The Logic of Binary Dichotomies
In her article for The New Yorker on 30th November 2009, Ariel Levy question the logic of binary dichotomies which use the operator of ‘ Either-Or ’ in case of a sex determination for Caster Semenya- a poor, rural, marginalised and black South African female athlete. Caster Semenya became the nation ’ s pride after winning accolades across the world in athletics albeit her poor and rural background.Caster was questioned after one of her winning performances that was criticised as ‘ enhanced performance ’ due to drug use and/or being a male with high level of testosterone giving competitive advantage. The doubts grew with Caster not ‘ performing her gender ’ . Caster would not act like most conventional behaviour attributed to women. She did not excercise her feminine self in her appearance or her actions and therefore the cloud of doubt over her gender darkened. What was shocking was the ordeal that Caster had to undergo to prove herself, in violation of the principle of in...