Metacognitive Reading Report # 1

GED109 – Gender and Society

Prof. John Mark H. Villanueva

Name: Agustin, Seth Jarl G. Section: GED109 – A4 Date Submitted: 11/10/2019

In the good olden times of our society, social norms and gender roles already played an
important part in the social construction of sex and gender. According to Aristotle, we human
beings, are animals that has gained a rational consciousness and it is natural for us to grasp the
ability to apprehend impossible changes that encompasses our world. With this in mind, we
human beings have experienced numerous changes that we forget where we once started. Before
time, we did not have any issues regarding sex and gender. We are told from the very beginning
that we human beings are categorized only as man and woman, and we accepted it. It was even
synonymous at that time that it doesn’t really need to be defined. However, as time passed by,
human beings has changed into fulfilling their own desires, and thus, resulting to the rise of
uncommon gender identities and the idea of sex and gender distinction is born. It was only at this
time that gender and sex had their own different meanings and definitions.

Although, sex and gender is a given, the human behavior is diverse and is still very
complicated, which gives rise to the existence of a third gender. The third gender can be classified
as other genders that are present in the society such as homosexuality, bisexuality, and
transsexuality. According to Robert Stroller, sex is determined by examining various biological
characteristics that you are born with originally, such as genitalia, gonads, and chromosomes. On
the other hand, gender is defined as either psychological or cultural and is based on the arbitrary
forms of behavior that corresponds to the terms, masculine and feminine. With this in mind, the
question what causes this behavioral or psychological means (gender) to shift from its foundation
(sex)? According to Moira Gatens, sex being the actual body and gender being the imaginary
body that only manifests through developmental influences, environmental conditions, and
interacting with the body image or biological traits of other individuals. Furthermore, it is also
manifested through fantasies about male and female bodies. A subtle instance of this context is
a child that grew with playing a doll or doing things that are not appropriate for their sex and is not
rectified or corrected in an early age, may result to that child to pursuing a different gender role.
 In addition to Robert Stroller’s context, Ann Oakley’s concept of distinction is the sex-role
theory or sex-role stereotyping, in which sex is also determined by biological characteristics,
however, gender is determined by one’s sex-role in the society or doing things that are gender
appropriate. For example, babysitting, midwifery, or nurses are usually seen being done by
woman more than man because of their soft and caring nature, whereas activities that involves
the use of extreme muscle performance and heavy loads of work such as construction, carpentry,
or even being the CEO of a company. Once one is able to conform the degree of masculinity or
femininity with their sex-roles, their gender is then naturally distinguished for them by the society.
To put things into perspective, the issues that arises from it is the reason why the need of
sex/gender distinction in our society is needed, that we may be able to live equally and to address
gender discrimination that is prevailing in our society today.

However, after reading the article published by Val Plumwood, it has then given me the
insight that there is a much better approach in dealing this issue about sex/gender distinction, and
that is degendering. However, there is a common misconception when it comes to defining
degendering. To clarify, one is the removal of all gender structures and social differences, while
the other is the restructuring or reforming of certain gender differences in a society thus,
transforming it. So basically, we choose the second definition which is also known as
‘regendering’. To transform a gender structure in a way that is more peaceful towards a goal of
uniting us all as a whole.