REASONING?
• IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE CLASSIFICATION OF GENDER
AFFECT OR CONTRADICT THE PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVE OF
GENDER?
• HOW IS OUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AFFECTED BY
DISAGREEMENT AND CONFLICT?
CKQ AND RLS LINK

• THE TREND IN INCONSISTENCY OF CONCLUSIONS RAISED FROM CLASSIFICATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE

THIS IS THE PRIMARY ISSUE FACED WITH MS SEMENYA AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THAT KNOWLEDDGE
IN OUR WORLD, ESSENTIALLY THE OUTCOME OF HER CASE DETERMINES HOW WE DEAL WITH ISSUES
THAT CHALLENGE OUR CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS.
TO WHAT EXTENT DOES
CLASSIFICATION AFFECT OUR MAPPING
OF REALITY?
KEY TERMS

• CLASSIFICATION – THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING THINGS INTO GROUPS AND CATEGORIES ACCORDING
TO SHARED CHARACTERISTICS

• REALITY – THE WORLD AND STATE IN WHICH WE EXIST

SKQ 1: HOW IS CLASSIFICATION INFLUENCED BY
LANGUAGE
P1: culture
Counter Claim: Third culture
children and practicing a culture
different than the one they are
surrounded by

P2: Passing of time

CC: History tends to repeat itself, as
we refuse to learn from our mistakes
as a way of holding on to an ‘ideal’
past

P3: The language usd in each area of

knowledgeis different
Counter Claim: Why would the
terminology be different if there are
connections; interdisciplinary

CKQ : To what extent does classification affect our mapping of reality?

SKQ 2: HOW DOES OUR HISTORY INFLUENCE THE WAY
WE ADDRESS AMBIGUITY?

• P1: categories pf • P2: Power and • P3: we set

classification have privilege boundaries
their own doxa • CC:s Lack of according to what
• CC: If everything is privilege; is beneficial
real, why are there identifying it and • CC: situational
globally accepted creating subsidies boundaries
rules

CKQ: To what extent does classification affect our mapping of reality?

SKQ 3: HOW DO THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE
INFLUENCE CLASSIFICATION

P1: different areas of

knowledge different
methods therefore
classification systems
CC: Different methods
same conclusion

P2: Different areas of

knowledge can be
P3: sign and symbol
interdisciplinary
CC: we give words their
CC: when is it okay for
connotations
things to be ambiguous?
Who decides?

CKQ: To what extent does classification affect our mapping of reality?

CONCLUSION
• USE LANGUAGE IN OUT DAILY LIVES AND AFFECTS HOW WE PERCEIVE ], REACT TO AND EXPRESS OUR
KNOWLEDGE

• LANGUAGE WAS USED TO INVALIDATE HER IDENTIFICATION AS A WOMAN

• DIFFERENT AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE MAY CREATE CONTROVERSY
• AMBIGUITY IS ACKNOWLEDGED TO HELP US UNDERSTAND AND ERASE IT AND IN AN IDEAL WORLD BRING
ABOUT DIVERSIFICATION.
OTHER RLS
ANIMAL NOMENCLATURE TRANSGENDER
• ADVANCEMENT IN DNA ANALYSIS HAS CAUSED • ADRESSSING THOSE THAT WERE BORN A SEX
SOME ANIMALS AND PLANTS TO MOVE THEY DO NOT IDENTIFY WITH
CATEGORIES
• THIS MAY HAVE LED TO MARGINALIZATION.
• PAST KNOWLEDGE HAD TO BE RECTIFIED