Lesson 4- Gender

and Sexuality as a
Psychosocial Issue
At the completion of this
lesson, you should be able to:
 Define the term “psychosocial”;
 Discuss the psychosocial dimension of gender and
sexuality; and
 Reflect upon one’s responsibility in ensuring
psychosocial wellness in the aspect of gender and
development.
 Definition of terms
 Psychosocial - a term pertaining to psychological and social factors and the
interaction of these factors.
 Psychosocial issues - needs and concerns relating to one or all of the
psychosocial dimensions.
 Reproductive role - the social script ascribed to individuals pertaining to
their role in child-rearing and related tasks such as maintaining the
household.
 Productive role - the social script ascribed to individuals pertaining to their
role in economic production and related tasks, such as engaging in public
affairs and living in the world of work.
 Psychosocial
The term “psychosocial” is an encompassing term. It is
comprised by two primary aspects: psychological and
social.
There are myriad ways to define these two terms, but in
essence, psychological pertains to anything associated
with mental process and behavior, while social pertains
to anything associated with human relationships,
connection, and interaction.
Psychological
The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality
anchors itself in the field of psychology.
Psychology is a field of science which concerns itself
with how people think and feel and how thoughts and
feelings interact and lead to behavior.
The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality
is anchored on three domains: Affect, Behavior,
and Cognition

1. Affect or the affective domain - pertains to

people’s emotions and feelings.
2. Behavior or the behavioral domain - pertains
to people’s actions-both observable (overt)
or not observable (covert).
3. Cognition or cognitive domain - pertains to
people’s thought processes such as memory,
perception and information processing.
Psychological
Hence, to say that gender and sexuality have a
psychological dimension is to note that our sexual
behaviors, as well as gender-related behaviors,
originate from what we sense, think and feel.
The Interplay of Affect,
Behavior, and Cognition
 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).
 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).
2. Social
pertains to anything associated with
human relationships, connection,
and interaction.
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.
Understanding the
Psychosocial
Dimension
 There are many ways through which the psychosocial
dimensions of gender and sexuality can be understood and
explained.
 Our experience of gender and sexuality is generally a
relational experience. It is relational because while, as
individuals, have our own affect, cognition, and behavior
to be aware of, we are also viewing ourselves in relation to
others who also have their own personal preoccupations.
 There are some elements of our gendered self that are best
viewed in an ecological context, that is, in the
circumstances in our physical and social environment.
Elements of
Gendered Self and
Social Environment
1. Self-awareness
Self-awareness is self-focused attention and
knowledge.
Being self-aware means recognizing one’s strengths,
weaknesses, interests, aspirations, values, and fears,
among many other aspects of one’s identity.
 Self-awareness in Terms of
Gender and Sexuality
 Having a sense of 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.
We are in an endless process of asking and trying to
understand ourselves. But then, we are not isolated in
a vacuum. We are social beings. We live our lives in
relation to others. Hence, as we try to understand
ourselves more, we are also constantly moving
towards other-awareness, that is, understanding
others.
 2. Human Relationship
In certain situations, when two people recognize and become
aware of each other, they decide to keep a close distance in
each other’s lives, share their personal bubbles, and allow
frequent interaction between them.
 These relationships may be in the form of family,
friendships, romantic relationships, or others.
 Intimacy
 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.
 3. 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.
 Well-being is a state of satisfaction,
meaning, and purpose in life.
 2 General Classifications of
Well-being
Objective – this is observable and can be evaluated for its
presence or absence in the environment.
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.
 In the aspect of gender and sexuality here are
some of the questions to ask:
Objective Well-being:
 Does the physical environment allow expression of diversity? Does the physical
infrastructure mitigate any possibility of abuse and violence related to gender?
 Are material resources (money, properties) equitably available to men, women,
and other people with different genders? Are these resources sufficient for them?
 Are there health systems which cater to gender-related needs? Are there wellness
programs that support women, men, and people of different genders
In the aspect of gender and sexuality
here are some of the questions to ask:

