Lesson 2: Sexual Self and Gender and Diversity

Description of the lesson

Sex and topics relating to one’s sexuality is relatively a sensitive part of our culture.
Human sexuality is a very complex matter and when we are not informed and educated
about it, our views toward it will never change. All the more, by not understanding it, may
also lead to confusion to some parts of ourselves. This lesson also covers concepts on
Gender and Diversity.

Biological Sex: a biological trait that is determined by the specific sex chromosomes

inherited from one's parents.
Coming out: a metaphor for LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation or of
their gender identity.
Contraceptive: (of a method or device) serving to prevent pregnancy.
Copulation: sexual interaction
Gender Expression:  a person's behavior, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are
associated with gender in a particular cultural context, specifically with the categories of
femininity or masculinity
Gender Identity: defined as a personal conception of oneself as male or female (or rarely,
both or neither). 
Libido: persons’ overall drive or desire for sexual activity
Sexual Orientation: a term used to refer to a person's emotional, romantic,
and sexual attraction to individuals of a particular gender (male or female). 
Introductory Activity 2
Instruction: Write down all the words that you can think of when you hear the words
“Sexual Self”. You can freely write in the space below; don’t worry the words you share
here will not be shared with anyone else.

Reflective Questions: Answer the following debriefing questions. Write your answers on
the space provided.
1. Explain the phrase, “Humans are Sexual Beings”.
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2. Why do you think are majority of the youth interested in the topic about sex?
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Sexuality describes the whole way a person goes about expressing themselves as a sexual
being. It describes how important sexual expression is in a person's life, how one chooses to
express that sexuality, and any preference one may have towards the type of sexual partner they
choose. Sexual Self is a vital aspect one’s identity. This encompasses biological, physical,
emotional and social domain.
I. Physical and Biological Domain

All individuals vary when it comes to their sexuality, however in terms of physical and
biological aspect, there are two distinct characteristics for individuals. It starts at birth. When we
are born in this world, we are labelled according to the primary sexual characteristics we have –
which is Penis for the Males and Vagina for the Females.

Image Source:
As we grow older and reach our pre-adolescent age, we get to experience specific changes in
our bodies – both inside and outside. These changes may happen between pre-adolescent to
adolescent age of every individual. These may not necessarily come in order or altogether as our
bodies are different, however these changes are very evident as our bodies also mature.
Due to these changes, the sexual differences becomes clearer in our physical aspect. For
example, in Males the following physical and biological changes are often noticed.

On the other hand, females also experience different changes in their bodies.
 As an individual continues to mature, there may be more changes relating to their sexuality
that will occur. However, this time it would be more on the social and emotional aspect. This aspect
may not be perceived directly by individuals. Usually, it is discovered when one is open to
experiences and interaction with other people, cultures and societal standards.
II. Social and Emotional Domain

Our sexual self does not only focus on the changes in our bodies but also how we see and
interact with other people. During this time, we tend to find our romantic partners.

Image
Source:www.freepi

This domain focuses on the human sexual behavior. Human Sexual Behavior is any activity
that induces sexual arousal (Gebhard, P.H. 2017). Activities such as kissing, hugging, holding hands,
dating, flirting, getting a crush on, making love, etc. are examples of this behavior.
However, you may have noticed that not everyone expresses their sexual behavior the
same. Some may prefer one sexual behavior from another. Some may choose to show specific
sexual behaviors in the public. Some may not show these behaviors at all. Since people are different,
how they behave sexually may also be different. The following are the factors as that determine
one’s Human Sexual Behavior:

1. The inherited sexual response patterns that evolved as a means of ensuring

reproduction; genetic inheritance.
 This means that sexual behavior is in our genes. We are sexual beings it is part
of our nature to ensure that reproduction and continuation of our specie must
continue. This also means that the genes play a role on how an individual
behaves sexually.

2. Degree of restraint or other types of influence exerted on the individual by

society
 This means that society has an impact on our sexual behavior. In the Filipino
culture, talking about sex may be considered as a taboo, thus, not everything
that we need to know about it is easily accessible. Some people would get an
idea about sexual behaviors from television dramas, novels, movies, and in
social media. Most often, whatever information is readily available to us, is what
we usually believe and practice. Societal influence includes watching
pornography and reading/watching adult films/books. These influences also not
entirely bad nor good, creates an impact towards how individuals behave
sexually towards their partners and prospect partners.
Types of Human Sexual Behavior
1. Solitary Behavior – self stimulation that leads to sexual arousal and generally, sexual
climax.

