Challenges of categorizing people, especially regarding sex and gender

Source: The post challenges of categorizing people, especially regarding sex and gender has been created, based on the article “The collapse of categories and post-individualism” published in “The Hindu” on 31st August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 – Governance

Context: The article discusses the challenges of categorizing people, especially regarding sex and gender. It highlights how rigid categories can be contested, particularly in sports, and explores the complexities of individual identity, gender transitions, and societal debates over these issues.

How Is Gender Identity Currently Viewed?

1. Fluidity of Gender: Gender is increasingly seen as a fluid concept rather than a fixed one. It is distinguished from biological sex, which was traditionally seen as binary (male and female).
2. Gender as Personal Choice: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research defines gender as socially constructed roles and behaviors, contrasting it with biological sex, which is now viewed by some as alterable.
3. Liberalism’s Paradox: Liberalism, which values individual freedom and autonomy, must tolerate diverse ideas, even those that might contradict its own principles. For example, while liberalism supports personal freedom, it also has to respect cultural and religious practices that might restrict individual freedoms. This creates a paradox where liberalism must accept ideas that could potentially undermine its own foundation. In the context of gender identity, liberalism supports the right to self-identify, even if this challenges long-standing social norms about sex and gender,
4. Feasible identity: Technological advancements are reshaping how individuals can express their identities. As technology enables changes from restorative to transformative medical interventions, individual choices about identity become more feasible.

What Are the Implications of Modern Views on Individualism?

1. Individualism and Modernity: Modernity promotes individualism as a higher form of social evolution, where individuals are seen as the fundamental units of society, free from communal constraints.
2. Social Fragmentation: The emphasis on individualism can lead to social fragmentation, as people focus more on their personal identities and less on communal bonds.

What Happens When Categories Are Challenged?

1. Governance and Politics: Categories like sex, citizenship, and crime are central to governance. Challenges to these categories can cause confusion and conflict. For example, the 2024 Paris Olympics showed this. Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by 100 grams, a clear category-based decision. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faced sex-related scrutiny despite winning gold, highlighting the fluidity in defining categories.
2. Political and Social tensions: The fluidity of categories creates challenges in governance, as seen in the debate over Kamala Harris’s ethnicity (whether she is more Asian-American or African-American). Apart from this, the controversy over subgroups within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India for social justice reflects the difficulty in achieving consensus on categories.These examples show how rigid categorization can cause political and social tensions, complicating governance and policy-making efforts.

How do science and technology impact this debate?

1. Science Defines Categories: Science traditionally defines biological categories like sex based on physical attributes. For example, sex categories have been widely accepted across various disciplines due to biological differences.
2. Technology Enables Change: Advances in medical technology allow for gender-affirming surgeries, facilitating changes that align biological attributes with personal identity. This technological progress supports the idea of sex as a choice rather than a fixed category.
3. Impact on Social Debates: The use of technology in verifying and altering sex categories influences social debates, such as those seen in sports. For instance, Imane Khelif’s eligibility in boxing was questioned, affecting perceptions of gender norms.

Question for practice:

Examine how the fluidity of gender and individualism impact governance and social cohesion in modern society.