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Gender and Society

Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
Sex and Gender are two very essential yet underrated parts of human life. They affect all
aspects of our lives, from how we look and act, to the jobs we take and the laws and values of
our society.

Sex

It generally refers to biological differences between male and female. For instance, male
and female genitalia, both internal and external are different. Similarly, the levels and types of
hormones present in male and female bodies are different. Genetic factors define the sex of an
individual. Women have 46 chromosomes including two Xs and men have 46 including an X and
a Y. The Y chromosome is dominant and carries the signal for the embryo to begin growing testes.
Both men and women have testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. However, women have
higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, and men have higher levels of testosterone.

In some cases, a child is born with a mix between female and male genitalia. They are
sometimes termed intersex, and the parents may decide which gender to assign to the child.
Intersex individuals account for around 1 in 1,500 births.

Gender

Gender tends to denote the social and cultural role of each sex within a given society.
Rather than being purely assigned by genetics, as sex differences generally are, people often
develop their gender roles in response to their environment, including family interactions, the
media, peers, and education.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender as the socially constructed
characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between
groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed.

Main differences between sex and gender

SEX GENDER

Physiological Social and Cultural

Related to reproduction Learned Behavior

Congenital Changes over time

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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
Does sex correspond to Gender?
Many scientists, psychologists and sociologists believe that sex does not determine one’s
gender. Feminity, or the behavior that associates with females, may not actually be tied to a
woman’s sex. Similarly, masculinity is not tied to one’s gonads. The whole idea of being a woman,
therefore, is based on gender and society’s belief in how a woman should act, instead of
biological functions that are inescapable.
Doing household chores is said to be a woman’s job., yet there are some men who do the
cooking and cleaning at home. Aggressive sports are said to be more for men, but for every men’s
sports team, there is a counterpart for women. In these types of scenario, gender role
socialization comes in.
Gender role socialization is defined as the process of learning and internalizing cultural
approved ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. It starts as soon as one is born and manifests
from the color associated with one’s gender to the roles ones sees his or her gender performs
the most.
One’s socialization regulates his or her perceptions of genders in two ways – external
regulations and internalized self – control. Each society has social norms that were developed
over time due to the values and beliefs that it holds. External regulation involves various
institutions dictating what is proper and normal base don one’s gender identity. While
internalized social control causes a person to police himself or herself according to society’s
standards and norms. A consistent practice will eventually affect all aspects of his or her
personality, in turn, resulting in the policing of others, expanding and perpetuating this
regulation.

Gender Stereotypes
Gender Stereotypes develop when different institutions reinforce a biased perception of
a certain gender’s role. The institutions include the family, the church, the school, the state, and
the media. These beliefs can be limiting if seen as perspective of a gender’s role rather than
descriptive of the many possible roles one can have. There are four types of gender stereotypes:
1. Sex Stereotypes are generalized view of traits that should be possessed by men and
women, specifically physical and emotional roles. These stereotypes are unrelated to the
roles women and men actually perform.
2. Sexual Stereotypes involve assumptions regarding a person’s sexuality that reinforce
dominant views. For example, a prevalent view is that all men are sexually dominant.
Another notion is heteronormativity, or the assumption that all persons are only attracted
to the sex opposite theirs.
3. Sex- role stereotypes encompass the roles that men and women are assigned to be based
on their sex and what behaviors they must posses to fulfill these roles.
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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
SOGIE
SOGIE stands for sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Sexuality is
different from sex, as the former id the expression of a person’s thoughts, feelings, sexual
orientation and relationships, as well as the biology of the sexual response system of that person.
The different terms standing for SOGIE are further defined below.
1. Sexual orientation covers three dimensions of sexuality, namely:
a. Sexual attraction, sexual behavior, sexual fantasies
b. Emotional preference, social preference, self-identification; and
c. Heterosexual or homosexual lifestyle.
Sexual orientation involves who one is attracted to and how one identifies himself or
herself in relation to this attraction which includes both romantic and sexual feelings.
2. Gender identity refers to one’s personal experience of gender or social relations. It
determines how one sees himself or herself in relation to gender and sexuality. A person
could identify as masculine or feminine.
3. Gender expression determines how one expresses his or her sexuality through the actions
or manner of presenting oneself.
LGBTQIA
It is short for lesbian, gay, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual. This
category describes distinct groups outside of heteronormativity who are usually defined by
their SOGIE. Heteronormativity is defined as the notion that being heterosexual, or the
attraction to the opposite sex, is the standard for correctness. Heterosexual, or straight,
refers to people who have sexual and romantic feelings mostly for the opposite gender – men
who are attracted to women, and women attracted to men. Homosexual describes people
who have sexual and romantic feelings for the same gender – men who are attracted to men,
and women attracted to women. Cisgender is someone whose gender identity corresponds
with his or biological sex. A person can be homosexual and at the same time cisgender
(identify with the gender they were assigned at birth because of their sex).
In addition, lesbian pertains to women who are attracted to other women. Gay refers to
men who are attracted to other men. Bisexual or “bi” denotes people who are attracted to
both genders. Finally, transgender is an umbrella term that refers to someone whose
assigned sex at birth does not represent his or her gender identity.
These labels were created to recognize the identity of those who are considered outside
of the norm of society. They are temporary, as the terminologies for sex and sexuality can
change depending on the direction of the LGBT movement.
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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
Nature Vs. Nurture

