Module 1: Sex Versus Gender

Lesson 1: Defining Sex and Gender Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, students are expected to:
1. Differentiate sex and gender based on their distinct definitions; and
2. Use the terms properly in discussions.

When filling out a form about personal information, you may have noticed that other than
your name, address, birthday, and birth place, you are also asked about your sex or gender to
which you would indicate as either male or female.
Historically, “sex” and “gender” have been treated as synonyms. It was not until the 1950s
that American and British psychologists, sociologists, and other professionals working on
gender-related issues pushed to distinguish one term form another.
By definition, sex and gender are actually different terms and thus these should not be used
interchangeably. It is a promising development that modern use of the terms “sex” and
“gender” are now based on their distinct meaning, as is appropriate.

SEX
• In general, sex refers to categories that people are assigned to at birth based on
reproductive characteristics.
• Biologically, organisms of various species are assigned either as a male or a female sex in
reference to the physical differences between a female organism and a male organism,
including primary characteristics such as the reproductive system and secondary
characteristics such as height and muscle mass. For example, a human child born having
a penis is categorized as male, while a child born having a vagina is categorized as
female.
• Genetic factors largely determine the sex of an organism. The sex chromosomes are
referred to as X and Y. whether a person has an XX or an XY chromosome depends on
what kind of human sperm cell fertilized a human egg cell. Typically, all human female
egg cells only carry X chromosomes. A human male’s sperm cell carries either an X
chromosome or a Y chromosome. If a sperm carrying a Y chromosome pairs up with the
egg cell, the resulting baby from this pairing would typically be a male.
• Did you know that there are instances where a person’s reproductive or sexual anatomy
does not conform to a typical male or female? This condition is called intersex.
o Intersex is a physiological condition where an organism has different variations
of the physical characteristics compared to a true male or a true female of its
 kind. This condition is usually due to some extra chromosome or a hormonal
anomaly during its embryonic stage. o Intersex is sometimes determined at
birth, but other times a person would only find out about the condition by the
time he or she reached puberty or as an infertile adult (though not all intersex
people are infertile.
o According to a study, a person born intersex occurs once in every 1500 to 2000
births.

GENDER
• If physical characteristics are determined by our biology, where did our non-biological
characteristics, such as the way we dress, come from?
• The World Health Organization defined gender as socially constructed characteristics of
a male person and a female person
• Etymologically, the word gender came from the Latin word genus, meaning kind, type, or
sort. It is the legal status differentiated through social roles, behaviors, capabilities,
emotional, intellectual, and social characteristics attributed to a given culture t women
and men.
• A summary review of UNESCO’s Accomplishments since the Fourth World Conference on
Women wrote that gender was:
The social difference and relation between men and women
which are learned, vary widely societies and cultures, and change over
time. The term gender does not replace the term sex, which refers
exclusively to biological difference between men and women. For
example, statistical data are broken down by sex. The term gender is
used to analyze the roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities and
needs of women and men in all areas in any given social context.
• Acceptable characteristics of gender vary between societies. For example, in countries
influenced by the American culture, women wear skirts and long dresses or gowns as
these are associated with being feminine and are socially appropriate for the female sex.
However, in Middle Eastern, Asia, and African cultures, men wear long robes, while
Scottish men wear a “kilt”, a knee-length garment resembling a skirt. These cultural
differences show that gender and their characteristics are dependent on what the
community deemed acceptable. Unlike a person’s sex, gender is not inborn.
• The proper terms in reference to sex are male and female; while the corresponding
terms for gender are masculine and feminine.

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER AND FAMILY

1. Functionalist. It assumed that the traditional nuclear family is a natural unit and
exists to maintain social order and is mutually beneficial to all. Marriage controls
sexual behavior and ensures it is morally acceptable, and parents can control
children.
 2. Marxist. It believed that the nuclear family is valued over the typical
workingclass extended family to encourage material aspirations. This family unit
is organized to reinforce passive acceptance of authority, hierarchy, and
inequality, thereby keeping the working classes (proletariat) under the control of
the middle/upper classes (bourgeoisie).
3. Marxist Feminist. It explained that the nuclear family benefits the powerful at
the expense of the working class, and women’s domestic labor enables the
future workforce to be raised at little cost to the patriarchal capitalist
community. The containment of women’s sexual services and domestic labor
within marriage ensures the male workforce is emotionally and physically fit.

SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOR

Work task is an allocated sexual division of labor, either in private household or in the
public economy. It is a specific expression of the division of labor where workers are
divided according to certain assumptions about “men’s works” and “women’s work”. It
is based upon gender divisions which, although socially constructed, are frequently
believed to be the outcome of the “natural” attributes of the sexes. Some form of the
sexual division of labor is apparent in most known societies, but its particular
manifestation and degree of differentiation are socially and historically relative.

GENDER CONCEPTS
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
(1) Differentiate the various gender concepts presented;
(2) Properly discuss understanding of gender concepts; and
(3) Apply knowledge in real life when addressing gender-related issues.

Gender Roles
• Gender roles are learned behaviors in a given society, community or other social
group. They condition activities, tasks, and responsibilities are perceived as male
or female. Gender roles are affected by age, class, race, ethnicity and religion,
and by the geographical, economic and political environment.
• Gender roles are social expectations comprising a range of behaviors and
attitudes considered acceptable and appropriate based on the assigned sex. •
The term “gender role” was coined by psychologist and author John William
Money in his research on how intersex people expressed their being male or
being female. Gender roles are focused on the concepts of femininity and
masculinity. Society expects people to adhere to their gender roles.
 • All cultures have expectations on what adult men and adult women should and
should not do. This division between sexes is historically based on two factors:
▪ Acquiring the basic needs to stay alive; and
▪ The biological reality that only women give birth

Gender Role in the Society

In many contemporary societies, women and men undertake typical tasks and
responsibilities. When people are faced with the issues of allocation, they generally
divide them into two important categories, the female work or the male work. These
tasks are allocated according to traditions and accepted norms in particular culture and
in effect determined the masculine and feminine roles.

On the baes of the sexual division of labor, there are five basic categories of
human activities, namely:

1. Reproductive Role. This includes childbearing/rearing responsibilitie and

domestic tsks done by women. This is divided intro three:
(1) Human or biological reproduction. It includes not only bearing children
but also reproducing the relationship of marriage, kinship, fertility, and
sexuality.
(2) Reproduction of labor. It means the case and socialization of children
and the maintenance of adult individuals who will fit into the social
structure of society.
(3) Social reproduction. These activities include caring of children, adults,
and old through activities of feeding the children, cooking food for adult
and old, washing, cleaning, nursing, and many other household activities.

2. Productive Role. This refers to social production or production of

commodities in which goods and services are for exchange rather than for
immediate consumption. Both women and men are engaged in these
activities. These activities carry a reward in the form of wages in cash or in
kind in return to their labor or the product they produce. However, men
generally dominate in these activities due to having more time and better
skills to get higher wages while women are concentrated in labor-intensive,
low paid jobs.
3. Community Management Role. This activity is related to the governance of
community life, the organization of cultural and social activities. Community
management work is voluntary and unpaid work. Both women and men are
engaged in these activities. However, men gain in this by earning social
prestige, and social leadership, whereas women’s community management
role is valued as doing some work in their free time.
 4. Community Politics Role. This activity is undertaken by men at the
community level, organizing at the formal political often within the
framework of national politics. This is usually paid work, either directly or
indirectly, through status or power.
5. Multiple Roles. Both men and women play multiple roles. The significant
difference, however, is that men are typically playing their roles
sequentially, focusing on a single productive role. However, women usually
play their roles simultaneously, balancing the demands of each within their
limited time constraints.

Sex Roles
Sex roles refers to the rules and standards of behavior and practices often
related to a person’s reproductive capacity. It is a function or role that a male or a
female assumes for the simple facts that it is the basic physiological difference between
sexes. It is a biologically determined role and can only be performed by that specific
sex. For example, child-bearing is a woman’s sex role while ovum fertilization is a man’s
sex role.
The term “sex role” is often used interchangeably with “gender role” but it
should be noted that sex and gender are to different terms. As such, gender roles are
culturally produced behaviors while sex roles imply that these are biologically
determined.

