GENDER AND SOCIETY

WHAT IS GENDER?
• Gender refers to 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.”
WHAT IS SEX?
• refers to the physical differences between people who are male, female.
• At birth, the difference between boys and girls is their sex; as they grow up, society gives them
different roles, attributes, opportunities, privileges, and rights that in, the end, create the social
differences between men and women.
SEX GENDER
BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS Socially constructed set of roles and
responsibilities associated with being [a] girl and
[a] boy, and in some cultures a third or other
gender
BORN WITH NOT BORN WITH.
Universal Gender roles vary greatly in different societies,
No Variation from culture to culture or from time cultures, and historical periods as well as they
to time. depend also on socio-economic factors, age,
education, ethnicity, and religion.
Cannot be changed, except with the medical Although deeply rooted, gender roles can be
treatment. changed over time, since social values and norms
are not static.

WHAT IS SEXUALITY?
• Sexuality is about your sexual feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors towards other people.
• Refers to a person’s capacity for sexual feelings and their emotional and sexual attraction to a
particular sex (male or female).

Categories of Sexuality
1. Heterosexuality - the attraction to individuals of the opposite sex.
2. Homosexuality - the attraction to individuals of one’s own sex.
3. Bisexuality - the attraction to individuals of either sex.
4. Asexuality - no attraction to either sex.

WHAT IS HETERONORMATIVITY?
• Heteronormativity - the assumption that the “default,” sexual orientation is straight (heterosexual).
It assumes that “normal” relationships exist only between a man and a woman. In a
heteronormative society, anything outside of these norms is considered abnormal or inferior.
• Homosexual women & homosexual men and bisexuals of both genders may have very different
experiences of discovering and accepting their sexual orientation.

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS

Research says that….
• There is no scientific consensus regarding the exact reasons why an individual holds a
heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual orientation.
• There has been research conducted to study the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental,
social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, but there has been no evidence that links
sexual orientation to one factor.
GENDER ROLES
• Refers to society’s concept of how people are expected to look and behave based on societally
created norms for masculinity and femininity.
• masculine roles are usually associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine
roles are usually associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination.

SOCIALIZATION
• Socialization is a process that introduces people to social norms and customs.
• This process helps individuals function well in society, and, in turn, helps society run n smoothly.
Family members, teachers, religious leaders, and peers all play roles in a person’s socialization.

When does socialization begin?

• Gender role socialization begins at birth and continues throughout the life course. Gender, like
race, is a social construction with very real consequences.
• Children acquire these roles through socialization, a process in which people learn to behave in a
particular way as dictated by societal values, beliefs, and attitudes.
• Family is the first agent of socialization.
• Gender socialization occurs through four major agents of socialization: family, education, peer
groups, and mass media. Each agent reinforces gender roles by creating and maintaining
normative expectations for gender-specific behavior.

Social Learning Theory - Children develop sex-type behaviors because people reinforced activities that
conform to expectations to their sex group.
Cognitive Developmental Theory
• Children gradually develop more complex ways of interacting with others. (Piaget)
• Children’s views of appropriate gender roles also change as they grow older. (Kohlberg)

Psychoanalytic Theory
• Human behavior is influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts, and urges.
• This theory also proposes that the psyche comprises three aspects: the id, ego, and superego.

Instincts, Reality, Morality

The id: I want to skip my work out because I feel lazy and just want to relax.
The ego: I can do a shorter work out today and make up for it with a longer session tomorrow.
The superego: I shouldn't skip the work out because it's essential for my health and discipline.

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS

GENDER IDENTITY
• Cisgender individuals, who identify their gender with the gender and sex they were assigned at
birth.
• Individuals who identify with the gender that is the opposite of their biological sex are
transgender.
• Transgender individuals who wish to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as
surgery and hormonal therapy — so that their physical being is better aligned with their gender
identity — are called transsexuals.
• They may also be known as male-to-female (MTF) or female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals.
• Gender identity is an individual’s self-conception of being male or female based on their
association with masculine or feminine gender roles.

Hermaphrodite or Intersex - the 1.7% of children who are born with a mixture of male and female sexual
organs — indicates that there are at least five different sexes:
• male;
• female;
• herms: true hermaphrodites with both male and female gonads (i.e., testes and ovaries);
• merms: male pseudo-hermaphrodites with testes and a mixture of sexual organs; and
• ferms: female pseudo-hermaphrodites with ovaries and a mixture of sexual organs.