Gender identity is the manner in which one perceives themselves as being male or female
regardless of biological factors. Gender identity begins early in life through exploration and adoption of
the opposite gender expression.

Below will differentiate how can gender identity through biological factors and environmental
factors, as well as the assistance of biopsychology determine sexual identity and influences.

Biological Factors – Nature

Gender identification begins in the womb with the differentiation of the sex organs making a
person anatomically male or female. Hormones have two effects in gender development and identity. It
influences the development of an individual from conception to sexual maturity on a psychological,
anatomical, and behavioral level that distinguish between the sexual characteristics of the individual,
known as the developmental effect. Additionally, hormones also have an activational effect which is
triggered in adolescence after the development of the sex organs. This effect triggers the reproduction
cycle in sexually mature individuals beginning in late adolescents. These processes can also be referred
to as processes of differentiation.

Environmental Factors – Nurture

Research suggests that people develop gender identity, how they think about themselves,
through social interactions, yet research also supports that there is no significant evidence supporting that
social learning assists in the development of gender identity. One thought is that society’s reactions and
criticisms to behavior shape the later life behaviors of individuals. Others believe that a sexual identity
begins forming at conception and carries through life. During development, hormonal imbalance or even
a regular procedure could cause a change of sexual identity in an individual, but the sexual identity
imprinted at conception is the identity that will remain with the child throughout life. Both theories stand
supported which brings people to the decade long nurture debate of the cause of transgenderism and
homosexuality.

Sexologist John Money developed the dual concept of gender identification or role. The dual
concept of gender implies that gender identification is how you perceive yourself in private, gender role
is how the general public perceives gender identity. In adolescence, gender identity includes the values,
principles, and roles an individual develops on their own. Identity forms when the individual adolescent
explores and commits to identity defining roles including politics, occupation, religion, relationships, and
gender role.

Nature versus Nurture

According to research, sexuality identity is developed through numerous processes caused by infinite
reasons. The nature-nurture debate has been ongoing for decades throughout many theories. In the role
of sexual identity, it is claimed that a male reared with more feminine values may experience a more
feminine identity and the same for a female who is raised with more masculine values experience a more
masculine identity. Sexual identity is claimed to be hereditary and created at conception throughout life
with some environmental factors that may come into play.
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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
Evidence and research are directed more strongly towards biological factors, or nature, as the cause
of the development of sexual identity. Medications taken during pregnancy may cause and imbalance of
hormones that move to the fetus. An individual’s sexual identity evolves through hormonal and brain
differentiation that takes place while an individual is in the womb. The fact that gender establishing
hormones are reactivated in puberty and again in later life for the process of reproduction scientifically
proves that once our brains establish a certain identity, it is irreversible without the assistance of outside
factors such as hormone supplements and surgeries. Environmental factors such as social interaction may
influence gender identity that causes an individual to believe they must act in a socially acceptable manner
in order to avoid ridicule, yet, how an individual privately perceives themselves will always remain the
same.

SEXISM

Sexism, prejudice or discrimination based on sex or gender, especially against women and girls. It can
be a belief that one sex is superior to or more valuable than another sex. It imposes limits on what men
and boys can and should do and what women and girls can and should do.
In a society, it is most commonly applied against women and girls. It functions to maintain patriarchy,
or male domination, through ideological and material practices of individuals, collectives, and institutions
that oppress women and girls on the basis of sex or gender.

