MODULE 1: SOCIAL

CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

Introduction

To be gender sensitive, a foundation for a deeper

understanding of gender as a social construct must be
provided. This understanding starts with knowing the
difference between sex and gender, understanding that
several gender roles exist and gender role socialization
plays a crucial role in developing gender sensitive
individuals.
This session is designed to guide you in realizing the
importance of knowing and understanding gender as a
social construct. You will also be guided in acknowledging
personal experiences that might have shaped your
perception about gender. Through analyzing the different
agencies of socialization, you will be able to determine
how the interface of these agencies influences the lives of a
group of people living in a particular community and the
culture of people in the whole society.
 GENDER AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

A. Desired Learning Outcomes

OutOutcome
 Recognize the significance of understanding the social construction of gender.
 Relate and share personal experiences on how perception of gender is influenced by the
different agencies of socialization.

B. Objectives
 Identify the differences between sex and gender.
 Determine how gender roles, gender division of labor and gender socialization and its
agencies influence the culture of people in a society.

C. Pre-Test
Identify if the following statements refer to gender or sex. Write G on the space provided
for if the statement is associated with gender and S if it refers to sex.

_______ 1. Women breast-feed their babies while men bottle-feed their babies.
_______ 2. Only women give birth to babies.
_______ 3. Its attributes are masculinity and femininity.
_______ 4. It refers to being a female or a male.
_______ 5. Labor Force Participation as of 2018 is: female: 46.6% while male: 75.1%.
_______ 6. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) projected the population as of 2019 at 108.4
M. The number of male population remain slightly higher at 54.7M compared to 53.7M females.
_______7. Even if the male-female ratio of our population is almost equal, there remains a wide disparity
in terms of labor force participation.
_______8. Little girls play dolls, little boys play toy cars.
_______9. There are courses dominated by male students while other courses have a lot of female enrollees.
_____ 10. It is universal and relatively fixed at birth.
 D. Key Concept

I. Sex and Gender

a. Sex
 refers to the biologically determined differences between men and women.
 used whenever reference is made to women and men as different physical categories
 physical identity of a person; genetic
 attributes: ♂ maleness ; ♀ femaleness

b. Gender
 refers to the social differences between men and women that are learned, changeable over
time and have wide variations within and between cultures.
 refers to “the economic, social, political and cultural attributes and opportunities” associated
with being male and female.
 is a socio-economic variable to analyze roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities and
needs of men and women in any context.
 since gender is a social construct, the particular socio-economic and cultural/religious context
cannot be ignored in determining women’s roles, needs, priorities and activities.
 socially learned behaviors
 expectations associated with the two sexes
 attributes: masculinity femininity

SEX GENDER

born with socially constructed

cannot be changed changeable

- only women can give birth - women can do traditionally male jobs

-only men can produce sperm -men can take good care of children

c. Gender Roles
 refer to what males and females can and should do in a given society
 explain what females and males are responsible for in households (reproductive),
communities (community-managing and constituency-based politics) and the workplace
(productive)

1. Productive- this relates to production of goods for consumption or income through work
in or outside the house.
 2. Reproductive- this relates to domestic or household tasks associated with creating and
maintaining children and family.
3. Community-Management –this relates to tasks and responsibilities carried out for the
benefit of the community.
4. Constituency-Based Politics-this relates to task involving decision-making and
organization at all political levels in behalf of the constituency’s interest.
Gender roles have 3 aspects:
POSITIONS within the social structure/hierarchy indicating:
♀♂ where women and men belong, or ♀♂ are expected to belong.
BEHAVIORS prescribed for women and men.
PROPER RELATIONSHIPS between roles.
These aspects of Gender Roles determine to a large extent the SOCIAL RELATIONS
between women and men which is also known as GENDER RELATIONS.
But to understand gender relations other factors have to be considered like class, race, ethnicity,
religion.
Gender roles are highly resistant to change. Why? Due to continuous exposure and reinforcement of
gender differentiation. A majority of behavioral scientists agreed that gender roles are not inborn, they are
learned.
Gender Roles
Male Female
Productive Role Reproductive Role
Community Role

