Republic of the Philippines

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 Fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: roxas@capsu.edu.ph

College of Management
SELF- LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Year Level: Learning Area: Gender and Society

Semester/Quarter: Week No.
Inclusive Dates:

Lesson 3.1
Gender and Sexuality as a Psychosocial Issue
Psychosocial
The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality is anchored in psychology, and thus, the
three domains: Affect, Behavior and Cognition
AFFECT

Affect - emotions and feelings (anger,

fear, joy, sadness, guilt, etc)

Behavior - observable (overt) and not

readily observable (covert) actions

Cognition - thought processes COGNITION BEHAVIOR

(attention, memory, perception,
problem solving, imagination, etc.)

In attempting to understand why humans behave the way they do, it is important to learn to
recognize the interplay among the three:
 how one’s emotions influence one’s thoughts
 how one’s emotions influence one’s behavior
 how one’s thoughts influence one’s emotions
 how one’s thoughts influence one’s behavior
 how one’s behaviors influence one’s emotion
 how one’s behaviors influence one’s thoughts
This means that in studying gender and sexuality, it is important to look into the way people
think, feel and behave since these are linked to one another. For instance, someone who
believes (cognition) that another person is attracted to them may also feel excited (affect)
upon seeing the said person, which may also increase the likelihood of flirting (behavior).
Another example is how someone who feels disgust (affect) toward someone with a different
sexual orientation may perceive (cognition) the said feelings as valid because of one’s belief
system, and in turn try to justify speaking out against the said person (behavior).
The social aspect is anchored on sociology and social psychology. This means the study of
gender and sexuality can also be viewed from the lens of people’s experiences and realities
as they interact with other individuals, groups and institutions.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 Fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: roxas@capsu.edu.ph

Awareness
Given the capacity to think and recognize the self, an important aspect of identity and human
development is self-awareness. Self-awareness is self-focused attention and knowledge.
Being self-aware means recognizing one’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, aspirations,
values, fears, among many other aspects of one’s identity.

In terms of gender and sexuality, being self-aware means having a sense of what one’s
gender is, what one’s sexual orientation is, how one expresses one’s gender, what one’s
values and convictions are, knowing what one is comfortable and afraid of, why one reacts a
certain way, etc. This requires constant self-reflection and a realistic evaluation of how one
interacts with and responds to the world.

Activity 1. Make a Self-Reflection by filling in the following:

My Strengths:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Areas where I can improve myself:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
My aspirations in life:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How I see myself:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Intimacy and relationship

As two people begin to get to know each other, interact more often and share more of
themselves, they form a relationship. This may or may not be formal and may or may not be
time-bound. As people continue to engage in relationships with others, they invest time,
energy and resources.
Part of what people may share and develop is intimacy. Intimacy is a state of extreme
emotional closeness such that each party’s personal space can be entered by the other
party without causing discomfort to the former. It entails a deep understanding of one
another and requires mutual trust and respect. It is also important to note that not
everyone in a romantic, committed or sexual relationship also has intimacy with one’s
partner. Nevertheless, intimacy is something that can be cultivated in relationships.
As social beings, we also learn from our own experiences and from the lessons taught
to us by those who have come before us. How we behave in relation to other people,
with due consideration to social expectations related to our gender, and how we make
choices to balance out personal goals and social goals, might be passed on to us
through education and other cultural preoccupations. The process by which we learn
cultural norms and traditions is referred to as socialization.
At the end of it all, as rational beings, we are also capable of making sense of our
experiences vis-à-vis the influences of our environments and integrate these
interpretations into our own choice.
Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 Fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: roxas@capsu.edu.ph

Activity 2. Make an analysis of your life using the guide question, How am I in the
following psychosocial aspects of my life?
Awareness of self and others Intimacy and relationships

Learning and socialization Purpose and meaning

Well-being
In studying the psychosocial aspect of gender and sexuality, it is important to consider that
the aim is for people to achieve and experience a state of well-being—a state of satisfaction,
meaning and purpose in life. There are two general classifications of well-being.
Objective – This is observable and can be evaluated for its presence or absence in the
environment. Some questions that can be asked to evaluate objective well-being are:
1. Are material possessions available and sufficient to people regardless of gender and sexual
orientation?
2. Are health care systems and services responsive to the needs of people with
different sexes, genders, etc?
3. Are there services and policies in place to mitigate abuse and different forms of
violence related to gender and sexuality?

Subjective – This is one’s personal experience of satisfaction, meaning and purpose. In

some instances, the environment may not provide for one’s needs yet a person experiences
well-being. In other instances, even when needs are provided for, one’s well-being is
wanting.

Image credits: https://medicine.yale.edu/urology/education/residents/wellness/

Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 Fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: roxas@capsu.edu.ph

Activity 3. Make a creative way of illustrating the environment of a person who is

psychosocially well. Consider each aspect of well-being (physical, mental, socio-emotional
etc.)

You can devise your own approach (drawing, illustration, words etc)
Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 Fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: roxas@capsu.edu.ph
Rubric for Essay/Reflective Answers

Rubric for Creative Work

FOR THE STUDENT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN

Date Accomplished: ________________ Date Submitted: __________________

Signature of Student: __________________ Signature of Parent: __________________
over Printed Name over Printed Name

PREPARED BY:

Sgd. KRISTINE JOY D. SAULER, M.A.Ed., RGC