2. Socio-sexual Behavior – any activity stimulating and leading to sexual arousal and climax
between 2 individuals.

Young people are very interested when it comes with conversation about sexuality. Why
is that?
As mentioned above, it is true that Filipino culture tend to dismiss discussing topics relating
about sexuality. Thus the youth becomes more curious about this. Aside from that, since there are
changes in one’s body, the young individuals tend to look for ways in order to understand fully the
changes that happens in them both biologically (ex. secretion of fluids from genitalia; sexual urges)
or emotionally (ex. feeling “kilig”, feeling happy or sad when being or not being with someone they
are attracted to).
Thus, the youth tries different experiments to answer their questions and to satisfy their
curiosity. Due to this, some may be involved with risk taking behaviors. Some young individuals
engage in sexual intercourse without knowing its consequences such as early teenage pregnancies
or sexually transmitted diseases.
Sexual Transmitted Diseases
1. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can infect both men and women. It
can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is a very common infection,
especially among young people ages 15-24 years. It is caused by a bacterial infection thus it
needs antibiotics for it to get treated. Symptoms in men may include A burning sensation
when urinating; A white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis; Painful or swollen
testicles (although this is less common). Symptoms in females may include Painful or
burning sensation when urinating; Increased vaginal discharge; Vaginal bleeding between
periods.

2. Chlamydia - is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia

trachomatis. If left untreated in both men and women, Chlamydia can infect the urinary
tract and potentially lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

3. Syphilis - is caused by a bacterium. Untreated, it can lead to complications and death.

Clinical manifestations of syphilis include the ulceration, wounds, and pus of the uro-genital
tract, mouth or rectum; if left untreated the symptoms worsen.

4. Trichomoniasis - is a common STI that is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite

called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis affects both women and men, but symptoms
are more common in women.

5. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) - damages the body's immune system, which
interferes with its ability to fight off disease-causing agents. The virus kills CD4 cells, which
are white blood cells that help fight off various infections. HIV is among the STD’s that are
untreatable. However, there are certain medical means in order for the body to fight the
bacteria. Note: HIV can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion
and being born from a mother having the virus. So let’s stop the misinformation and stop
discriminating 
Taking care of your sexual health
Take these tips by heart and understand your Sexual Self better. 
1. Value who you are and decide what’s right for you
2. Get smart about your body and protect it
3. Choose partners who treat you well, and treat them well
4. Build positive relationships
5. Maintain a proper hygiene
6. When in doubt, consult a professional.

The Diversity of Sexual Behavior: A Peek into the Colorful Spectrum of Sexuality
Human sexuality is indeed a very complex construct such that people confuse sex with
gender. Sex and gender are two entirely different concepts, even though at first, they may sound all
the same. The problem is the lack of integration among all the dimensions of sexuality. We also get
into what society and gender dictates, but not realizing the depth of sexuality inherent in every
person.
Below is a diagram called the genderbreadperson. It helps us understand gender and sexuality,
and the parts that make up both. Each of us has our own GenderBread Person. It is divided into 4
components. Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Biological Sex, Sexual Orientation.

GENDER IDENTITY: WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE

Gender Identity is all about how you think about yourself. It’s about how you internally
interpret the chemistry that composes you (e.g., hormone levels). As you know it, do you think you
fit better into the societal role of “woman” or “man,” or does neither ring particularly true for you?
That is, do you have aspects of your identity that align with elements from both? Or do you consider
your gender to fall outside of the gender norms completely? The answer is your gender identity.
One’s Gender Identity can be any of the following:
 Woman – perceiving yourself as a woman
 Man – perceiving yourself as a man
 Gender Queer – perceiving yourself as neither of the two
GENDER EXPRESSION: HOW YOU DEMONSTRATE WHO YOU ARE
Gender expression is external appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed
through behavior, clothing, haircut or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined
behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine. One’s
Gender Expression can be any of the following:

 Feminine – expression of behavior, clothing, haircut etc is inclined with societal

standards of a female.
 Masculine – expression of behavior, clothing, haircut etc is inclined with
societal standards of a male.
 Androgynous – expression of behavior, clothing, haircut etc is inclined with
societal standards of either female or male or a mix of both.
BIOLOGICAL SEX: THE EQUIPMENT UNDER THE HOOD
Biological sex refers to the objectively measurable organs, hormones, and chromosomes
you possess.

