Lesson 1: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 

Definition of Terms: 
Sex- the biological aspect of sex; maleness or femaleness 
Gender -the social interpretation of sex' masculinity, femininity, etc. 
Sexuality- the totality of our own experience of our sex and gender 
Sex chromosomes- chromosomal markers that distinguish females (XX) from
male (XY) species Intersex - individuals with composite genitals (possessing
some characteristics of both male and female genitals) 

Introduction 
What does it mean to be a male or a female, to be feminine or masculine,
or to be man or woman? The human mind and body are so complex such that to
answer this question. We have to trace our journey from the moment we were born,
and go back to the journey we humans have across the life span. 
First thing you need to understand is the complexities of defining and
differentiating sex, gender, and sexuality. Having a clear grasp of these concepts is
crucial since we will be using these terms over and over again in succeeding
discussions. Likewise, there are nuances in the meanings of these terms, which
have an implication on at which context we can appropriately use them. 
Moreover, as we start out discussion of gender and sexuality as social
realities, we also want to understand how a person's gender is expressed from birth
to adulthood. Our Ultimate goal is to foster understanding of the diversity of how
humans experience and express their sexuality. 

SEX 
Sex is the biological dimension of your gender and sexuality. Also referred
to as biological sex or physical sex, the term generally pertains to your identity
depending on your sexual anatomy and physiology—the parts of your body that are
relevant to reproduction and the function of these parts. Sex is typically determined
by examining your genitals— these are external organs that are associated with
reproduction—the process or the ability to create offspring. 
Among humans, sex is often assigned at birth. If at birth, a child is observed
to have a penis and testicles, and then the child is categorized as male. If on the
other hand, a child is observed to have a vagina, then the child is categorized as
female. However, there are cases when the baby's genitals appear to be a
conglomerate of male and female organs such that it may be difficult to classify the
baby's sex without further examination. In the past, this condition is referred to as
hermaphroditism (from Hermes, a male Greek god, and Aphrodite, a female Greek
goddess). In modern times, the term intersexuality is used to refer to this
phenomenon. Hermaphroditism or intersexuality is a naturally occurring variation in
humans and animals (1 in 1,500 births) according to the American Psychological
Association (APA) (2006). 
 Since it may be difficult to distinguish biological sex by merely examining
the genitals, there are other biological markers used. For instance, your
chromosomes—protein structures which contain your genetic materials—are also
used to determine sex. There are specific chromosomes referred to as sex
chromosomes, which marks a person's biological sex. An individual with a set of XY
sex chromosomes is said to be a male, while an individual with a set of XX sex
chromosomes is said to be a female. The level of some hormones— chemicals in
our body that are responsible for sustaining bodily processes—are also used as
markers. For example, human males tend to have higher levels of testosterone,
which is associated to sex drive and aggressions. On the other hand, human
females tend to have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are
associated to lactation, menstruation and other female reproductive functions. 

GENDER 
However, humans are meaning-making organisms. Our ability for higher
order thinking and our tendency to create social norms, allow us to attach social and
cultural meanings to things, including our sex. For example, males are typically
expected be masculine and females are expected to be feminine. Once parents are
aware of their child's sex (male or female) during birth or through prenatal
procedures such as ultrasound, they automatically attach social and cultural
meanings to their child's sex and in doing so, they already set an expectation in
terms of how their child should behave and how they should treat their child. This
social dimension of one's sexuality is referred to as gender. 
There are many ways through which gender is manifested. As soon as a
new baby arrives in the family, adults surrounding the baby manifest their social
interpretation of the baby`s sex by the colors assigned to the baby. For example, it is
common for families to buy blue apparels and toys when the baby is a male, as the
color blue is associated with boyhood. Conversely, female babies are often assigned
the color pink, such that families would buy