Subjective Well-being:
how far is your sense of satisfaction about the various areas of
your life as a sexual being?
is your purpose as a person clear to you and if not yet, what are
you doing to clarify your purpose?
Activity 1
Collaborate: As a group, illustrate the
environment of a person who is well
psychosocially speaking. You may
create a character and tell his story.
Lesson 5. Love, Intimacy,
and Relationship
 Definition of Terms
 Love- a complex phenomenon characterized by an affective and cognitive
inclination to someone, and a set of social behaviors geared towards cohesion.
 Intimacy- the psychosocial component of love; knowing and being known by
someone in a deeply, personal level; emotional closeness and connection.
 Passion- the emotive and physical component of love; drive towards sexual and
romantic attraction.
 Commitment- decision to engage and maintain a loving relationship.
 Relationship- social bond between and among individuals manifested through
communication and other forms of interaction. This bond may be biological or
determined by social contacts such as consensus or laws.
 In February 15, 2015, an article featuring a
study by McCann World Group, among
30,000 respondents from 29 countries, came
out of a national newspaper, bannering the
title “Filipinos most expressive about love
among Asia Pacific countries—study”
(Hegina, 2015).
 The article presented an interesting result:
The Filipinos say “I love you” approximately
17 times in a week, making us sixth among
the countries in the survey, which are most
articulate and expressive.
Love and the expression of love tends to be many
different things to different people.
Whether other forms of animals also experience love
is subject for another discussion.
For now, we can agree that love is an interesting and
important universal human phenomenon.
 Love as Culture Universal

A culture universal is
a phenomenon
experienced similarly
by people across time
and cultures.
 Love as a Social Phenomenon
 Social phenomena are events or experiences
which ensue within our interaction and
relationship with other people.
 Loving entails communication—the process of
giving and receiving information between and
among people.
 It also entails the use of a language—symbols
that are culturally agreed upon as possessing
certain meanings and that are used by people to
express certain realities and worldviews.
 Love as an Emotion
 Emotions are physiological responses that we
evaluate psychologically as we experience
particular life events.
 There are basic emotions such as joy, sadness,
fear, disgust, and anger among others.
 There are also complex emotions, which are a
combination of basic emotions in varying
magnitudes and are made intricate by
circumstances surrounding the experience
(e.g., the people involved, the place and time,
where the emotion is experienced, etc.).
 Love as a Neurobiological Event
The experience of love is now often
studied in neuroscience, with key
findings regarding how love can be
observed as it occurs in the nervous
system, including brain activity and
the release and movement of
various neurotransmitters,
chemicals that facilitate the human
experience at the biological level.
Theorizing Love
 1. Psychodynamic View on Love
 The psychodynamic theory posits that we
have desires and motives fueled by our lives
(Eros) and death (Thanatos) instincts.
 For instance, desirable behaviors that
promote positive relationship with others
might be viewed as influenced by our life
instincts, while aggressive behaviors that
hurt, manipulate, or harm ourselves and
others might be viewed as influenced by our
death instincts.
 Eros and Thanatos
 Both the life and death instincts are thought to stream in our unconscious—the
province of the mind, which we are highly unaware of.
 Likewise, the psychodynamic view puts prime on the influence of our early life
experiences (from conception to around six years old)—referred to as formative
years—in our personality development. Crucial to this life stage is our
relationship with our primary caregiver—typically the mother. It suggests that
the kind of attachment we have with our primary caregiver/s, influence our
relationship in later life, including our choice of romantic partners and the way
we relate and operate within this partnership.
 Hence, from a psychodynamic view, love can be seen as a manifestation of our
eros and the placement of our libido (life energy) unto an object (a thing, or a
person towards who we transfer our psychic energies to ease pain or achieve
pleasure).
2. Color Wheel of Love
 John Alan Lee (1973), a Canadian psychologist,
suggested that there are different types of love. The
primary types are: eros (sexual and romantic), philia
(friendly), and storge (parental/filial love).
 The secondary types are: pragma (practical love),
agape (universal love), and philautia (self-love).
 It is possible for us to experience not just one, but
two or more of these types of love in our lifetime. A
child who loves her parents (storage) might
eventually find new friends whom to like once they
go to school (philia) and then experience romantic
love (eros) especially during her youth.
 3. Triangular Model of Love
 One of the most popular theories of love is
the triangular model by Sternberg (1986).
 This theory looks at love from a
psychometric stance, which means that it is
generally concerned about trying to
measure love as a psychological variable
and in determining various dimensions and
facets that love has experienced by people.
 According to Sternberg (1986), love has
three interlocking dimensions—passion,
intimacy, and commitment.
Three Interlocking Dimensions
of Love
Intimacy – feelings of closeness, connectedness, and warmth
in a relationship.
Passion – drives that lead to physical attraction, sexual
consummation and related phenomena.
Commitment – agency component of choosing to engage in
and maintain the relationship.
The presence or absence and the combinations of any of these
three dimensions indicates the type of love people experience
for another.
Non-love Absence of any of the three dimensions.
Infatuation Feelings of desire and physical passion for another without necessarily
being emotionally and cognitively connected to another.

