Litas, Byran Nathaniel D.

• BSHM 3 • GE 11: Gender and Society |

Section AJ

The Gendered Society

Please answer the questions below based from your reading:

1. State a SITUATION in the book that because of their biological differences (on page 22
onwards) between women and men, they were treated differently in society. How did it
affect the woman's or man's life then? Has the situation improved now?

It was stated that the normal biological processes of women can make then unfit to the
public world of work and school. Women have their monthly period and men haven’t. Women’s
body is more sensitive as well, compared to men. Because of these biological disadvantages of
women, they cannot get more opportunities in the working field, they are very limited. While
men dominates the working field and have more power in many things. That issue was tackled
and argued during the late 19th Century..

But nowadays, we can observe a vast change, we can say that today's men and women
are nearly equal in the aspect of working field and education as well. Women today have given
more opportunities than before, the works of men can be a work of women, and regardless of
their biological disadvantages, they are treated well then before.

2. On page 33, state a difference between a man's brain and woman's brain. Please state the
trait/behavior/perception of the woman vs that of man.

It indicates that men have a larger brain size, while women have a higher proportion of
gray matter for processing information. Women may have a slight advantage in emotional
processing, spatial abilities, and motor skills, while men may have a slight advantage in risk-
taking behavior due to biological and sociocultural factors. Men may perform slightly better on
spatial reasoning tasks, while women may perform slightly better on verbal memory and
multitasking tasks.

3. On page 39, what has been the former understanding of the "gay brain"? Has it changed
in today's situation? What is the change?

With the recognition of the biological foundations of sexual orientation, the concept of
the "gay brain" has evolved from previous beliefs that claimed it was the product of
psychological or environmental influences. Greater acceptance and awareness of the LGBTQ+
community as well as the significance of honoring and validating a range of sexual orientations
have been made possible by this shift in thinking. Today, as part of the LGBTQ+ community, I
saw improvements and felt more acceptance than before.

4. What is a "hermaphrodaite" as stated on page 51? What did the research interpret to
these hermaphrodites?

Hermaphrodaite, also known as people who are born with non-binary sexual anatomy and
who identify as intersex have come under fire for their possible harm and lack of informed
consent. Modern medical theories acknowledge intersex as a normal variant of human biology
rather than a disease. Research places a strong emphasis on giving intersex people accurate
information, autonomy, and support in order to advance their well-being and rights, which
include bodily autonomy, self-determination, and access to high-quality healthcare. Given the
diversity of intersex people, we should respect them and validate their self-identified gender and
identity.