GENDER AND SOCIETY Page 1 

Lesson 1: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 

clothes and toys that are color pink because the color is associated with girlhood.
Remarkably, the moment a baby is born, the name, toys, and apparels are picked by
parents and relatives based on their interpretation of the baby's sex. Throughout
childhood and adolescence, this assignment becomes more complex as the
expectations go beyond the kind of clothes worn, but also in terms of how the person
must or must not behave. There are set of behaviors that all female individuals must
follow and so with the male individuals, and all are expected to stick to these
behaviors that are aligned with their biological sex. This phenomenon of determining
the normality of a behavior based on whether it conforms or not to the expectations
relative to one's biological sex is referred to as heteronormativity. In the Filipino
culture, girls are expected to have certain characteristics of being gentle, caring, and
loving while boys are encouraged to be strong, rough, and assertive. These
expectations also extend to how men and women are expected to behave, the
college courses they take, and the jobs they apply to. However, there are people who
do not follow culturally-accepted standards of masculinity and femininity like girls not
wanting to wear dresses and boys not wanting to play rough sports. This is a natural
variation of the human gender expression. Social and cultural practices change
through time. Just 60 years ago, women could not wear pants without social
disapproval, and now wearing pants is already an accepted fashion trend among
people of different genders. 
 How we express our gender is largely based on our social and cultural
setting. Most are comfortable with their sex and gender; men who are masculine and
women who are feminine. Each culture also has different standards on how to be a
man and a woman and how they should present themselves according to their sex
and gender. 

Gender Identity 
One important aspect of our gender is our sense of who we are: Do we see
and experience ourselves as a man, a woman, or neither. This refers to our gender
identity. Typically males are comfortable identifying as a man and females are
comfortable identifying as a woman. 
However, there are cases wherein a person's biological sex does not align
with one’s gender identity. People with this experience are referred to as
transgenders, such as a male Who does not feel comfortable identifying as a man
(transgender woman) or a female who is not comfortable identifying as a woman
(transgender man), Transgender people may undergo gender reassignment surgery
to align their physical characteristics to their gender identity. However, due to many
factors such as belief systems, culture, and economics, some do not opt for
surgery. 
Lesson 1: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 
SEXUAL ORIENTATION 
Another aspect of our gender pertains to our emotional and sexual
attraction to a person. This aspect refers to our sexual orientation. According to the
Psychological Association of the Philippines, typically at ages 6 ot 8, we experience
or develop attraction to other people. By adolescence, we already know who we are
attracted to and would experiment through dating and relationships. 
Everyone sexuality is different and deeply personal. Our capacity for
emotional and sexual attraction is diverse and complex, but there are a few common
terms or labels for us to use. 
☞ People who are attracted to the opposite sex are called 'heterosexuals' or 'straight." 
☞ People who are attracted to people of the same sex are
called "homosexual," or "lesbian." ☞ "Bisexual" or "bi" people
are attracted to both sexes, male or female. 
☞ LGBT refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community

Lesson 1: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 

APPRECIATING DIVERSITY 
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), nature and
nurture play a complex role in shaping our sexual orientation. Homosexuality and
heterosexuality are part of the human sexuality and is a large part of the human
experience. 
Identifying as a heterosexual, lesbian, bi, gay, or transgender is a deeply
personal process, so it may be more difficult for others to 'come out' or for them to
become comfortable enough with their sexuality that they feel safe to share it with
other people. For others, it comes early in adolescence while for some, it may take
time to understand and discover themselves. 
According the Psychological Association of the Philippines, "we can only
truly tell if the person is gay, lesbian, or bisexual if the person shares with us his or
her experiences and feelings of attraction towards them." That is why it is important
for everyone to feel safe as they share their sexuality since it is a personal and
sensitive topic. We can do that in an environment wherein we do not feel judged and
discriminated upon. People who experience prejudice and discrimination suffer
negative psychological effects (APA), so we must work towards an inclusive
environment where everyone feels safe. 

COLLABORATE. This activity creates mixed groups and provides participants an

opportunity to share insights on the lesson. 
☞ Pick three concepts you learned from the lesson. 
☞ Discuss the concepts you picked and why you chose them. 
☞ Label whether the concepts you picked evoke a "positive" or "negative" feeling. 
☞ Write it on a piece of paper. 30 points 

Summary 
The complexities of the human sexuality can be quite overwhelming. We
need to look at our own experience on our journey of discovering our sense of being
a man and a woman for us to understand others. We also need to engage in
conversations with others for us to appreciate the many different faces of human
sexuality. 
A baby is born and is given an assigned sex based on its genitals. In
toddler years, they are raised to be a 'man' or a 'woman' based on accepted social
and cultural standards we know that these standards change through time, what is
not acceptable now may be acceptable in the future. 
Adolescents is when we discover our emotional and sexual attraction
towards other people. For most, it is easy to identify who they are attracted to, but for
others, it can be a long and difficult process. Fostering an inclusive environment
wherein everyone feels safe is very important at this stage. 

