GENDER AS A SOCIAL

CONSTRUCT
SEX AND GENDER AS
CONCEPTS

Ma. Expedita B. Artiaga

Associate Professor IV
SEX
 Sex Defined
 Sex refers to the TWO categories of being Male
and Female – needed for the act mating to result
in biological reproduction.

 Sex is biologically determined (external

genetalia or sex organ; chromosomal make-up;
qualities of hormones)

 Sex is constant across time, across different

societies and cultures
GENDER
 Gender Defined
 Gender refers to the differentiated social roles,
behaviors, capacities, intellectual, emotional
and social characteristics attributed by a given
culture to women and men. It is one makes one
masculine and feminine.
 Gender is socially determined and a learned
behavior
 Gender changes across time, places and
cultures
 SEX GENDER
BORN WITH SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED

CANNOT BE CHANGED CHANGEABLE

- only women can give birth - women can do traditionally
- only men can produce male jobs
sperm - men can take good care of
children
 Sex and Gender Roles
• Sex role function – role which male or female assumes
because of basic physiological or anatomical differences

Reproductive Function

MALE FEMALE
Ovum Fertilization Gestation

Sperm determines sex of Child Bearing

child
Lactation
 Sex and Gender Roles
 Gender Role
- roles assigned to men and women based on their
gender

- refers to activities which are considered appropriate

and acceptable for boys or girls; men or women

- part of gender norms; it is society’s evaluation of

behavior as a masculine or feminine
 3 Aspects of Gender Roles
Positions within a social structure/heirarchy indicating:

 Where women and men belong, or

 are expected to belong.

Behaviors prescribed for women and men.

Proper relationships between roles.

GENDER STEREOTYPES
 GENDER STEREOTYPES
It is the tendency or attitude, to ascribe particular traits,
characteristics and roles distinctly to men and
particular traits, characteristics, roles distinctly to
women

The assumption behind stereotyping is that the ascribed

attributes of men apply to all men and that of women
apply to all women in a given society.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Physically stronger, then, they are better engineers,
architects, welders or carpenters. They are the
protectors of women.
Women:
Physically weak, then, they need protection from
men. They are better nurses, teachers, secretaries,
and retail salespersons. They need to be protected
by men.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Bravery, aggressiveness, independence, and the
ability to control emotions are traits of men.

Women:
Timidity, passivity, while emotionally dependent
demonstrative, loving, self sacrificing and being
peaceful of are traits of women.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Work is the center of their lives. Reason is the basis
for decision- making. Decisive.

Women:
Relationship both within and outside the family is
the center of their lives. Intuition is basis of
decision-making. Whimsical and fickle minded
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
More fit to be leaders, head of families, business
enterprises, social and political organizations,
states, armies and communities.

Women:
More fit to take secondary roles.
 Traditional gender roles divide men and women
from each other.
Deny women access to the public world of:

WORK POWER
ACHIEVEMENT INDEPENDENCE

Deny men access to be:

NURTURERS EMOTIONAL
Gender Division of Labor
GENDER ROLES

MALE FEMALE
Productive Reproductive
Role Role

Community Role
Gender Roles & the Division of Labor
 Community management role:

usually unpaid or voluntary work

 community health care,
 child care,
 water , food collection and exchange.
 Typically done by women for the maintenance of
community resources;
 Community politics role:
 exercise of authority
 use of power to manage community life
 often undertaken by men,
 in the context of informal (or traditional)
 or formal governance mechanisms.
 THANK YOU

HAVE A NICE DAY