Intersex athletes competing with other genders

I chose topic #2, Running Away from the Competition.

I attached the requirements as well, and I will also be free to send some links to articles I have already found that will help with the paper.

PRFS 301 – ETHICS OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
FINAL PAPER GUIDELINES
For the final paper, you will be writing on one of the four topics below. You’ve already indicated to me which
topic you’d like to write about but if you decide to change topics for some reason, that’s OK with me.
The paper will be 10-12 pages of text, double spaced, Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Give your
paper a title. I expect you to incorporate at least FIVE good sources on your topic beyond the readings for the
class. These can be things like journal or magazine articles, position papers, and governmental or agency websites
(not Wikipedia). More recent sources are usually best, as they have the most up-to-date information.
As I mentioned in previous assignments, I am not picky about citation format. Pick whatever format you’re most
familiar with. However, I DO expect you to cite the sources you reference in your text (at the end of the paper),
and I DO expect you to have all the relevant information in your citation so that I can tell what the source is.
Below is an example of a citation for a journal article:
Traum, Alexander B.
2018 Applied Anti-Semitism: The BDS Movement and the Abuse of Corporate Responsibility. Touro
Law Review 34(4):1025-1060.
(where “34” is the volume #, “4” is the issue #, and “1025-1060” are the page numbers for the article).
Below is an example of a citation for a webpage:
BDS Movement
2022 What is BDS? Electronic document, https://bdsmovement.net/what-is-bds, accessed January 21,
2022.
Below is an example of a citation for a magazine article:
Kane, Alex
2019 Israel’s Scheme to Defund the BDS Movement. In These Times, 1 November: 26-33.
(where “In These Times” is the title of the magazine, “1 November” is the publication date, and “26-33”
are the page numbers for the article)
Your work will be assessed on how well it does the following (these are general guidelines that might not apply
to all four topics…):
Content:
• Applies appropriate ethical theories to the ethical problem to be solved.
• Articulates ethical issues and identifies alternative positions for those issues
• Articulates your own ethical viewpoint and defends it, using concepts of global ethics.
• Analyzes the global interconnectedness in this scenario, identifying the ways in which actors and
issues in multiple countries intersect in this scenario.
• Analyzes the ethical challenges as they pertain to larger global issues and evaluates the local or broader
consequences of human behavior

Mechanics and Style:
• Articulates a focused argument that is fact-based, articulately stated, and thought provoking,
addressing the potentially significant aspects of the topic
• Synthesizes evidence from multiple sources reflecting different approaches/multiple points of view
• Organizes and synthesizes reliable evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences or similarities in
the various positions
• Consists of consistently well-structured and developed paragraphs that are organized around a clearly
stated, well-positioned central argument. The argument is thoroughly and convincingly supported.
Appropriate primary and secondary sources are used (as applicable).
• The sentences are coherent (they are clearly linked) and unified (they stay on topic).
• States a conclusion that is a logical extrapolation from the analysis
• Complexity of thought and discussion stretch beyond what is immediately apparent.
• The paper is free of errors in grammar and punctuation.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR EACH OF THE FOUR TOPICS
Topic #1 – Boycott, Divest, Sanction (aka “BDS”)
The main ethical issues here are:
1) Does Israel have the right to build a wall that cuts off the Palestinians from work, education, and medical
facilities? Do they have the right to build settlements in what was previously Palestinian territory?
2) Is the BDS movement “Anti-Semitic” or is it a legitimate (i.e., “ethical”) form of protest against Israeli
policies?
What should be in your paper:
1) A discussion of the background history and present situation.
2) A discussion of the ethical concerns from both sides of the issue (Palestinian vs. Israeli). Make sure you
incorporate notions of global ethics into your paper. Refer back to your readings for the course, especially the
textbook.
3) Some statement of your feelings on the matter, supported by facts and concepts of global ethics.
Some sources to get you started (I expect you to include sources other than these!):
1) Search “BDS movement” using the fUSIon library catalog: https://www.usi.edu/library . You will find
LOTS of useful information there.
2) https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2013062100
3) https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2017051200&type=hitlist&num=1
(some info on BDS movement)
4) https://icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTY1NDU=?q=bds
5) https://bdsmovement.net/what-is-bds