ASSESSMENT 
Answer the following questions for 10 points each. 
I. Distinguish sex, gender, and sexuality and provide examples on how each is
manifested in real life situations. 2. Look for books or articles dedicating their
discussion on human sexuality. Write down an essay comparing how these
materials define sex, gender, and sexuality. 
 Lesson 2: Gender and Sexuality across
Time 
CONTENT 

Definition of Terms: 
✔ Patriarchy- social system where men primarily holds power in the political and
the private spheres. ✔ Feminism- continuing series of social movements that aim
to challenge the patriarchal society that creates these oppressive political
structures, beliefs, and practices against women. 

Introduction 
Society has progressed so much in a way that information and knowledge is
available to everyone. This gives us an opportunity to examine our social and political
conditions in more detail than when information was scarce and limited to only a few
individuals. 
Historical accounts show that across time, humans' conception of gender and
sexuality has also changed. Archeological artifacts reveal that in the distant past, during
the dawn of civilizations, human societies have high regard for women. The concept of
the divine feminine (the sacredness of the woman due to her ability to conceive children)
has prevailed, and thus, women are treated equally with men. This make societies
egalitarian (men and women have equitable power and roles). 
However, humans' discovery of paternity (fatherhood/ role of the father in
conception), presumably during the Agricultural era, when societies began to establish
communities and tame rear cattle and stocks, have also changed how societies have
viewed women and men therefrom. 
For the longest time thereafter, societies have privileged men over other
genders, mainly because of the preferential given to them in the productive sphere
(world of public work). Women who have been revered due to their ability to conceive
have been viewed as solely capable only of reproductive affairs (world of the home and
related tasks such as suckling the young, child rearing, and home management). The
gender disparity was intensified by the Industrial era where factors were built and men
were preferred because they did not have to bear children for nine months and because
of their perceived physical strength. But how did really the conceptualization of gender
and sexuality changed? This lesson tackles movements in history which shows how
men, women, and people of other genders are viewed in human societies. 

PATRIARCHY 
A close examination of our society can lead us to see the invisible layers of
oppression in our society like patriarchy-a system based on the control and oppression
of women wherein they are perceived to be the weaker sex. It is a structure that upholds
male supremacy in the law, at home, in the work place, and in society. 
Patriarchy is from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means "the rule of the
father". It is a social system where men primarily holds power in the political and the
private spheres. This means that in this social system, society is organized and
maintained ina way that men rule over women and their children. In the social, legal,
political, and economic spheres, men are expected to lead while women are expected to
obey and are relegated to house chores, bearing children, and child care. 
A patrilineal society often follows a patriarchal society, this means only men
can inherit property and the family name. Women were left with no inheritance and are
expected to marry a man who can support her economically. In fact, women were not
allowed to go to schools, or even vote, because they are viewed as a weaker sex and
should not concern themselves in learning science or politics. Women had to fight for
the right to vote, to go to school, to go to work, and even participate in politics. 
Patriarchy is viewed by most sociologists as a social construct and not as a
biological phenomenon. This is because history proves that in the prehistoric hunter-
gatherer tribes and civilization, they prioritized equality of all members, male and
female. History suggests an egalitarian system rather than a patriarchal system. Men
and women contribute to society, and they enjoy the same social status. 
Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher and sociologist, argues that patriarchy
came about when people started having private property instead of a communal living.
The development in agriculture and domestication of animals led to creating product
surplus which allows people to have private property. As a way to control the excess
wealth generated by these advancements, male dominance was asserted over women
so only the male heir can inherit family wealth. 

HISTORICAL VIEWS ON GENDER 

Greek 
Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek philosophers viewed women as the inferior
sex and are properties of men whose only job was to obey their husbands, bear
children, and take care of the household. They were forbidden to learn philosophy,
politics, and science.

Lesson 2: Gender and Sexuality across Time 

Egypt 
Herodotus, a Greek historian, observed the Egyptian civilization citing that
Egyptian women enjoyed higher social status than Greek women because they can
inherit property and engage in trade and politics. However, Greek influence quickly
spread in Egypt through the conquests of Alexander the Great across Asia and Africa. 

