Chapter summary from Peter Singer’s collection, Ethics in the Real World, published in 2016 by Text Publishing Company,

Australia.
Essay details: How much should sex matter pg 150-153 by peter singer with Agata Sagan published from project syndicate on April 13 2012 in sex and gender section
of the peter singer book of essays name ethics in the real world

Concepts to consider: Manner and tone, choice of details, diction, structure, audience perspective, rhetoric
Relevance of title: How Much Should Sex matter- The title is set out as a question, because we are questioning the principle topic of sex and its relevance in our current
world, it shows that sex and gender most likely does matter or that it is at least relevant to an extent. The use of question in the title also shows that if we have started
to read the text the reader as a person probably does care about the subject matter otherwise they would see the title and then put the book down. It gives us a
glimpse into the context of the rest of text.
Brief synopsis of the chapter’s argument: In singer's essay he elucidates the common debate on sex and gender as it is a familiar and relevant concept to many but still
a frequently argued one. He outlines multiple arguments for both sides on the topic of the significance or insignificance of sex. Singer rather outlines subtopics such
transgender rights(specifically in competitive sport or activities) , protections for people who don't identify as their birth given sex, gender identification, cross gender
behaviour and outdated gender roles
Introductory within the four introductory statements Singer has used a succinct approach and immediately explained the disqualification of miss universe Canada
paragraph: and her relevance to the topic of sex and gender studies. He has used a very straight forward choice of detail and has used one sentence of imagery
in the description of miss Canada. He has built a strong form of ethos through the introductory paragraph through his succinct nature and formal
professional manner, he as introduced a slither of logos that continues to grow larger throughout the passage.
Paragraph 2: In this paragraph Singer continues to use a professional style diction and voice for all of the sentences excluding the last sentence which is a
rhetorical question to make the readers question their original opinions and to take a moment to reflect about whether we should be labeled as a
specific sex. In the passage Singers choice of detail has mainly included information on specific people such as miss Canada and a Los Angeles boy
who has a different gender identification to his birth given sex. He uses minimal details that are emotive and make us relate, he has used facts and
formal information to help us understand gender and sex rather than taking a specific side and giving personal opinion and making us relate on an
emotional level.
Paragraph 3 Singer uses increased formal manner and voice compared to the last two paragraphs through his consistent use of statistical and factual detail choice
and 4: to give the audience a transportation into the challenges and struggles of those mentioned in the text, some examples include statistics such as the
11 people who were murdered the year prior due to being transgender. When not using facts and figures such as the first sentence of the paragraph
he uses emotive language such as suffer and mistreatment to make our audience empathise with people who struggle with gender identity. These
two paragraphs build upon each other to stress the amount of background research and knowledge Singer has obtained.
Paragraph 5: This paragraph is one of Peters more empathetic and emotion driven excerpts of this specific text as he uses pathos to a necessary, reasonable extent
in my opinion. This paragraph is a great example of Aristotle's rhetoric triangle as he uses pathos, logos and ethos by using a formal tone and voice
and choosing to use factual evidence to show his philosophical profession background, as well as emotive language that incorporates all aspects of
this theoretical triangle.
Paragraph 6 Peter uses inclusive language frequently throughout the text but specifically this paragraph to show empathy for the people that his essay are aimed
and 7: at, people struggling with gender identification or people who are transgender. To do this he uses phrases such as they or children and when he
adresses a certain gender he uses the term biologically in front as to be inclusive to the wide array of readers. He uses complex sentence structures to
explain the depth that comes with questions as big as the one outlined in the title. Paragraph seven is an extension of six as it takes the information
presented in the previous section and adds another perspective. It addresses and builds on to the previous topic of cross-gender behaviour.
Paragraph 8: In this section of the text we can see that the first half uses many declarative statements for example, Australian government now provides three
 categories: male, female, indeterminate. Declarative statements are used by Peter to persuade readers with proven, factual information and
knowledge that sex does matter especially to younger generations where as the second half of the paragraph he uses emotional diction such as rigid
and hassle to show the troubles that many people have to experience just because of their gender identification
Paragraph 9: Once again Peter uses his questioning manner to make us stop and understand our personal beliefs on the topic of concealing our identity,
specifically concealing ones gender. He chooses to associate social media to the concealment of gender identification as it is a relatable and common
part in many peoples day-to-day lives, this causes the reader to take a different perspective and think about the question in the title and the question
at the end of the paragraph in a new and possibly more understandable way.
Paragraph 10: In paragraph ten Singer tries to persuade us that sex does in fact matter by relating the topic back to feminism and outdated gender roles, by doing
this it persuades the readers who identify as female or have feminist beliefs. Often Singer uses perhaps or maybe throughout his sentences to make
you question your views without actually using a question mark. Singer continues with a less formal style yet still convinces the reader through his
diction that he is a professional and that he is experienced in what he is talking about.
Paragraph 11: This paragraph uses descriptions of a theoretical situation about getting married and adopting to help the audience empathise with people who are
homosexual or have a different gender identity to their birth given sex. By using this choice of detail while also using the statistics and factual
evidence about lesbian couples being the best suited couples for adoption it really gives the audience a new stand point. Singer uses a formal style of
writing while still giving the reader freedom to be imaginative and thoughtful to create their own inferences and beliefs on the topic.
Paragraph 12: In this paragraph Peter Singer has decided to include a section of a story about a Swedish couple who will not disclose a specific gender for their child
so they can make their own decision, he has chosen to include this as it gives the audience the perspective of another person rather than just singers
opinion as well as it being relevant to the concepts of sex and gender which are presented throughout the full text.
Concluding Singer in this paragraph slightly counter-argues his original argument that sex should be talked about and we shouldn't feel the need to label
paragraph ourselves. He uses evidence from another writer that counter-acts his ideas and states that he agrees and understands but only to an extent. Just like
the end of the first paragraph Singer has used a question at the end of his last paragraph again to make the reader contemplate one last time taking
into account this counter-argument and new perspective.

Overall This text has an argument faced throughout but is presented in a more interpretive as Singer does not force an idea onto the audience rather gives
summary of the them scenarios and allows the readers to question at times. Although the text is interpretive Singer still takes a side in the question the text implies
essay: and the question in the title, should sex matter? and should we label ourselves and others as a specific gender? To which Singer agrees with the first
one and then the second one he agrees only to a certain extent. Peter Singer uses consistent formal diction and manner to make us believe he knows
what he is talking about as a philosopher Singer consistently tries to allow the audience to make their own assumption of the topic by choosing
details that are more statistical and analytical so the readers are reading as unbiased information as possible . This text is a great example of a formal
and professional style text but unfortunately Singer fails to use a consistent amount of pathos throughout and although he is emotionally driven in his
writing at points and tries to be relatable, personally i don't think it was enough for me as an audience member to believe he had passion about the
topic of sex and gender.