Topic #2 – Running Away from the Competition
The main ethical issues here are:
1) Should intersexed individuals (or those with elevated testosterone levels) be allowed to compete with
female athletes on the international stage (and elsewhere)?
2) Would banning these individuals from competition be a violation of their rights? Would allowing them to
compete be a violation of the rights of the other athletes?
What should be in your paper:
1) A discussion of the background history and present situation.
2) A discussion of the main ethical issues noted above, utilizing concepts of global ethics (for example,
“rights,” “utilitarianism,” etc.).
3) Some statement of your feelings on the matter, supported by facts and concepts of global ethics.
Some sources to get you started (I expect you to include sources other than these!):
1) Search “intersex athletes” using the fUSIon library catalog: https://www.usi.edu/library. You will find LOTS of
useful information there. You can also look up the specific athletes mentioned in the case study, Dutee Chand and
Caster Semenya, for more information on their specific cases. There are other athletes out there who have been impacted
by these discussions.
2) Here is the most recent IAAF ruling on testosterone eligibility regulations for “female classification” in
athletic competitions. https://www.worldathletics.org/news/press-release/eligibility-regulations-for-femaleclassifica. See also links within this document that provide more detail on the regulations.
3) https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/participation-of-intersex-athletesin-womens-sports.pdf
4) https://theconversation.com/ten-ethical-flaws-in-the-caster-semenya-decision-on-intersex-in-sport116448
5)
https://digitalcommons.law.wne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1257&context=fac
schol

Topic #3 – The Dakota Access Pipeline
The main ethical issues here are:
1) Should Native Americans have the right to block the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline? (the
pipeline became operational in 2017, by the way).
2) Whose “rights” should come first in this case – the rights of the Native Americans or those of the energy
companies, U.S. government, and the non-Native general public?
What should be in your paper:
1) A discussion of the background history and present situation.
2) A discussion of the problem, looking at it from the perspective of both the Native Americans (a traditionally
oppressed minority) versus the majority population of the U.S. Who has the greater claim in determining
whether the pipeline should go through? Make sure you reference concepts of global ethics, as discussed in
the textbook.
3) Some statement of your feelings on the matter, supported by facts and concepts of global ethics.
Some sources to get you started (I expect you to include sources other than these!):
1) Search “Dakota Access Pipeline” using the fUSIon library catalog: https://www.usi.edu/library . You will find LOTS
of useful information there.
2) https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2021111900&type=hitlist&num=0
(a general discussion of Native American rights. A portion of the document deals with the Dakota Access
pipeline)
3) https://daplpipelinefacts.com/. Facts about the Dakota Access Pipeline, from the perspective of the energy
industry.
4) https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/09/politics/dakota-access-pipeline-biden-administration/index.html. Some
recent news on the pipeline.

Topic #4 – Rivers Are People Too
The main ethical issues here are:
1) Do natural entities like rivers have “rights” like those accorded to humans? See especially the chapter on
rights in your textbook (Chapter 5).
2) What are the implications for humans should we grant rights to non-human entities? Are humans’ rights
infringed if we grant rights to a river, for example?
What should be in your paper:
1) A discussion of the background history and present situation.
2) What are the arguments for granting rights to environmental entities like rivers? What are the arguments
against?
3) What might happen if rights were granted to many of our other natural resources (e.g., forests, animals)?
4) What are the potential implications for business, agriculture, development, and “human rights” in general?
5) Some statement of your feelings on the matter, supported by facts and concepts of global ethics.
Some sources to get you started (I expect you to include sources other than these!):
1) Search “Environmental Personhood” using the fUSIon library catalog: https://www.usi.edu/library . You will find
LOTS of useful information there.
2) https://www.npr.org/2019/08/03/740604142/should-rivers-have-same-legal-rights-as-humans-a-growingnumber-of-voices-say-ye
3) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/25/rivers-around-the-world-rivers-are-gaining-thesame-legal-rights-as-people
4) https://e360.yale.edu/features/should-rivers-have-rights-a-growing-movement-says-its-about-time