China 
Confucianism has stringent written rules that dictate how women should
conduct themselves. The written documents titled "Three obedience's and four virtues"
and "Precepts of women states that women should obey their father, when married she
is to obey her husband, and when widowed she is to obey her son. 
Gendered biases in ancient patriarchal societies were very strict, heavily
enforced, and often violent. Imagine not being able to go to school just because you are
a woman, not being able to express your opinion on important matters even when it
concerns your future, and not being able to say no to any man. 

Women have come a long way since the ancient times through the feminist movement,
however, patriarchy has taken on subtle forms of oppression that often go unnoticed
such as: 
∙ sexism - prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination based on sex; 
∙ gender pay gap- men earn more that women; 
∙ underrepresentation in politics, military, executive positions, etc.; 
∙ rape on women and the stigma making women ashamed to report the crime; 
∙ very conservative expectations on women on how they behave; 
∙ unrealistic depictions of women in fiction, often very sexualized; 
∙ women do more housework and childcare; 
∙ boys were trained to be leaders while women were trained to do house chores. 
WOMAN EMPOWERMENT 

Women's liberation movement, women's movement, or feminism is a

continuing series of social movements that aim to challenge the patriarchal society that
creates these oppressive political structures, beliefs, and practices against women. It
started at different decades in different countries, some are far more advance in their
struggle while others are still starting a movement. During the 19th and early 20th
century, first-wave feminism spread across the western countries as women
demanded for their right to vote or participate in elections and to be able to legally
own property. 
In France, Simone de Beauvoir wrote book titled "The Second Sex" in 1949. It
outlined how the patriarchal society disadvantaged women by slowly raising her into
submission and hindering their productivity and happiness by relegating them to
housecleaning. This inspired many women to write and speak their truths, such as Betty
Friedan (The Feminine Mystique, 2963), Kate Millet (Sexual Politics, 1969), and
Germaine Greer (The Female Eunuch, 1970). Beauvoir's book was instrumental in
awakening women about their plight as the "wife-servant" to their husbands in her
famous quote "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. 
Le Mouvement de Liberation des Femmes or the women's liberation
movement was formed in Europe and they sought the right to education, right to work,
and right to vote in the 1940s. Later, they also won women's right to decide on their
own bodies and their sexualities. This liberation movement views the intersectionality
of economic status or class to patriarchy. 
Inspired by Beauvoir's book, second-wave feminism in 1960's through the
8o's, women drew attention to various social and cultural inequalities such as
domestic violence especially marital rape, reproductive rights, wage inequality, and
etc. The 90's gave birth to the 3rd wave and 2012 started the forth wave. These
movements only show that there is still much to be done for women's rights.

Lesson 2: Gender and Sexuality across Time 

The United Nations reports that women do more work than men because even
when they work at the office, they are still expected to do household tasks. Another
report from UN Women states that "women perform 66 percent of the world’s work,
produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 of the income and own I percent of the
property. This is because in agricultural countries, women participate in making the
produce, but only the father or the male head of the family controls the income. 

To put simply, feminism demands equality. Here are a few salient points that feminism demands. 

1. Women suffrage women were not allowed to vote before because they were
viewed as irrational and temperamental and therefore, not able to make rational
decisions. This changed after World War I (1914 to 1918) wherein women were
uprooted from the household. They took on jobs and made significant contributions
to their country. Many countries soon started letting women vote since they can no
longer argue that women are "irrational and temperamental'. 
2. Equality in politics and society - for hundreds of years, women's voices were
silenced, so society must make an effort to restore their rights. Representation is very
important for women, so that their genuine concerns are heard in politics and in
society. Feminist have always criticized that old, privileged men always make the
decisions for women at home and in politics. 
3. Reproductive rights means the woman is in control of her body, and she can decide
for herself on what she sees is best for her. Contraception, abortion, and other
reproductive options should be available to women because it is their body. 
4. Domestic violence - such as marital rape and physical abuse are often dismissed by
society as part of a "marriage". Although we have RA 9262 or Anti Violence Against
Women and their Children, our culture still dismiss such incidents as "away mag-
asawa”. 
5. Sexual harassment and sexual violence The Center for Women's Resources in the
Philippines estimates that one woman or child is raped every hour mostly by someone
they know. 
6. Other rights include the right to divorce their husbands, the right to make
decisions on her pregnancy, equitable wages, and equal employment
opportunity. 

