GENDER

Introduction
Key Concepts
SEX- refers to the categories that most
contemporary societies define as physically
based, despite the existence of many people
(e.g intersexed persons) whose bodies do not
fit neatly into either female or male category
(Kramer, 2005).
Key Concepts
Sex refers to the two
biological categories
called ‘male’ and ‘female.’
It also pertains to sexual
intercourse.
Key Concepts
UP Diksyunaryong Pilipino defines the two
biological categories (sexes) as follows:

Ba-ba-e
png.1: tumutukoy sa sex na may
kakayahang magbuntis at manganak. Var babai,,
babaye, babayi, bayi. Cf. Ale, Binibini,
dalaga:bebay, bii, dame, female, lahignit,
parampoan .
Key Concepts
UP Diksyunaryong Pilipino defines the
two biological categories (sexes) as
follows:
La-la-ki
tumutukoy sa sex na nakakabuntis o
nakapagdudulot ng bunga sa
pamamagitan ng pertilisasyon o
inseminasyon.
Key Concepts
In the Diksyunaryong Pilipino, sex was
translated as 1) Kasarian, & 2) Karat.

Other Filipino terms used to refer to

sexual intercourse (or the act of doing it):
luto ng Diyos, yari na!, may nangyari,
galaw, kakarnihin, sibak, biyak, gamit,
araro, bayo, dilig, etc.
Key Concepts
GENDER- is the TOTALITY of meanings
that are attached to the sexes within a
PARTICULAR social system (Kramer,
2005).

-It is the cultural interpretation of

femaleness and maleness.
Key Concepts
It is the cultural,
sociological, and Gender
psychological
meanings associated
with masculinity and
femininity.
Key Concepts
In the Philippines, there is no equivalent
term for gender. Both sex and gender are
translated as KASARIAN.

• Examples of Tagalog gender categories:

lalaki paminta
babae tsiksilog
bakla, syoki
tibo
Silahis
Key Concepts

A stereotype is an exaggerated and

usually prejudiced view of a group of
people that is based on little or no
evidence and is resistant to modification
by evidence (Bruce & Yearley, 2006).
Sex differences: Actual or Perceived?

Females consistently score higher on

verbal, reading, and writing test.
Spatial skills—males
outscore females on
mentally rotating objects,
females score better on
remembering locations of
objects

Math Skills—males score

slightly better than females but
the average difference very
small (Woods, 2007)
Sex differences: Actual or Perceived?

Reported differences between males and

females in sexual attitudes and behavior have
become less pronounced since the 1960s.
 Sex differences: Actual or Perceived?

Some examples of significant biological

differences (Woods, 2007):

Women are more likely than men to

experience pain. Their pains are also
less likely to be taken seriously by
doctors.
Women are more likely than men to suffer
from migraine headaches and lupus; Men are
more likely than women to suffer from
cluster headaches.
 Sex differences: Actual or Perceived?
Some examples of significant biological
differences (Woods, 2007):

On average, women’s brains are smaller

than men’s; women’s brains are also more
densely packed with neurons than men’s.

Women and men typically have different

symptoms of heart attack. Women’s
symptoms include shortness of breath, jaw
pain, backache and extreme fatigue. Men’s
primary symptom is usually chest pain or arm
pain.
Sex differences: Actual or Perceived?

Despite some differences, men

and women are alike in many
respects.

Differences should not be use

as basis for unequal social
standing.
Gender is…
❑ Socially constructed.
❑ Situated at a particular
socio-cultural and
historical context.
❑ An identity or a role that
we perform every day.
How do we perform gender?
The clothes we wear

‘...the wearing of a
particular set of
clothing can create
an entire social
world.’ (Suthrell,
2004, p.16)

Jazz Musician Bill Tipton

 How do we perform gender?
Example: Gender and color codes

• Early years of 20th cent.-

boys wore pink (a
stronger/more decided
color) and girls wore blue
(delicate and dainty). The
reversal happened only
after WWII.
How do we perform gender?

• In 1990s, red neckties

were made as
accessories for male
professionals (such as
lawyers, anchors); way
back in 1909, wearing
one of them was one
way to recognize a male
as homosexual.
How do we perform gender?
• From red, the color
related to homosexuals
turned green in the
1950s.
• Now, lavender or purple
and pink are the colors of
gay identification; a
reaction to the Nazi’s
pink triangle as a label to
stigmatized homosexual
men.
How do we perform gender?
The things we use.

