Gender perspectives

The biological difference between a man and a woman are the determinants of sex. The primary sex characteristics
based on external genetalia distinguish males from females.

According to Maciones Gender refers to the personal traits and social positions that members of society attach to being
male and female. It refers to the meaning a certain culture attaches to being male or female. It shapes how we interact
with others and how we think with ourselves.

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex = male and female

Gender = masculine and feminine

Some people have genetic, hormonal and physical features typical of both male and female at the same time, so their
biological sex isn’t clearly male or female. They are called Intersex.

So in essence:

Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs.

Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.

Society often expects people to look and behave a certain way depending on their biological sex. Males are usually
expected to act and look ‘masculine’, and females ‘feminine’.

Sexuality

Somebody’s sexuality is about who they are attracted to sexually and romantically.

For example, people who are opposite-sex attracted (also known as heterosexual or straight) are attracted to people of
a different sex. There are also heaps of people who are attracted to people of the same sex as them –they are often
referred to as same-sex attracted (also known as lesbian or gay (homosexual).

Sexuality is more complicated than just being gay or straight - some people are bisexual and like both men and women,
while some people see sexual attraction and gender as fluid. These people find labels like straight, gay or bi as too rigid
and fixed, and prefer to self-identify as queer.

Gender roles or sex roles are aspects of gender that refers to a set of expectations prescribing how males or females
should act, think, and feel.They are the attitudes and activities that a society links to each other.

Influences on gender

1.Biological influences involves pubertal change,sexuality

2. Social influences(agents of socializations)

parents-by their examples and actions ,parents influence their children’s gender development.

a.Peers

b. Schools

c.Media

d.Culture

3. Cognitive influences children organize their world on the basis of gender after identifying themselves as either male or
female.
Gender issues

Women’s issues Men’s issues

1.Sexual harassment 1.sexual harassment

2. Low wages 2.adolescent fathers

3.Equal work opportunities /promotion

4.Sexist advertising and music

5.Domestic violence

6.Working mothers

7.Adolescent pregnancy

*Discrimination against gays and lesbians

*Age discrimination

*(issues on both)

Gender equity requires equal enjoyment by women and men of socially valued goods, opportunities, resources and
rewards. Gender equity does not mean that women and men become the same, but that their opportunities and life
chances are equal.

Gender role development

Republic Act 7192 which was approved in November 18,1992 is an act promoting the role of women in national
development.Women are regarded as full and equal partners of men in development.

GAD-gender and development refers to activites/programs designed to empower the human resources including
women.

Empowerment means training the workers to improve their quality of life,their performance at work and their
adaptability to cope with any situation,eventually making them competent and productive in their fields of endeavors.

One thing shall remain constant in studying communities and societies; the family is the basic unit…the building
block..the institutional fabric,which is the takeoff point for weaving social life.

The nature of marriage

Indeed as the family constitute the basic unit of society, it serves as the foundation on which all other institutions
depend. Being the nucleus of society, the family likewise has to be built upon a solid foundation-marriage.

Characteristics of marriage:

 Permanent relationship
 Reproduction of children
 Parental roles and obligations
Definition:

Legal point of view, marriage is seen as contract between man and woman to live together for the discharge of
duties they legally assume.

Religious point of view, marriage is a sacrament, an inviolable bond that can only be dissolved when either of the
spouses dies.

Requisites of Marriage(The Family Code of the Philippines)

Article 2

No marriage shall be valid, unless these essential requisites are present:

1.Legal capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female;

2. Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer.

Article 3

The formal requisites of marriage are:

1.Authority of the solemnizing officer;

2.A valid marriage license except in the cases provided for in Chapter 2 of this Title; and

3.A marriage ceremony which takes place with the appearance of the contracting parties before the solemnizing
officer and their personal declaration that they take each other as husband and wife in the presence of not less than
two witnesses of legal age.

Parents' Consent (for 18-21 years old) or Parent's Advice (for 21-25 years old): Under Philippine law, the legal age for
marriage is 18. If the contracting parties are between the ages of 18 and 21, they must present written consent to
the marriage from their father, mother or legal guardian.