Summary 

Recognizing patriarchy in the simple things we do is very important for us to

identify these instances so we can change it. Even the simplest acts that are seemingly
harmless can be analyzed and seen as a way to force women into submission and
compliance. That is the power of putting labels on oppressive acts, and you can call it
out and stop it. 
Feminism gained women access to education, right to vote, right to work, take
control of their reproduction, and the right to say no instead of just obeying. However,
there is still much to be done for gender equality. You can help in making the world a
better place for women by learning to respect and recognizing that women deserve the
same rights as men-that women are not to be treated as the weaker sex or the
submissive sex, but rather as an equal. 
Also, use gender neutral language that is not sexist: humanity instead of
mankind, the unsteady of he, to emphasize inclusion. You can also counter gendered
metaphors by vocally criticizing its oppressive nature such as: the aggressive sperm and
the passive e.g, babae kase, lalake kase, etc. You can also advocate for laws and
policies that would empower women. 
You do not have to be a woman to understand that everyone must be treated
with the same respect and that everyone is free and equal in dignity and in rights. 
 Lesson 3: Gender and Sexuality as
a Subject of Inquiry 

CONTENT 

Definition of Terms: 
✔ Gender studies- field or study concerned about how reproductive roles are interpreted
and negotiated in the society through gender. 
✔ Social Research- the process of investigating social realties 
✔ Research approach- the orientation in understanding social realities. This can be
qualitative (interpretive), quantitative (deductive) or both. 
✔ Ethics in research- these are considerations in conducting research to make sure
that the well-being of the participants are ensured, and that the outcome of the study is
sound without undue harm to people involved.

Introduction 

Gender seems so obvious and so simple, many would ask why we have to study
it. Well, gender studies as an area of knowledge, is about looking into, analyzing, and
examining society so that we notice power relations in the seemingly "simple things". It
helps us see the issues in our everyday lives through a different lens. 
The goal of this lesson is to define and appreciate gender studies. Gender is a big
part of our individuality and society; it is a form of social organization, and it is often
unnoticed. In different cultures and different times in our history, gender roles played a big
part of social organization. 
Gender studies emerged from the need to analyze how gender, sex, and
sexuality impact our lives, especially how it creates gender inequality. It came about in the
mid 1970's after the second wave of feminism as a way to challenge the male-defined and
male-centered knowledge. 
Gender role or sex role are "sets of culturally defined behaviors such as
masculinity and femininity" according to the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender (2019).
These roles are not fixed such that the "culturally defined behaviors" for men and women
may be very different 50 years ago or very different for people from other countries or tribe.
In a binary system of viewing gender roles, we only see the male and the female where
men are expected to be masculine while women are expected to be feminine. This is the
norm or the accepted standards of how to behave like a woman (mahinhin) or how to
behave like a man (matipuno/matapang). In gender studies, we are asked to disrupt and
question these kinds of social expectations, gender roles, and gender norms.

Lesson 3: Gender and Sexuality as a Subject of Inquiry 

Gender studies is not just for women or all about women, it is about
everyone. It explores how our gender roles have changed throughout our history and how
it created inequalities. One hundred years ago, women were not allowed to study at
universities since their role was only restricted to domestic or the household. This
repressed women's potential in shaping the social and political landscape in the past, but it
also placed the burden on the men to provide for the whole family. 
 Our society has changed so much since then; the jobs available for everyone is
not so much dependent on physical strength, making these jobs accessible to women as
well. Most mothers also have a job now, so they also provide for the family. Gender
studies would ask us to question, is it still right to say that the men are the providers of the
family when both mothers and fathers now work and earn money. 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 

Gender roles are socially constructed and are not something that we are
"born with. Society, through a lifelong process of normalization, encourages or
reprimands behaviors make a child adapt to these social expectations. 
A young boy is always encouraged to be brave, to play rough, to be loud, and
to not show signs of weakness such as crying. A young girl is discouraged from playing
rough and being loud, instead they are told to be gentle and soft. If a child does not
follow these gender roles, they are reprimanded by parents, relatives, friends, or
anybody that they interact with. That is how gender norm is forced upon an individual, a
lifelong process of normalization. 
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people often do not fit in the traditional
binary gender roles so they are often reprimanded, bullied, and discriminated. They are
often subjected to violence and hate just because they do not fit in what society calls
"normal. 
Gender studies lets us analyze the creation and maintenance of these gender
norms so that it does not create inequalities in our social, political, and economic
spheres. 