 Female – means having a vagina, ovaries, two X chromosomes, predominant

estrogen, and the ability to grow a baby in your abdominal area
 Male – means having testes, a penis, an XY chromosome configuration,
predominant testosterone, and the ability to put a baby in a female’s abdominal
area
 Intersex – individuals born with lacking or additional chromosomes that may
have classification that differentiates from being male and female (such as
Klinefelter, Hermaphrodite etc)

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: WHO YOU ARE ROMANTICALLY AND SEXUALLY INTO

Sexual orientation is all about who you are physically, spiritually, and emotionally attracted
to, and the labels tend to describe the relationships between your gender and the gender types
you’re attracted to.

 Heterosexual – are romantically and physically attracted to members of the

opposite sex: males are attracted to females, and females are attracted to males.
 Homosexual – are romantically and physically attracted to people of the same
sex: females are attracted to other females; males are attracted to other males.
 Bisexual – People who are bisexual are romantically and physically attracted to
members of both sexes.

Always take note that respecting our sexuality means respecting the sexuality of
others. People should not be seen and identify as a sexual object. Nobody should be a sexual object.
There should be zero tolerance for sexual discrimination and sexual abuse.
APPLICATION
Name: _________________________________________ Course, Year & Section: _______________________
Instruction: In this activity, pictures of famous individuals is shown. You will be asked to
provide their specific Genderbread components. For the last item, you will be providing
your own Genderbread component and provide a short phrase about your understanding of
the lesson.

1. Jake Zyrus
Gender Identity ____________________
Gender Expression ____________________
Biological Sex ____________________
Sexual Orientation ____________________

2. Boy Abunda

Gender Identity ____________________

Gender Expression ____________________
Biological Sex ____________________
Sexual Orientation ____________________

3. Mark Bautista

Gender Identity ____________________

Gender Expression ____________________
Biological Sex ____________________
Sexual Orientation ____________________

4. Kathryn Bernardo

Gender Identity ____________________

Gender Expression ____________________
Biological Sex ____________________
Sexual Orientation ____________________

5. YOUR NAME HERE: _________________________

Gender Identity ____________________

Gender Expression ____________________
Biological Sex ____________________
Sexual Orientation ____________________

Briefly answer the question: What is your most significant learning on this lesson?
 Lesson 3: Material Self

Description of the lesson

This lesson explains the reason of our behavior when purchasing. One’s material or
economic self is an intangible self that when not explored, may have an effect with our
interaction with specific people.
We may have noticed our pattern and reasons when buying things, however, this
lesson will present theories that will help us understand our material self better. You have
learned from the previous lessons that our material self is an extension of individual’s
identity, thus the need to explore it.

Behavior: the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others.
Consumer: a person who purchases goods and services for personal use.
Needs: of necessity.
Physiological: relating to the way in which a living organism or bodily part functions.
Possession: any tangible or intangible item that you own.
Purchase: acquire (something) by paying for it; buy.
Wants: have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
Introductory Activity 3
Instruction: You are given a credit card without limit. However, you are only allowed to
buy ten (10) items. What will it be? List down below the items you wish to buy. After
finalizing your list, write the reason of buying that item.
ITEMS REASON OF BUYING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Answer the following questions. Refer to the previous activity in answering the
questions.

1. From your list, identify the items you need and want.

Needs: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Wants: __________________________________________________________________________________________

2. How did you feel after purchasing these items based on your needs and wants?

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There is an aspect of our self that we do not seem to notice that we have. This is the
material self. This is a total of all of the tangible things you own: your possessions,
your home, your body. We are deeply affected by these things because we have put
much investment of our self to them.