Solemnizing marriages

1, any incumbent member of the judiciary within the court’s jurisdiction

2.Any priest,rabbi,imam,minister of any church or religious sect duty authorized by his church.

3.Any ship captain or airplane pilot only in cases of articulo mortis between passengers and crew members not only
while the ship is at sea or the plane is in flight but also during stopovers at ports of call.

4.Any military commander of a unit to which a chaplain is assigned,in the absence of the latter,during military
operation.

5.Any consul-general,consul or vice-consul (marriages between Filipino citizens abroad).

Marriage, a foundation of family life, exists in all cultures, with some variations:

 Monogamy: Marriage between one man and one woman

 Polygamy refers to the practice of having more than one spouse. It is broader than polygyny, which refers to
situations where one man has multiple wives, and polyandry, which refers to one woman with multiple
husbands.
 Endogamy: Marriage between members of the same category, class, or group
 Exogamy: Marriage between members of different categories, classes, or groups
In some cultures, after marriage, a couple lives in the wife’s family’s household—a practice called matrilocality.
When couples live in the husband’s family’s household, the practice is called patriolocality. If they go out and get
their own place to live, they practice neolocality.

The institution of family has three important functions:

 To provide for the rearing of children

 To provide a sense of identity or belonging among its members
 To transmit culture between generations

Responsible parenthood

The presence of children changes everything,couple should therefore,give considerable thought to the duties
and responsibilities involved in parenthood.They must learn to accept and love the experience and strive to be
the best possible parents by fulfilling their parental roles of meeting the needs of children.

Primary needs of children

1. Physical needs (the tendency to grow is natural.Parents should provide for physical needs to hasten
their development.Nutritious food,adequate shelter and appropriate clothing will enable children to attain
maximum physical growth.

2. Emotional needs.Children need love,affection,understanding,approval and security.When parents give

these em3. Social needs.As children grow they want to be with others.They want to be accepted by the
group.parents should provide their children with the opportunities needed for socialization.

4. Moral needs.Children have the capacity for moral growth,Parents should teach children values so they
could distinguish right from wrong.

5. Intellectual needs.Intelligence is a biological equipment.parents should provide for the necessary

stimulation and variety of learning experiences for cognitive,affective and psychomotor development.otional
needs,children will develop positive feelings ans become emotionally secure and stable.
For many of us, September 11, 2001, will be forever engrained in our memory. The social changes that were
implemented as a result, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, and the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA), forever changed the United States government. These transformations in various
social institutions are examples of social change.

What is Social Change?

Social change is the transformation of culture and social institutions over time.

Characteristics of social change

 Change is pervasive.It cannot be avoided and is happening in every culture,society and even personality.It is
a continuous transformation since man is continuously interacting with people and has to survive in the
community where he lives.
 Change may be constructive and destructive.Any change has an effect and impact on the concerned society.

Sources of social change

1.PhysicaI environment
The physical environment includes the climate and natural and physical resources of the land. Any change
among these will result in the change of people’s life pattern.People will find ways to cope with such change
in order to survive.
2. Population
Any change in the population size of a country is most o have an effect in the lives of its people. A country
with zero population growth rate or decline in number is in danger of being extinct.
When population is excessively large,The country’s resources may not be able to provide for all the people’s
needs. It may lead to food scarcity, chaos,crimes and other social problems. The current population of the
Philippines is 103,612,841 as of Sunday, May 21, 2017, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
3. Technology
It is considered as a major source of change today. It is defined as the practical application of scientific or
other forms of knowledge and tools in telecommunications.
4. Cultural innovation
There are various means cultural innovation but the most acceptable are discovery, invention and diffusion.
5. Conflict and change
As seen by Karl Marx, conflict which arises from the struggle between capitalists and workers,or between
the exploiting and the exploited class, changes society.
6. Ideology
Ideologies of charismatic personalities in religion and in politics led to the formation of social movements.