What is gender equality?

• It means that women and men enjoy the same levels of respect and status in society. It also
means people of all genders have the same entitlements to human rights, access to
opportunities, and abilities to make choices about their lives.

Gender and Media

• Media is considered as a “mirror” of modern society.
• Society is influenced by media in so many ways.
• Media has been defined as “means of communication designed to reach and influence very large
numbers of people.”
• Media is the communication channels through which news, entertainment, education,
• data, or promotional messages are disseminated.
• Media is an umbrella term that includes all types of print, broadcast, out-of-home, and interactive
communication.
• It includes all channels that carry brand messages.

What is the role of media in gender equality?

• Media play an important role in how people form their identities, social norms and values in
relation to gender.
• The transformative role media can play in achieving gender equality in societies. By creating
gender-sensitive and gender-transformative content and breaking gender stereotypes.

Gender Roles in Advertisements

• Men and women are portrayed in advertisements according to the constructed definition of
femininity and masculinity.

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS

 • Men are portrayed as more autonomous than women, with men portrayed in many different
occupations as compared to women being shown as housewives and mothers.

Women, Media, Advertisements

• Some common sights of women as seen in advertisements show them cooking in the kitchen,
washing bucketful of clothes bandaging wounds of their husbands and children.
• Women are usually shown in advertisement of household products. They are seen washing
utensils, clothes or cooking for the family.

Psychosocial Dimension of Sexuality

The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality is anchored in psychology; and the three domains:
Affect - emotions and feelings (anger, fear, joy, sadness, guilt)
Behavior - observable (overt) and not readily observable (covert) actions
Cognition- thought processes (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 FOLLOWING:
1. how one’s emotions influence one’s thoughts
2. how one’s emotions influence one’s behavior
3. how one’s thoughts influence one’s emotions
4. how one’s thoughts influence one’s behavior
5. how one’s behaviors influence one’s emotion
6. how one’s behaviors influence one’s thoughts

Gender & Sexuality

This means that in studying gender and sexuality, it is important to investigate the way people think, feel
and behave since these are linked to one another.

Examples:
1. 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).
2. 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)

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.

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS

Intimacy and Relationship
• 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.

Well-Being
1. Physical wellness - refers to the physical health of the body. It involves all types of physical
activities, nutrition and balanced diets, sleep, strength, and tending to your health with medical
care when necessary.
2. The intellectual wellness dimension focuses on lifelong learning, broadening your knowledge,
and building skills. It encourages you to stay curious, learn, and take part in creative activities to
ensure your mind stays healthy and active.
3. Emotional Wellness - refers to your feelings and emotions. With a strong foundation in emotional
health, you leave yourself better equipped to adapt to any of life’s changes and cope with stress.
4. Spiritual Wellness - refers to the beliefs, values, and ethics that guide you through life and inform
your actions. It asks you to look inwards and explore your purpose and meaning in life through the
spiritual lens to find peace. Spiritual wellness provides an opportunity for many to engage with a
force greater than themselves and tap into communities, whether that be through a religion or by
practicing mindfulness or meditation.
5. Environmental Wellness - refers to the role of your surroundings in your overall well-being. From
a micro level within your own home environment to a global scale, our physical environment
impacts our mental health. It has a massive impact on our mood and how we live our lives.
Environmental wellness is concerned with the way you interact with your environment such as
your home, school, or workspace. Decluttering a room, recycling the trash, or emptying the
dishwasher are all small ways we can contribute to promoting a clutter-free, cleaner, organized,
and more productive living space and calm home environment.
6. Social Wellness - refers to the quality of your relationships with others. Keeping a strong network
of people that you feel connected to is key to your social wellness and can help fend off feelings of
stress, isolation, loneliness, or even depression.
7. Occupational Wellness - also known as financial wellness, is the dimension that refers to the
fulfillment you find in your work and how financial stability works itself into your life. By
considering your job satisfaction, finances, and career ambitions, you can evaluate your
occupational wellness in this dimension. Budgeting, keeping financial health in mind, and finding
the right job for you all fall under occupational wellness.

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS

GENDER AND SOCIETY PROF. ELVI G. DE ASIS