Gender Equality and Equity

Gender equality entails the concept that both men and women are free to
develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by
stereotypes, rigid gender roles and prejudices.
Gender equality means that the different behavior, aspirations and need of
women and men are considered, valued and favored equally. It does not mean that
women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities, and
opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.
Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to
their respective needs. This may include equal treatment that is different but which is
considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities.

Gender Mainstreaming
Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications
for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or
programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as
men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and
societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not
perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.
Five Areas of Gender Mainstreaming Activities and Implementation Measures:
(1) Gender sensitive language – the words used in addressing both men and
women must make both visible. Gender sensitive language applies to all kind of
written material as well as in verbal communication.
(2) Gender specific data collection and analysis – collecting, analyzing, and
presentation of data should be gender specific and takes social dimensions such
as age, ethnicity, income, and education among others in consideration
whenever possible.
(3) Equal access and equal use of services – the different effects of products and
services to men and women must be equally assessed.
(4) Decisions must equally involve all people – measures and strategies must be
geared towards balance and equal representation of gender.
(5) Equal treatment is integrated into management – paying attention to the
different needs of men and women in the workforce.

Gender Violence
Gender violence is a term used to refer to harm done unto a person or groups of
people due to their gender. It is violence directed against a person because of that
person’s gender or as violence that affects persons of a particular gender
disproportionately.

Forms of Gender Violence

1. Physical violence – any act or use of force to cause physical harm.
2. Sexual violence – any sexual act performed without consent
3. Psychological violence – any act that causes harm to the mind and emotions of
a person or group of people.
4. Economic violence – any act that causes harm to an individual’s productivity.
For example, property damage, restricting access to financial resources,
depriving education, prevents the person from getting hired, and/or not
complying with economic responsibilities.
5. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence – the use of technology to cause
harm to an individual because of their gender. This type of violence could be
anything related to the internet, especially social media.

Gender Stereotypes
Stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group.
Stereotypes about gender can cause unfair treatment because of a person’s gender.
Significantly, gender stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics and qualities
attributed to men and women in society.
Gender stereotypes have four basic kinds:
1. Personality trait – women are often expected to be accommodating and
emotional, while men are usually assumed to be self-confident and aggressive.
2. Domestic behaviors – some people presume that women will cook, clean the
house, and take care of their children, while men take care of finances, work on
the car, and do the home repairs.
3. Occupations – some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are
women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men.
4. Physical appearance – women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men
are supposed to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also supposed to
dress and prepare in ways that are stereotypical to their gender.

Common Terms in Gender Stereotypes

1. Gender role
2. Gender division of labor
3. Gender identity
4. Gender dysphoria
5. Gender consistency
6. Gender script
7. Gender assignment
8. Gender expression
9. Gender assignment/typing
10. Gender discrimination

Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination is a subtle or overt display of unequal treatment in
opportunities, benefits, privileges, expectations, and etcetera due to attitudes toward a
particular sex.

Types of Gender Discrimination

1. Discrimination in education – the unequal treatment in admission, financial aid,
grading, classroom assignment, counseling, guidance, and/or academic
programs, and opportunities.
2. Discrimination in employment – there are four major ways in which people are
discriminated in the workplace:
a. Hiring – the employer or the hiring officer has biases regarding the work
ethic of a gender.
b. Pay and benefits – men generally receive higher pay and given more
opportunities to grow career-wise.
c. Promotions – at work, there is a phenomenon called glass ceiling, a
metaphor used to describe an invisible but constantly present barrier that
 prevents women and members of the minority sector from rising beyond
their level in a corporate hierarchy.
d. Firing – being terminated from a job due to prejudices against one’s gender.
3. Maternity and pregnancy discrimination – usually this form of discrimination is
work-related. A pregnant female can’t get a job because she is pregnant while
other get demoted or fired from work because of her pregnancy.
PATTERNS OF INEQUALITIES