Cars for boys,

dolls for girls.
How do we perform gender?
demeanor
and behavior

Feminine =woman;
masculine=man

Girls as delicate;
boys as rough
How do we perform gender?
profession/job

Sexual Division of labor

(traditional view):
• Public/ private sphere
• Productive role/
reproductive role
How do we perform gender?

These refer to the social

expectation that society attaches
to gender and their expression- for
example in speech, demeanor,
gesture, posture and dress ( Bruce
and Yearley, 2006).
 Gender roles are
acquired through the
basic processes of
learning, including
reinforcement,
punishment, and
modeling.
How do we perform gender?
Gender roles are learned.

Economic, political, and

socio-cultural changes in society
affect our gender roles.

E.g. Due to economic changes,

women were allowed to partake in
the formal economy (public sphere).
How do we perform gender?
Gender roles are NOT
innate/biologically based, they are
culturally determined.

In terms of gender roles, the only limit

dictated by biology is that women can
get pregnant, lactate and menstruate.
The rest of gender roles (such as child
rearing) are not limited to these
biological capacities.
 Gender Identity vs. Sexual Orientation
•“Gender is used in several ways. It
may refer to gender roles or
expression: the behavioral
characteristics considered
“masculine” or “feminine” in a
particular time.
 Gender Identity vs. Sexual Orientation
•“Gender” may also refer to gender
identity.
•Many people challenge the
expectation that the genitals we are
born with should dictate almost all of
our physical, emotional, and
psychological attributes.
 GENDER IDENTITY

•‘What we call ourselves’

•Refer to one’s view of oneself as

male or female or trans. It does not
always corresponds to the biological
sex.
TRANSGENDER

• refers to those who defy

conventional gender definitions. They
express their gender identities in a
range of ways.
Transgender
•A broad umbrella term referring to
people whose gender identity and/or
presentation do not fit traditional
norms. Often abbreviated to “trans”.
Transsexualism is not equal to
Transvestism

◼ This refers to those who derive sexual

gratification from cross-dressing
(Bailey in Evans and D’Augelli,
1996).
Transsexualism is not equal to
Transvestism

•In the West, a large majority of

transvestites are heterosexual men.
Thus transvestism should not be
confused as a gender identity.
Transsexualism is not equal to
Transvestism
•The confusion with the two concepts may
possibly brought by the fact that
transsexuals, frequently cross-dress to pass
as members of the opposite sex.

◼ Thus, transvestism is not solely

associated with transsexuals but even
‘straight’ men/women and other
genders.
Transsexual
•A person who lives as the opposite gender.
The process of changing gender can
involve any or all of the following
changing use of pronouns; changing
names; changing clothing; taking
hormones; and undergoing sex
reassignment surgery.
Transsexual

◼ A FTM surgery wherein the clitoris,

which has been enlarged by testosterone
therapy is formed into a small penis, and
the labia are formed to look like a small
scrotum.
Transsexual

◼ A MTF surgery wherein an artificial

penis is created over several operations
with skin taken from other parts of the
body. The scrotum is also constructed,
using tissue from the labia.
TRANSSEXUAL

‘Transpinay’- transsexual
women in the Philippines
TRANSSEXUAL

In the Philippines, there is an

organized group of transsexuals
namely Society of Transsexual
Women in the Philippines
(STRAP).
Female to Male Transsexual
(FTM)
•Someone who was born biologically
female and identifies as male. FTMs
are also sometimes referred to as
transmen. Some of them have
undergone sex reassignment surgery.
Female to Male Transsexual
(FTM)

Thomas Beatie, ‘the

pregnant man’
Male to Female Transsexual
(MTF)
•Someone who was born biologically male
and identifies as female. MTFs are also
sometimes referred to as transwomen.
Some of them have undergone sex
reassignment surgery.
TRANSSEXUALS

•Many transsexuals feel that the sex

assigned to them from birth does not
accurately reflect who they are.

◼ Individuals who want their physical

anatomy to match their gender identity-
that of the opposite sex.
Genderqueer
•Someone who blurs, rejects, or otherwise
transgresses gender norms. Also used as a
term for someone who rejects the two
gender system (man/woman).
 Gender-related labels are not used to describe only the trans.
Within queer communities, “butch,” “femme,” and
“androgynous” are a few of the terms use to describe their
place on a spectrum of masculinity and femininity.
 Within straight communities, we may use
terms like “girly-girl” and “tomboy” to label
gender characteristics or expressions.

