CHAPTER 1 : GENDER AND SEXUALITY AS A SOCIAL REALITY
Lesson 1: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
Definition of Terms:
Sex -the biological aspect of sex; maleness or
femaleness
Gender -he social interpretation of sex' masculinity,
femininity, etc.
Sexuality -the totality of our own experience of our sex
and gender
Sex Chromosomes -chromosomal markers that
distinguish females (XX) from male (XY) species
Intersex -individuals with composite genitals
(possessing some characteristics of both male and
female genitals)
SEX
 is the biological dimension of your gender and
sexuality.
 Also referred to as biological sex or
physical sex
 the term generally pertains to your identity
depending on your sexual anatomy and
physiology—the parts of your body that are
relevant to reproduction and the function of these
parts.
 Sex is typically determined by examining your
genitals— these are external organs that are
associated with reproduction—the process or the
ability to create offspring.
 Among humans, sex is often assigned at birth. If
at birth, a child is observed to have a penis and
testicles, and then the child is categorized as
male.
 If on the other hand, a child is observed to have a
vagina, then the child is categorized as female.
However, there are cases when the baby's genitals
appear to be a conglomerate of male and female
organs such that it may be difficult to classify the
baby's sex without further examination. In the past,
this condition is referred to as hermaphroditism
(from Hermes, a male Greek god, and Aphrodite, a
female Greek goddess). In modern times, the term
intersexuality is used to refer to this phenomenon.
Hermaphroditism or intersexuality is a naturally
occurring variation in humans and animals (1 in
1,500 births) according to the American
Psychological Association (APA) (2006).
Since it may be difficult to distinguish biological
sex by merely examining the genitals, there are
other
biological markers used.
Chromosomes—protein structures which contain your
genetic materials—are also used to determine sex.
 There are specific chromosomes referred to as
sex chromosomes, which marks a person's
biological sex.
 An individual with a set of XY sex chromosomes
is said to be a male, while an individual with a set
of XX sex chromosomes is said to be a female.
 The level of some hormones— chemicals in our
body that are responsible for sustaining bodily
processes—are also used as markers.
 For example, human males tend to have higher
levels of testosterone, which is associated to sex
drive and aggressions.
 On the other hand, human females tend to have
higher levels of estrogen and progesterone,
which are associated to lactation, menstruation
and other female reproductive functions.
GENDER
 However, humans are meaning-making
organisms. Our ability for higher order thinking
and our tendency to create social norms, allow
us to attach social and cultural meanings to
things, including our sex.
 For example, males are typically expected be
masculine and females are expected to be
feminine.
 Once parents are aware of their child's sex (male
or female) during birth or through prenatal
procedures such as ultrasound, they
automatically attach social and cultural meanings
to their child's sex and in doing so, they already
set an expectation in terms of how their child
should behave and how they should treat their
 child. This social dimension of one's sexuality is
referred to as gender.  How we express our gender is largely based on
 There are many ways through which gender is our social and cultural setting. Most are
manifested. As soon as a new baby arrives in the comfortable with their sex and gender; men who
family, adults surrounding the baby manifest their are masculine and women who are feminine.
social interpretation of the baby`s sex by the Each culture also has different standards on how
colors assigned to the baby. to be a man and a woman and how they should
 For example, it is common for families to buy present themselves according to their sex and
blue apparels and toys when the baby is a male, gender.
as the color blue is associated with boyhood.
Conversely, female babies are often assigned
the color pink, such that families would buy
clothes and toys that are color pink because the
color is associated with girlhood. Remarkably,
the moment a baby is born, the name, toys, and
apparels are picked by parents and relatives
based on their interpretation of the baby's sex.
 Throughout childhood and adolescence, this
assignment becomes more complex as the
expectations go beyond the kind of clothes worn,
but also in terms of how the person must or must
not behave.
 There are set of behaviors that all female
individuals must follow and so with the male
individuals, and all are expected to stick to these
behaviors that are aligned with their biological
sex.
 This phenomenon of determining the normality
of a behavior based on whether it conforms or
not to the expectations relative to one's biological
sex is referred to as heteronormativity.
 In the Filipino culture, girls are expected to have
certain characteristics of being gentle, caring,
and loving while boys are encouraged to be
strong, rough, and assertive. These expectations
also extend to how men and women are
expected to behave, the college courses they
take, and the jobs they apply to.
 However, there are people who do not follow
culturally-accepted standards of masculinity and
femininity like girls not wanting to wear dresses
and boys not wanting to play rough sports. This
is a natural variation of the human gender
expression. Social and cultural practices change
through time. Just 60 years ago, women could
not wear pants without social disapproval, and
now wearing pants is already an accepted
fashion trend among people of different genders.