1. Inequalities in political power and representation: women are often underrepresented

in formal decision-making structure, including governments, community councils, and
policy-making institutions.
2. Inequalities in economic participation and opportunities: in most countries, women and
men are distributed differently across sectors. Women are receiving lower wages for
similar work, are more likely to be in low-paid jobs and unsecured work (part-time,
temporary, home-based) and are likely to have less access than men to productive assets
such as education, skills, property and credit.
3. Educational attainment: in most countries women have lower literacy rate lower level of
enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
4. Sexual and domestic violence: women tend to be more often victims in a form a
domestic violence by woman’s intimate partner, sexual exploitation through trafficking
and sex trade, in wars by an enemy army as a weapon of attempted ethics cleansing. Etc.
5. Difference in legal status and entitlements: there are many instances in employment
opportunities are denied to women by law or practice.

Gender Sensitivity
Gender sensitivity is about recognizing the issues and problems in how society perceived
gender. This includes understanding how stereotypes, discrimination, and gender roles
adversely affect people. The concept of gender sensitivity was developed to help reduce barriers
to personal and economic development created by gender-related problems. Being gender
sensitive is to be aware of how the people think of gender and rely less on traditional
assumptions or views on the role of women and men. It is about giving equal respect and
upholding the dignity of every person in thought, words, and action.

Gender Sensitive Language

According to the UN, the best practices or strategies to be more gender inclusive in using
the English language are the following:
1. Using non-discriminatory language
a. Use pronouns that the person identifies with.
 b. In using Ms (Miss) or Mrs (Missus), use Ms. To address a woman when the
preference is not known. Ms. Is more inclusive and can refer to any oman
regardless of marital status.
c. Avoid gender-biased expressions
“He fights like a girl”
“In a manly way”
“What a tomboy”

2. Make gender visible only when it is relevant for communication

a. Use the feminine and masculine pronouns to explicitly make both men and
women visible in the message. This strategy is called pairing.
b. However, pairing must not be overused because it would become distracting
and confusing.
c. Avoid using s/he or(s)he in written communications. The proper way to
indicate both women and men is to spell out the words, such as “she and
he” or “he or she”.
3. Do not make gender visible when it is not relevant for communication.
a. Use gender neutral words
b. Use plural pronouns/ adjectives
c. Ditch the gendered pronouns to avoid overusing the pairing strategy

Gender Neutrality and The Filipino Language

The Philippine languages are classified as a subfamily of the Austronesian languages. But
what is more interesting is that Filipino languages notably do not use gender-specific pronouns.
For example, siya, niya, kanya are pronouns that are used both for females and males.
However, after centuries of being colonized by Spain, some Filipino nouns pertaining to
family, work, and when describing a person coming from a particular country – a suffix (a) for
feminine and (o) for masculine were added as influenced by the highly gendered Spanish
language. Hence, tita and tito; lolo and lola; labandera and labandero; tindera and tindero;
chismoso and chismisa; Pilipino and Pilipina, etc.
However, despite the infusion of Spanish inflection with how the locals communicate,
the Filipino language is still among these considered as genderless language.

Theories of Gender Development

Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
1. Discuss how biological perspectives explain gender development;
2. Comprehend the interpersonal aspects of gender development; and
3. Discuss the foundational sociological lenses of gender development

Terms Defined
1. Theory - a logical statement of ideas explaining observed facts or phenomena.
2. Gender development – refers to the process by which a person builds his or her sense
of self within the context of the gender norms expected by his or her community.
Regardless of one’s birth sex, gender development is the process of how a person
expresses their femininity or masculinity as influenced by nature and nurture.
3. Gender norms – traits or behavior that are generally associated with either being a male
(masculine traits such as being dominant, brave, aggressive, competitive) or being female
(feminine trait such as helpless, need protection, nurturing, motherly, that men are the
breadwinners and women are the caregivers.

2. Biological Theories
Biological theories are the earliest approaches in explaining the physical and behavioral
development of a man and a woman. According to this theory, gender development begins at
fertilization and is a result of biological processes mainly in two ways: chromosomes and
hormones.
While study results of biological theorists in relation to gender development is inconsistent,
the theory still provides interesting insights on possible effect of genes and hormones on one’s
femininity and masculinity.