Traditional gender roles

 Deny women access to the public world of:
* Work * Power
* Achievement * Independence
 Deny men access to the:
* Nurturant * Motive
* other-oriented world of domestic life
The private-public divide
 Women are confined to the private concerns of the HOME and FAMILY
- Outside work are extensions of their domestic functions.
 Men engaged in the public world of WORK and POLITICS
Gender roles are highly resistant to change. Why? Due to continuous exposure and reinforcement of
gender differentiation.
 A majority of behavioral scientists agreed that gender roles are not inborn. They are learned.
Learning of gender roles begin in the early stages of childhood. As an outcome, male gender roles and
female gender roles develop.
Therefore, traditional gender roles limit the psychological and social potentials of human beings.
Are we forever trapped in gender roles shaped by our society?
 The good news is Gender Roles do change.
What is so good about Gender Roles changing?
 CULTURE SHAPES PEOPLE
 PEOPLE SHAPE CULTURE

d. Gender Division of Labor

 Some tasks are considered women’s work, others are considered men’s work. This leads to
recognizable Gender Division of Labor which refers to the assignment of tasks and roles to women and
men on the basis of their sex.
 Gender differentiation keeps women in occupations deemed culturally appropriate.
 Gender tracking of professions continue the: Assignment of nurturant tasks to women.
 Household socialization
 Even in higher profession, areas of medical specialization more open to women are:
Pediatrics
Obstetrics
Gynecology
e. Agencies of Gender Socialization
How does your family, school and religion, and the media and the whole society or
culture teach you to feel, think, and behave?
According to your gender role? If you are a man, what does it mean to be masculine?
If you are a woman, what does it mean to be feminine?

Family School
 Religion Media

f. Gender Relations
 The aspects of Gender Roles determine to a large extent the SOCIAL RELATIONS between
women and men which is also known as GENDER RELATIONS.
 But to understand gender relations other factors have to be considered like class, race,
ethnicity, religion.
 Relations of cooperation, connection, and mutual support, and of conflict, separation, and
competition, of difference and inequality.
 Concerned with how power is distributed between the sexes resulting to systemic differences
in men’s and women’s positions and define the way in which responsibilities and claims are
allocated and the way in which each is given a value.
 According to time and place, and between different groups of people, and other social
relations based on class, race, ethnicity, disability and others.
What is access to and control over resources?
Access- this relates to the ability to use resources
Control -this relates to the ability to determine the outcome (define and make decisions about the
use) of the resources
Power and Unequal Gender Power
 “ability to get someone to do what you want”
 A fundamental component of gender relations.
 Such relation is predominantly characterized by power imbalance.
References

Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) training materials

Institute of Women’s Studies (IWS) training materials
Women and Gender Institute (WAGI) training materials
Bhasin, Kamla.2014. Understanding Gender. Raj Press, R-3 Inderpuri, New Delhi.
Pink and Blue World Gender Stereotypes and Their Consequences Cviková, Jana – Juráňová, Jana, eds. Aspekt and
Citizen and Democracy 2003 1st edition English translation by Eva Riečanská

Activities and Assessment

Exercises on Gender as a Social Construct

A. Task at Hand: Make a Stand
Write AGREE if you think or feel the statement is right, DISAGREE if you think or feel otherwise.
___________1. Women should just do “women’s job” and should not attempt to do “men’s job.”
___________2. Men can freely work for women supervisors.
___________3. Girls perform better in school than boys.
___________4. Boys are better thinkers than girls.
___________5. The home is the place for women.
___________6. Mothers should not work outside the home so that their children will not lead to juvenile delinquency.
___________7. It is easier to deal with girl-students than boy-students.
___________8. We need to be fair in dealing with people regardless of their gender.
___________9. Fathers can also be good nurturers and homemakers.
__________10. Husband and wife can have a shared responsibility in taking good care of their children.
B. Task at Hand Activity: Seeming Differences
Write down characteristics about the following:
1. Characteristics common to both men and women
2. Characteristics exclusive to males
3. Characteristics exclusive to females
C. Task at Hand: Gender Division of Labor (GDL) Story
1. Draw a 24-hour clock. Pinpoint the time you usually wake up and the time you usually go to sleep. Write down the
things you do within the 24-hour period on a Monday and Saturday.
2. Make also your Gender Division of Labor (GDL) story. Narrate your earliest wake up time, number of tasks you
are doing per day, coverage of work/preparation and leisure time/wellness.

Reflection

 Answer this question comprehensively.

How can knowing the basic concepts of gender enable you to understand
yourself and other people?

Post – Test

Identify if the following statements refer to gender or sex. Write G on the space provided for if the
statement is associated with gender and S if it refers to sex.
_______1. Women breast-feed their babies while men bottle-feed their babies.
_______2. Only women give birth to babies.
_______3. Its attributes are masculinity and femininity.
_______4. It refers to being a female or a male.
_______5. Labor Force Participation as of 2018 is: female: 46.6% while male: 75.1%.
_______6. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) projected the population as of 2019 at 108.4 M. The
number of male population remain slightly higher at 54.7M compared to 53.7M females.

_______7. Even if the male-female ratio of our population is almost equal, there remains a wide disparity
in terms of labor force participation.

_______ 8. Little girls play dolls, little boys play toy cars.
_______ 9. There are courses dominated by male students while other courses have a lot of female enrollees.
_______10. It is universal and relatively fixed at birth.