Different types of Sexism

• Benevolent sexism

This form of sexism is chivalrous attitude that men have towards a woman (vice versa) that feels
favorable but is actually sexist. This form of sexism casts women as weak creatures in need of a man’s
protection. Benevolent sexists compliment women based on stereotypes. If a woman says “Men are
assholes” then women are concluding that men are the opposite of compassionate. The following are
types of sexism.

1.“Women have motherly nurturing instincts” This might make women feel as though they are only “soft”
or can’t show dominance and take control in certain situations.

2..“Women are just more beautiful” If you find yourself saying this note that it could come across as you
think women are more pleasing to look at, are objectified, and defined by their beauty.

3.“Women are neater” This could lead to a man leaving the cleaning tasks up to the woman just because
he believes that a woman can clean better than him.

• Hostile sexism

This form of sexism is an antagonistic attitude towards women, who are often viewed as trying to
control men through sexual seduction or feminist ideology. This form of sexism is the most common
between the who because it is the more physical and aggressive approach.

Hostile sexism is the type that results in men believing that women are inferior. Women are far
more likely to be opposed to hostile sexism than men are. There is a correlation between hostile sexism
and benevolent sexism in men, meaning that men who have hostile sexist attitudes, such as thinking a
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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
woman’s place is in the kitchen, also tend to have benevolent sexist attitudes, such a believing women
should be protected by men.

Misogyny

The extreme form of sexist ideology is misogyny, the hatred of women. A society in
which misogyny is prevalent has high rates of brutality against women—for example, in the forms
of domestic violence, rape, and the commodification of women and their bodies. Women are often
mistreated at the individual as well as the institutional level. For example, a woman who is a victim of
rape (the individual or personal level) might be told by a judge and jury (the institutional level) that she
was culpable because of the way she was dressed.

GENDER FAIR LANGUAGE

Sexist is a person suggesting that the members of one sex are less able, or intelligent, than the
members of the other sex. It is referring to that sex's bodies, behavior, or feelings in a negative way

Sexist language is language that excludes either men or women when discussing a topic that is
applicable to both sexes. This includes using the word man to refer to humanity and using titles
like Congressman and fireman. Another common error that shows gender bias is assuming that the
subject of all sentences is male. For instance, the statement "Each student chose his own topic for his
term paper," leads the reader to assume that all the students in the class were male, despite the
probability that half of them were female.
Underlying sexist language is gender bias, which can occur consciously or unconsciously. When
unconscious, the gender bias in language can be the product of society: other people use sexist language,
and repetition normalizes it until the speaker unconsciously produces his or her own sexist language
where men are the norm and women the "other."
Reasons to Avoid Sexist Language
Sexist language encourages discrimination and can discourage people from pursuing their
dreams. If engineers are always spoken of as male, a girl who aspires to be an engineer may feel that she
has no hope, since "all" engineers are men.
Sexist language also offends people when they find themselves excluded. This is not an issue that
violates your right to free speech; you are free to use offensive language, and also free to decide that you
do not agree with the definition of what constitutes sexist language. However, if you are using language
that is offensive to half of your audience, you will not get your message across. People will not be receptive
to your arguments if they are aggrieved by your use of exclusively masculine pronouns.
How to Avoid Sexist Language
Remember that the goal is not to avoid referring to individual people as male or female; the goal
is to be inclusionary when speaking in hypothetical statements or of mixed-gender groups.
• Use humanity or the human race instead of man or mankind when you are referring to all people.
• If you are speaking of a single hypothetical individual, use person instead of man.
• Use genderless titles whenever possible, such as flight attendant instead of stewardess, firefighter
instead of fireman, and homemaker instead of housewife. Avoid adding gender markers to
genderless titles, such as male nurse; use the genderless title alone (i.e., nurse).
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Gender and Society
Maritoni Medalla, MBA- HTM
• Rework sentences in the plural to avoid gendered pronouns and possessive adjectives. This will
create smoother and more grammatically correct prose than using a plural pronoun with a
singular subject. (Sexist: Each student makes up his own schedule. Grammatically incorrect: Each
student makes up their own schedule. Gender-neutral and grammatically correct: Students make
up their own schedules.)
• When it is not possible to recast sentences in the plural, use he or she or his or her to be inclusive.
(The winning contestant must claim his or her prize by Tuesday.) However, using this formulation
too often can break up the flow of your writing, so use it sparingly.