The Role of Chromosomes in Gender Development

The human body has 46 chromosomes typically arranged in 23 pairs, wherein the 23 rd pair
determines the biological sex as either female or male.
The biological approach in gender development holds that the XY chromosome contains genes
responsible for masculine traits such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, risk-taking tendencies,
among others. These genes were also attributed as contributors to the high mortality rate
among men. Additionally, biological views assert that the XY chromosome is not as stable as the
XX. Thus, aside from behaviors that would cause high mortality rate in men, they also tend to
have more health problems. Women, on the other hand, have different chromosomal
structures and these are said to be responsible for feminine traits such as being caring and
nurturing. Moreover, having traits that are “homey” rather than physical and aggressive,
women were said to enjoy better health than men.
Biological theory posited that masculine and feminine traits are already coded in the
chromosomes. These coded traits manifest in a person’s looks and behavior that explain the
physical and physiological differences between males and females.
A Typical Sex Chromosome
There are instances when chromosomes deviate from the usual XX/ XY pairing. This condition is
called atypical sex chromosome. Having an atypical sex chromosome means the person’s body
and behavior looks like a typical male or female, but their chromosomes do not align to their
birth sex. People with atypical sex chromosome also have distinct physical and psychological
manifestations.

Swyer Syndrome
1. The sex-deterining region Y gene in the Y chromosome carries the gene that causes
the embryo to develop testes. If the embryo does not have a Y chromosome, it will
not have SRY gene and the embryo would develop an ovary.
2. Swyer syndrome is a condition when the Y chromosome does not carry the SRY gene
or that the SRY gene does not activate
3. This condition affects 1 in 80,000 people.
4. People with Swyer syndrome have a typical female reproductive system but the
gonads are underdeveloped. They are typically raised as females, and based on
physical appearance their community would identify them as females. However,
clinically, their chromosomes are X’i.

Klinefelter’s Syndrome
1. This condition affects 1 in 500 to 1000 men.
2. The person is biologically male and has the physical appearance of a male.
3. However, this person carries an extra X chromosome in his chromosomal pairing,
hence XX’/.
4. Although physical appearance is male, the extra X chromosome causes less body
hair, underdeveloped genitals, and shows breast development.
5. As babies, and all the way to adulthood, men with XX’/ chromosomes are described
as having a mild temperament, passive and cooperative. Researchers assert that
these characteristics in XX’/ males suggest that aggression level has a biological
component.

The Role of Hormones in Gender Development

Biological theory claims that hormones determine how girls and boys behave. For example, in most
cultures, males are more aggressive than females. This phenomenon, according to biological
views, is explained by studies linking aggressive behavior to androgen in males.
1. Androgen – A hormone present in both men and women. However, androgen is
typically assigned as a male hormone because I is present in much higher levels in
 men and a significant factor in male traits such as aggression, competitiveness,
spatial ability, and higher sexual drive. Testosterone
- a major androgen hormone in males
- produced predominantly by males
- controls the development of male sex organs
- claimed to influence specific areas in brain development associated with
masculine behavior such as competitiveness, spatial skills, and aggressiveness,
among others.
- Some studies claimed that when an XX chromosome was exposed to high levels
of prenatal testosterone, the female child prevalently developed into a female
adult who generally did not identify with the female gender and whose sexual
orientation was towards other females.
Estrogen
- Primarily a female hormone
- Determines female sexual characteristics
- Linked in the development of feminine body shapes and facial features.
- Found to enhance feelings on intimacy, attachment, an the desire to have more
children.

Interpersonal Influences
Gender development is an important topic within the academic discipline of psychology.
Psychologists focus on how individual traits interact with the social environment to produce
behavior. Psychology is often interest on how biological and mental processes prduce or affect
behavior.