In this lesson we will be discussing concepts relating to how our

possessions are a significant part in understanding the self.
I. William James (Me-Self)

According to William James, when we think about buying things, we will always
have the following sequence in determining our priorities.
1. Body –
This is considered as the innermost part of our material self. This priority
enables us to focus more on the needs of our body such as food, nutrients,
water, medicines, safety, or leisure.

2. Clothes –
Next, this one is considered as a form of self-expression. Since we choose and
wear clothes that reflect who we are, we tend to invest more on this one. Such
as our daily attire for work, school, hanging out, meeting people and attending
events.

3. Immediate Family –
Our family holds another great important part of our self. What they do or
become affects us. Sometimes we often think about the needs and wants of our
family because they are dear to us. Take note: Our priorities for ourselves is
sometimes first than our families not because we do not love them but because
of the saying “we cannot give what we do not have”.

4. Home –
Home is where our heart is. It is the earliest nest of our selfhood. Since majority
of our development was at home, we treat it as a big part of us. It is but normal
to desire providing for your home.

II. Possessions as Symbolic Expressions of Identity

There’s an observation that one’s possessions are considered a part of oneself.

They are symbols and extensions of the personal and social aspects of her/his identity –
Symbols and extensions of one’s self maybe manifested on the examples below:
 “This outfit is s---o you!”
 “This is the perfect gift for you!”
 “My ancest ral land is all I am”
 “I don’t want to be poor anymore”
 “This is all I have and you are taking them away?”

What are examples can you think of other than the above? __________________________________

III. The Role of Possessions by Levi-Strauss

 According to this perspective, possessions are not just symbols and extensions of
the self. They also play a role on our lives and the society as a whole. Sometimes having
more or less of a possession creates an impact of how we view ourselves and others.
 Influence –
Having a possession creates an influence towards other people. This may
make them want to be with you or not.
 Power –
When you tend to own many things or have a lot of money to own
expensive things, society seems to provide the innate power over others.
We often see this among rich people. They have the power to do and be
given privilege over the rest of the people in the world.
 Sympathy –
Having more or lack of certain possessions in life makes us sympathize
with others who may be on the same boat or worse. For instance, if you
have lived in a very simple life, you are able to relate and sympathize
with others the same or who has a worse situation than you.
 Social status –
The same way that possessions give us influence and power, it also gives
an individual a sense of status in the society depending on the quantity
of things they own. In society we see right now, the more you have, the
higher is your status. The same can be said when we have less
possessions.
 Emotions –
There are also instances when having or not having some possessions
affects our mood and emotions in general. Such as wanting to have that
specific bag or specific shoes, when we could not get it, we tend to be
frustrated and sad. But when we do have it, it lightens our mood and
makes us happy.

Aside from the roles and symbols these possessions have in the self, there are
instances that we become too obsessed with having that it affects how we see things that
we have and things we want to have. When people want a specific thing and they are not
yet able to acquire due to lack of money, circumstances and other factors, they tend to do
certain things in order to get what they want. There are even some people who get
motivated to work hard in order to be able to save for that specific item they want to buy.
Some resort to stealing, lying, and scamming to others in order to get what they want. You
get to realize that sometimes, material things do have an impact on who we are.

Below are the following reasons why people become obsessed with possessions:
Consumer Values Orientation for Materialism (Richins, 1991)
1. Acquisition centrality –
These individuals tend to place
possessions and the process of
acquiring possessions at the center of
their lives.

2. Acquisition as the pursuit

of happiness –
These individuals tend to view their
possessions and their acquisition as a
means of providing the materialist
with some level of personal well-
being or satisfaction with their lives.

3. Possession-defined success –
These individuals tend to base their
own and others’ success on the
number and quality of possessions.

Sometimes, we become too absorbed with wanting more things but not really
thinking whether what these material things are truly for. Remember, it is good to provide
ourselves with what we need and to also reward ourselves with our wants, however, it
should be done in moderation. Take note: Too much or too little of anything is dangerous
specially when it comes to material things. Always make sure we value the concept of
contentment.

Application:
Name: _________________________________________ Course, Year & Section: _______________________
Directions: Answer the following questions honestly. Write your answers in the space
provided

1. How do you think did your family and relatives influence in your development
of the self?

2. What social pressure do you think has affected the development of your “self”?

3. In what way did these social pressures become good or bad for you?