COMMUNICATE. The following are common statements we hear from people Reflect

GENDER STUDIES AND RESEARCH 

As a subject of inquiry, Gender Studies utilizes a systematic approach in
identifying problems, making hypotheses and assumptions, gathering data, and making
conclusions. This systematic process is referred to as the research process. 

Approaches in Research 
Since Gender and Sexuality cuts across a variety of issues that could be
biomedical, psychosocial, or political-legal, there is no singular way in conducting the
research process. There are however a variety of approaches which can be used. 
Qualitative approach focuses more on the meanings created and interpretations
made by people about their own personal or vicarious (observed) experiences. For
example, if you want to know how women, men, or LGBTQ+ live their lives on a daily basis
and how they make sense of their lived experiences, then the qualitative approach is
fitting. Some of the methods used in the qualitative approach are as follows: 
phenomenology - conducting intensive interviews with individuals who have
experienced a particular event and understanding their "lived experience”; 
hermeneutics- understanding the meaning of texts (literary works, art works) and what
they convey about human realities; and 
Ethnography and ethnomethodology - immersing in a community and taking note of their
experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and practices.
Lesson 3: Gender and Sexuality as a Subject of Inquiry

Quantitative approach, on the other hand, focuses more on characterizing a population

(total number of individual in a group) or a sample (a sub-group within the population) and in
some cases, making generalizations about the population based on the behavior of a sample. For
instance, if you want to know how many Filipino adolescents are engaged in a romantic
 relationship or how many of them still believe in marriage, then a quantitative approach is
appropriate. Some of the methods used in the quantitative approach are as follows: 
✔ survey - collecting information from a sample; and 
✔ experiment - creating actual set-ups to observe behavior of people in an experimental
group (a group receiving treatment such as training or a new experience) and
comparing it to the behavior of people in a control group (a group without any
treatment). 

In most cases, information from both qualitative and quantitative approaches provide a
holistic view about certain social realities, such that there are researchers who prefer to
use mixed methods (combining qualitative and quantitative methods to derive data from
multiple sources). 

ETHICS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY RESEARCH 

There are some principles to remember in conducting gender and sexuality

researches. These principles are referred to as ethical principles because they make sure
that people involved in the research are protected from harm. Ethics is a prerequisite to a
properly conducted study. The following are the principles to remember: 
⮚ Informed consent - Researchers should make sure that the participants in the study are
aware of the purpose and processes of the study they are participating in. They should
also ensure that only those participants who agree (in writing) will be included, and
that they shall not force any participant to join. 
⮚ Confidentiality and anonymity- Researchers should not reveal any information provided
by the participants, much so, their identity to anyone who are not concerned with the
study. All data gathered from surveys or interviews should also be placed in a secure
location or filing system. 
⮚ Non-maleficence and beneficence-A study should do no harm (non-maleficence) to
anyone. Especially in researches involving humans, a study should be beneficial
(beneficence) for it to be worth implementing. ⮚ Distributive justice- Any study should
not disadvantage a particular group, especially the marginalized and the oppressed
(e.g, poor people, women, 
⮚ LGBTQ+, the elderly). The benefits of a study should be for all. 

GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN ECOLOGY 

Human Ecology, as a field, recognizes the interplay among internal and external
environments-physical, socio-economic, cultural (Bronfenbrenner 1994; Bubolz and
Sontag1983). Hence, to look at realities from an ecological perspective is to appreciate
that human development across lifespan is influenced by these environments. In the
context of gender and sexuality, a human ecological approach looks at human sexual lives
and experiences at various levels and spheres of analysis. 
First, it sees gender and sexuality as an organismic and personal experience. 

Summary 
Gender, being male or female, has socially constructed meanings, and it is
different in every culture and may change with time. It is important to analyze how society
enforce gender roles on everyone so we can further understand how power relations in
gender roles can limit an individual's freedom and promote inequality. To help us have a
holistic view, we need to use frameworks and methods from different disciplines-
psychology, sociology, medicine, and law-among others. This book will provide you with
sufficient theoretical and practical perspectives, so you can understand gender and
sexuality.