Psychodynamic Theory
Explains that human behavior is the result of a person’s uconscious psychological processes, and
that the adult personality is crucially shaped by childhood experiences. Generally, “libido”
means sexual activity. However, even though the term is from Freud’s theory, the term is
actually more than sexual drive or sexual activity. In Freud’s phases of psychosexual
development, he used the term libido to mean as energy that comes from drives or instincts
that direct behavior.
Freud further differentiated two kinds of drives: life drive and death drive. The life drive refers to
feelings of love or affection. These are impulses that drive us to connect to other people. On the
other hand, the death drive controls risky behaviors such as aggression.
Another crucial term in Freud’s theory is fixation. Fixation is a result of either frustration or
over-indulgence in the early phases of development wherein some part of a person’s libido was
stuck at a particular phase.
1. Oral
2. Anal
3. Phallic
 4. Latency
5. Genital

Cognitive Development Theory

The theory stressed that a child develops an understanding of gender as he or she actively seeks
information from his or her environment and organizes gathered information based still on his
or her cognitive understanding of gender groups.
Cognitive developmental theory influenced subsequent cognitive theories under a
common theme that the foundation of gender development is primarily the child's
understanding on gender.
Kohlberg's stages of gender development:
Stage 1 Gender labelling/gender identity (starting at three years old)
1. The child can identify the self as well as other people as a girl or a boy (mama is a
girl and papa is a boy).
2. However, gender is based on physical appearance and not seen as constant. Thus, a
girl sporting a barber cut could be identified as a boy.
Stage 2 Gender stability (starting at five years old)
1. The child can somewhat identify that gender stays as the person grows older
(boys would become daddies and girls would become mommies).
2. The child still does not fully appreciate that gender is constant even when
physical appearances change.

Stage 3 Gender consistency (at around six 81 11911 years old)

The child now has full appreciation that gender is constant through time and
appearances, and across situations.
 KOHLBERG'S STAGES OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT

Gender Labelling/ 2-3.5 years Labelgender- but only based on appearance.

Identity

Gender Stability 3.5-4.5 years Gender is consistent over time but can’t generalize this to others.
Appearance is still a factor a factor

Gender Constancy/ Consistency 6 years Gender is constant across time and situations. Gender
appropriate behavior.

SOCIALIZATION THEORY
Another theory that attempted to explain gender development is the Socialization
theory. This theory posits that socialization is responsible for gender development, and not
biological influences.
For example, American psychologist Sandra Bem's gender schema children learn about
male and female roles from the culture that they are part of, and that children align their
behavior with their culture, gender norms right at the earliest stages of their development.
Indeed, evidence in research found children as young as two years old displaying
knowledge of gender categories as influenced by the toys their parents gave them to play as
well as the stereotypical categorizations that the parents used in describing the toddlers' toys –
dolls are for girls and trucks are for boys. The repeated gender categorization by the people in
the child's environment formed the child, thinking and behavior as he or she tries to remain
consistent with the gender norms taught to them.
The four potential sources of gender development in children as a result from
socialization are:
1. Parents. The primary role models of their child's growing years.
2. Peers. Children conform to what their peers expect them to behave to avoid
negative reaction.
3. Institutions. Religious organizations, school, and the workplace are examples of places
where gender stereotyping is propagated further as gender labels are emphasized,
especially when these institutions react negatively to non conforming behavior.
 4. Self-socialization. Children learn to behave in ways that will benefit them. For
example, a child receives positive feedback (in forms like parental approval or the
child getting what he or she wants) from parents when conforming to expected
masculine or feminine behavior.
These sources of gender norms in children also contribute to the child's negative view
of self when these sources react negatively to the child's behavior that does not conform to
gender norms.

SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORY
Social-cognitive theory explains human behavior as a three-way, dynamic, give and-
take model. This theory describes three factors that play important roles in gender
development.
These are personal, behavioral, and environmental.
The theory claims that all three factors continually interact with each other which keep
development, and hi this instance, gender development, going. For example, children observe
their surroundings and form personal beliefs based on their observations. They this act out
these beliefs in their environment. Their environment in turn either accepts or rejects their
behavior. If the behavior was accepted by the environment, the child's formed personal belief
would be confirmed; but if the behavior was rejected, this it meant the formed personal belief
was negated.
Since environmental response differ (some people would accept the behavior, other
would reject it ), the child, formed personal belief and the behavior that she or he displays
would depend on which group the child sees as personally influential. If the child believes that
those who rejected the behavior are personally influential, then he or she would' change the
behavior. On the other hand. if the people who accepted the behavior are personally influential,
then the child would continue with his or her ways. This dynamic relationship further creates
complex systems that perpetuate gender development. As such, behavior relating to one,
gender can emerge through:
1. Observing the environment
2. Experiences resulting from one's behavior
3. Direct instructions from people who the child consider as primary
influences on how to behave Socialization theory and social-cognitive theory both assert
that environment factors are highly influential in gender development. However,
socialization theory views the environment as the primary initiator of the child,
development. Social-cognitive theory, on the other hand, believes that internal
motivation drives the child's development.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
Conflict Perspective. This theory explains that society is a stage on which struggles for
power and dominance are acted out. This assumption can be applied to the family and, by
extension, to gender roles. Its continued domination by males requires a belief system that
supports gender inequality, such as women are inferior outside the home, but they are more
valuable inside the home (Collins, 1994). Structural-Functionalist Perspective. This theory argues
that society is made up of symbiotic parts, which contributes to the functioning of the whole
society. It asks boo any given element of social structure contributes to overall social stability
and balance.

1. Preindustrial Society. During this society, the equality between men and women
was farming activities of most to gende preindustrial societies, role specialization according
r was considered a functional necessity. In their assigned hunting roles, men were
frequently away from home in prolonged periods and centered their lives on their
responsibility A bringing food to the family. Women, functional roles are more limited to
pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing. Sometimes, women also acted as farmers and food
gatherers, but they were dependent on men for food hunting and protection.
2. Contemporary Society. In this society, the father is expected to conserve the
integrity A the family by providing food and shelter to his family. When the mother takes a
dramatic role, she is expected to maintain healthy relationships and provide emotional
support and nurturing activities that ensure the household runs smoothly. Symbolic
Interaction Perspective. It asserts that people do not respond directly to the world around
them, but to the meaning they bring to it. This perspective also explains that gender roles
are learned through socialization process wherein women are socialized into expressive
roles (women are traditionally socialized, i.e., nurturing and emotionally supportive roles)
and men are socialized into instrumental roles, i.e., task-oriented roles.
 SOGIE 101
(Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression)

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
- Define sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression;
- Compare the three concepts: sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender
expression; and
- Discover the individual sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression

Sexual Orientation: Who Am I Attracted to?

Sexual orientation or sexual attraction refers to person’s emotional and sexual
attraction to others. Sexuality is complex and attraction can manifest very differently for
different people. Categories are commonly used to understand our attractions, but aren’t
always inclusive of the vast variety of expression that make up human sexuality. Sexual
orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of
these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes
or more than one gender. These attractions are generally subsumed under
heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality, while asexuality (the lack of sexual
attraction to others) is sometimes identified as the fourth category. Sexual orientation is
emphasized through the question “Who Am I Attract to?”.
Five Categories:
1. Heterosexuals – people who are attracted to a different sex. They are labelled to be
straight. A man attracted to a woman and a woman attracted to a man.
2. Homosexuals – people who are attracted to people of the same sex.
3. Bisexual – a person who is attracted to both men and women. Sexually attracted not
exclusively to people of one particular sex.
4. Asexual – people without sexual feelings or associations. Asexual individuals may still
experience attraction but this attraction does not need to be realized in any sexual
manner.
5. Pansexual – someone who is attracted to all genders. It is called omnisexuality, or
the sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex
or gender identity.
 Sexual orientation is also understood to refer to each person’s capacity for profound
emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with,
individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender.
Most of the research on sexual orientation identity development focuses on the
development of people who are attracted to the same sex. Many people who feel attracted
to members of their own sex come out at some point in their lives.
The Coming Out Phase
1. The first phase is the phase of “knowing oneself”, and the realization emerges that
one is sexually and emotionally attracted to members of one’s own sex. This is often
described as an internal coming out and can occur in childhood or at puberty but
sometime as late as age 40 or older.
2. The second phase involves a decision to come out to others.
3. The third phase involves living openly as a member of the LGBT community.

Gender /identity: Who Am I?