Liking/Friendship Feeling bonded to another emotionally and cognitively without physical

desire nor commitment to be in a relationship.

Empty Love Committing in a relationship while not being attracted nor feeling an
emotional connection to a partner.

Romantic Love Feeling strong physical desire and being able to have deep and
meaningful conversations with a partner that allows one to feel safe
and accepted.

Companionate Committing for a long-term relationship with a person one trusts and
Love can meaningful conversations with.

Fatuous Love Committing for a long-term relationship with a person one is strongly
attracted to; also known as a whirlwind relationship.

Consummate Represents and ideal form of love and relationship.

Love
It is still important to note that
within the three dimensions,
there are more things to
consider in any intimate
relationship.
Also, relationships change
over time as both partners
grow as individuals. Hence, it
is important to consider and
regularly assess one’s
relationship.
 4. Love Languages
 Gary Chapman, a world renown author, suggested
that people have various ways through which they
give and receive love.
 He proposed a model to show how different
people may have developed different love
languages.
 Although to some extent, it is helpful to express
and receive all different forms of love language,
people may have a dominant love language, which
when ignored, may be interpreted as the absence
of love from their partner, leaving the person
wanting and feeling devalued in a relationship.
 5 Love Languages
Words of Using words/language to support Reminding someone of their
Affirmation a loved one strength when they’re starting to
doubt themselves.

Physical Touch Being physically close and Giving someone a hug after they
connected to a loved one cry.

Receiving Gifts Giving gifts to show a loved one Giving something to someone
they are remembered and special
thought of

Quality Time Spending time with a loved one Going on a hike with a partner
Acts of Service Doing helpful things for a loved Helping with house chores
one
 5. Relationship Stages Theory
 Each relationship goes through stages.
This is important to understand as people
sometimes go into a relationship thinking
how they felt and interacted with their
partner in the beginning will remain the
same throughout the rest of the
relationship.
 George Levinger proposed a five-stage
theory to describe intimate relationships.
Also known as the ABCDE of
relationships.
 Relationship Stages
1. Acquaintance

 Intimate human relationships start in acquaintanceship. We meet up through circumstances

and first learn about basic information about one another, crucial at this stage is attraction.

 What does it take for a person to actually decide to be acquainted with another? Attraction
can take place in an enabling environment.

 It
can happen when there is exposure—when due to proximity, there are repeated
possibilities of interaction. It can also happen when there is similarity—common
preferences, interests, and probably, beliefs and values.
 Relationship Stages
2. Buildup
 The involved parties begin to
introduce one another to each
other’s friends and families, thus,
making the social network larger
and interconnected.
 This is the stage when two
persons test their boundaries.
They test the waters before
engaging fully and so committedly
in the relationship.
 Relationship Stages
3. Consolidation and Continuation
 The third stage of intimate relationship is
consolidation. This stage is when people commit
to a long-term relationship with one another,
either through a personal agreement (i.e.,
exclusivity of partnership) or a social-legal
agreement (i.e., marriage).
 What makes people commit to a relationship, to
a point of legitimizing it through marriage?
Often, people set standards that are sustainable
(e.g., ability of each other to maintain a family
or a household, readiness of each other to raise
children, career, and financial capacities).
 Relationship Stages
4. Decline / Deterioration
 While not all relationships go through this stage, there are
those that encounter misunderstandings or irreconcilable
differences.
 These may range from changes in the priorities, attitudes
and values of each or both partners. This may also be
triggered by a stressor in the relationship that both partners
cannot resolve.
 Regardless, at this point, the partners have the option and
agree to compromise, ignore the concerns or consider the
last stage.
 Relationship Stages

5. Ending/Termination
 Finally, for those intimate partnerships
who are unable to address the causes and
circumstances leading to the deterioration
of their relationship, the stages culminate
into ending or termination of the
agreements made (either personal or socio-
legal) through informal (e.g., collective
decision to end the relationship) or formal
(e.g., marriage dissolution) means.
Activity 2
 Interview your parents, grandparents, or any adult in your
home or school who are in an romantic relationship. Ask
them to share their “love story” (how their relationship
started, how they maintain their relationship, and how they
deal with conflicts).
 Prepare a five-minute vlog or write a song summarizing
what you learned from these interviews. Upload your output
in the Neolms.
Thank You!