In the Philippines, terms we commonly

used include tibo, biyanang, lesbyana,
tomboy, bakla, silahis, paminta, etc.
MYTH AND REALITY?
•Sex and gender are two words for
the same concept.
Myth. Sex is often defined as a person’s
biological features; Our gender, separate
but often connected to our biology, refers
to the behavioral characteristics
considered masculine or feminine in a
particular culture and time. Gender also
involves our internal sense of ourselves
as a man, a woman or other identity.
•People can be fired based on their
sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Reality. In most places in the United
States it is legal to fire employees
because they are trans, lesbian, gay,
or bisexual, though some states and
municipalities have enacted civil
rights protections based on sexual
orientation.
Sexual Orientations
•‘Whom we find attractive’

gender identity pertains to a

person’s view of him/herself while
sexual orientation refers to
sexual object choice or one’s
preference for a sexual partner.
Sexual Orientations

This refers to women who are

sexually attracted to men and
men who are sexually attracted to
women.
Sexual Orientations

In the Philippines, though we

understand the term
heterosexual, there is no exact
Filipino translation for it.
Sexual Orientations

This refers to women who are

sexually attracted to women and
men who are sexually attracted to
men. This is often used to refer to
men exclusively.
Sexual Orientations
Construction of ‘Bakla’

•Though loosely translated as

homosexual or gay, the Bakla in
Philippine culture transcends concept
of ‘sexual object of choice’ or issue
of sexual preference.
Construction of ‘Bakla’

•The Bakla is foremost an effeminate

male.
◼ Heis usually depicted as a
cross-dresser.
◼ Heis sexually attracted to ‘real men’
and not to other Bakla.
Construction of ‘Bakla’

•Today, many middle class Filipino

men may identify themselves as
‘gay’ but not as ‘Bakla’
Sexual Orientations

This refers to a
woman who is
sexually attracted
to women.
Sexual Orientations

On the average, more gay men

seeks contact from a variety of
sexual partners than do lesbians
or heterosexual males.
Men are quite likely to pursue sex
with other men prior to defining
themselves as gays.
Sexual Orientations

• a powerful derogatory term for gays in

some communities, this word is now used
positively by many lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people to refer to
themselves. It is sometimes used to
describe an open, fluid sexual orientation.
Sexual Orientations

•Describes someone who is not

experiencing or is not acting on
sexual attraction at a given time.
Sexual Orientations

• someone who is attracted to people across

the range of genders.

• Often used by those who identify as

transgender or genderqueer or who are
attracted to people who are transgender or
genderqueer.
Sexual Orientations

This refers to a person who is

sexually attracted to men and
women.
Slangs for bisexuals: AC/DC;
switch-hitter; fence-sitters; traitors.
Sexual Orientations

many bisexuals align themselves

with the gay and lesbian
community for support.
Two Theories of Bisexuality

◼ Bisexuality is viewed as a transition

from heterosexuality to
homosexuality; Arriving at a bisexual
identity in this way is often associated
with confusion, conflict and
ambivalence about sexual orientation
Two Theories of Bisexuality

◼ This associates bisexual identity with

personal growth; a wider range of
possibilities for fulfillment and
flexibility in personal lifestyle.
BISEXUALITY
•Bisexuality has historically been
misunderstood and maligned. Labeled
as confused, sex addicts, or not queer
enough, people who identify as
bisexual have often been stigmatized
in both gay and straight communities.
SILAHIS as BISEXUALITY?

•In the Philippines, the term,

‘bisexual’ is not as widely used as
homosexual.

◼ SILAHIS is the Tagalog term that

loosely translates the word ‘bisexual.’
SILAHIS as BISEXUALITY?

•Silahis is almost exclusively used for

males.
◼ Silahisrefers to a male who is
attracted both to males and
females; he is not Bakla and not
effeminate (in public).
SILAHIS as BISEXUALITY?

◼ Tracing its origin, Silahis is a

Tagalog term which means ‘rays of
the sun’
•“Silahis is a metaphor referring to the
change of identity a person has from
day to night.” (Tan, 1996)
SILAHIS as BISEXUALITY?

◼ The term Silahis is a bit derogatory

because the label tends to question
the identity of a person.
◼ Theterm is used ‘when you can’t
be sure’ if the person is a Bakla
or a ‘tunay na lalaki’ (real man).
SILAHIS as BISEXUALITY?

◼ The peculiarities here in the

Philippines is that ‘bakla and
silahis’ are too terms that go
beyond sexual orientation but
also a manifestation of gender as
cultural construction.
◼ Inthe West, gay men are those
who have sexual attraction and
sexual relation with men, but here
in the Philippines, there are men
who have sex with men but do
not consider themselves as
homosexuals (e.g. callboys).
ISSUES: BIPHOBIA

•Fear or hatred to bisexual people.