Gender identity is all about how you think about yourself. as you know it, do you think
you fit better into the societal role of “woman” or “man”, or does it neither ring
particularly true for you?
It has been accepted that we form our gender identities around the age of three and
that after that age, it is incredibly difficult to change them. Formation of identity is affected
by hormones and environment just as much as it is by biological sex. Oftentimes, problems
arise when someone is assigned a gender based on their sex at birth that does not align with
how they come to identify. For most people, their gender is consistent with their biological
sex. For some people, it’s different. This means that some people who were assigned male
or female by their doctor at birth express different gender identities later in life. Someone
assigned mae at birth may or may not later identify as a boy or a man, and someone
assigned female at birth may or may not later identify as a girl or woman.
According to the Yogyakarta principle, gender identity is understood to refer to each
person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not
correspond with the sex ssigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which
may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical,
surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and
mannerisms. Gender identity is an internal sense or awareness. For most people, it can be
described as a kind of man-ness or woman-ness, so to speak. But gender is not limited to
two. It’s not binary.
There are many more genders than man and woman.
1. Cisgender – people whose gender and assigned sex are the same (i.e. some who was
male at birth and identifies as a man).
2. Transgender – people whose assigned sex and gender is different. Transgender is an
umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from what
is typically associated with the sex assigned at birth.
 Sometimes, “trans” is used as an umbrella term for transsexual and
transgender. The LGBTIQA (lesbians, gays, bisexual, transexuals, intersex,
queer/questioning, and ally) belong to this umbrella.
1. Lesbians – women who are primarily attracted romantically, erotically,
and/or emotionally to other women.
2. Gays – men who are attracted to other men. In some context, the word
“gay” is used as an umbrella term to refer to the queer community as a
whole, or as an individual identity label for anyone who is not straight.
3. Bisexual – a person who experiences attraction to both men and women.
Bisexual attraction does not have to be equally split, or indicate a level of
interest that is the same across the genders an individual may be
attracted to.
4. Transsexual – a person who physically transitions from male to female or
vice versa. Transsexuals seek medical assistance (surgery, homone
injection, etc.) to align their desired gender.
5. Intersex – people who have chromosomes, hormonal profiles or genitals
that are not typically male or female. An example is a person with
Klinefelter syndrome.
6. The “Q” is most often referred to as “Queer” and sometimes as
“questioning”. Hoever, these two terms have different meaning. “Queer”
is an umbrella term for people who do not ascribe to a particular sexual
orientation or gender identity. On the other hand, “questioning” refers to
people who are in the process of exploring and discovering their sexual
orientation and gender identity.
7. Ally – a (typically straight or cisgender) person who supports and respects
members of the LGBTIQ community.

Gender Expression: How You Demonstrate Who You Are

Gender expression is all about how you demonstrate gender through the wyas you
act, dress, behave, and interact – whether that is intentional or unintended. Gender
expression is interpreted by others based on traditional gender norms (e.g. men wear pants;
women wear dress).
Gender expression is something that often changes from day to day, outfit to outfit, and
event to event.
While gender identity is internal, gender expression is how a person publicly
presents their gender. Gender expressions can be categorized as either feminine, masculine
and androgynous or two-spirited.
1. Masculine - a person who has qualities and characteristics which are associated with
a man.
2. Feminine – a person who has qualities and characteristics which are traditionally
associated with a woman.
 3. Gender neutral – a person whose qualities and characteristics differ from those
which are traditionally associated with a man or woman.
4. Androgynous – a person whose qualities and characteristics are combination of
those traditionally associated with a man or a woman.

This can include behavior and outward appearance such as how someone dresses, their
body language, mannerisms, their voice, etc.
A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender.
Someone may identify as a woman and dress in a traditional feminine way while someone
else may identify also as a woman but would dress in a masculine way.
Some indigenous people use the term two-spirited to refer to a person with a fluid
gender identity or transgender identity. The term is also sometimes used to refer to sexual
orientation – in a similar way as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer.
Children who do not conform to conventionally gendered behavior are sometimes
referred to as gender independent or gender creative. Kids who are non-conforming may or
may not grow up to identify as trans. Transgression of conventional, binary gender can be a
challenge to many social structures, including the use of gender pronouns (like she, he, her,
his, etc). never make assumptions, ask when you can (privately) and use the pronouns each
person chooses or prefers for themselves.