Tom Elliott wrote:
>My main concern with this whole thread is the use of the term genders.  There
>are only two sexes of bees, and as used here that is the meaning of the term
>gender.  The traditional term Castes seems more appropriate to me.

        I have been gratified at the thoughtful responses to my questions.
        The traditional term Castes seems to me the least appropriate  -
the issue I wanted to get to, and now we have got there indirectly.
        A caste is a subculture of humans who have organised for many
generations to specialise in a particular social niche.  (India is of
course the main arena where society has been thus organised.)  Well, the
bees 3 types are not at all like that, are they?  A drone does not choose
to be what he is; a queen is similarly predetermined for her biological &
social role; and a worker once mature (tho' sexually immature) is also
committed.
        Of the three terms on offer, I now favour 'sex' as the most
suitable.  Gender, and even more extremely caste, are social constructs.
The fact that the human has 2 sexes doesn't seem to me to preclude another
species from having 3 sexes.


Thanks for the thoughtful feedback.

R

-
Robt Mann
consultant ecologist
P O Box 28878   Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand
                (9) 524 2949