The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male- Female Roles Author(s): Emily Martin Reviewed work(s): Source: Signs, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Spring, 1991), pp. 485-501 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174586 . Accessed: 06/04/2012 21:00 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Signs. http://www.jstor.org THE EGG AND THE SPERM:HOW SCIENCEHAS CONSTRUCTED A ROMANCEBASED ON STEREOTYPICAL MALE-FEMALEROLES EMILYMARTIN The theory of the human body is always a part of a world- picture.... The theory of the human body is always a part of a fantasy. [JAMESHILLMAN, The Myth of Analysis]' As an anthropologist, I am intrigued by the possibility that culture shapes how biological scientists describe what they discover about the naturalworld. If this were so, we would be learning about more than the natural world in high school biology class; we would be learning about cultural beliefs and practices as if they were part of nature.