◼ There is a level of biphobia even

among gays and lesbians, the reason
why some bisexuals may be less
willing to disclose their sexual
identities.
ISSUES: HOMOPHOBIA
The fear and hatred of homosexuality or gay, lesbian, or
bisexual people - affects the lives of queer people in many
ways. It put us at risks of discrimination, harassment, rejection,
or violence in our everyday interactions with family, friends,
and strangers, and it can affect our ability to accept who we
are.
Internalized homophobia
• It occurs when a trans take on, often unconsciously, society’s
prejudice and stereotypes regarding gay, lesbian, or bisexual
people.

• Internalized homophobia may lead to self- hatred, denial of

transgender identities, or attempts to live a heterosexual life.
ISSUES: Transphobia

•It is the fear and hatred of

transgender or transsexual people.
ISSUES: Heterosexism

• the assumption that heterosexuality is

the only normal orientation- thus,
denying legal, religious, and social
privileges among the transgendered
persons.
GENDER ISSUES

How men and women are

presented in Media affects
the meanings we attached
to gender.
GENDER ISSUES

The INVISIBILITY of
women and transgenders
in various discourses is
an issue of
representation.
GENDER ISSUES

The presence/absence in
the political arena of
women and transgenders
continuously create
challenges in the
patriarchal system.
GENDER ISSUES

Example: (Philippines)
As of 2008, only 22.8%(53
out of 236) in the House of
Representatives and 16.7%
(4 out of 24) in the Senate
are women
GENDER ISSUES

The unequal treatment

of individuals on the
basis of their personal
characteristics (sex,
gender, age, race,
class, etc.)
GENDER ISSUES

Discriminatory
practices on all
aspects of life
limits the
opportunities of
other gender.
GENDER ISSUES

Describes the
secondary
position of women
(and other
genders) vis-à-vis
men in society.
GENDER ISSUES

Subordination is manifested in a variety of

spheres (home, community). The authority
structure is generally based on male dominance
thus leaving the women at the shadow of the
‘private sphere.’
GENDER ISSUES

There are various forms

of violence such as
domestic violence,
violence against women
(VAW), and violence
brought by military
conflicts and war.
GENDER ISSUES

There are some

cultural practices
which reflect the
institutionalization of
violence. (e.g. female
circumcision,
foot-binding, wife
burning, bride
kidnapping, etc.)
GENDER ISSUES

Some facts and figures regarding global

gender-based violence:

In South Africa, a woman is

raped every 80 seconds.
Domestic violence is the leading
cause of injury and death for
women worldwide.
GENDER ISSUES

Some facts and figures regarding global

gender-based violence:
Everyday, 6000 girls are genitally mutilated.
59% of Japanese women are victims
of domestic violence. In Kenya, 42%
of women and in Pakistan, 80% of
women experience violence within
the home.
GENDER ISSUES

Some facts and figures regarding global

gender-based violence:

4 million women and girls are

trafficked annually. (United Nations)
An estimated one million
children, mostly girls, enter the
sex trade each year (UNICEF)
GENDER ISSUES

Some facts and figures regarding global

gender-based violence:
Here in the Philippines, in 1995, 53%
of the hundreds inmates on death row
were convicted of rape and
rape-related crimes.
An estimated one million children, mostly girls,
enter the sex trade each year (UNICEF)
GENDER ISSUES

“No this is
not Mel’s
secretary.
This is
Mel.”

The proliferation of gender

stereotypes boxed the
individuals, limiting their
potentials and opportunities.
GENDER ISSUES

Women are
simultaneously
performing reproductive
and productive roles
because of their
inclusion in the formal
economy.
GENDER ISSUES

Today, sex became a

commodity which is
readily available in
the market.

The implication is that

the individual was
reduced into a mere
product or commodity.
 SOURCES
Bruce, S. & S. Yearley. (2006). The Sage Disctionary of Sociology. Sage
Publications, Ltd. London. (pdf format)
Kramer, Laura. (2005). The Sociology of Gender, A Brief Introduction, 2nd ed.
Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles. Pdf and ms word)
Suthrell, Charlotte. (2004). ‘Clothing Sex, Sexing Clothes,’ in Unzipping Gender.
Berg, New York. (pdf format)
___. (2008). Gender Profile: Philippines. FES Philippine office.
Woods, Julia. (2007). Communication, Gender and Culture, 7th ed.Australia:
Thomson Wadswroth.
http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/facts.html#globaled for sexually transmitted
infections were younger than 5. (UNFPA)
http://www.learningpartnership.org/resources/facts/violence
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