CHAPTER I:

1 | Gender and Society

Leveling Off: Gender and
Sexuality
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
A. Differentiate gender from sexuality;
B. Explain gender socialization;
C. Identify gender stereotypes and the problem stereotyping brings; and
D. Discuss sexual orientation and gender identity and expression of SOGIE.

GENDER
AND
Sex and gender are two very essential yet underrated parts of human life. They affect all aspects of our lives,
SEXUALIT
from how we look at and act in the jobs we take to how we regard the laws and values of our society. This
chapter will establish the difference between sex and gender, define gender roles and relationships according
Y how gendered interactions affect one’s everyday
to the UN and other relevant national bodies and determine
lives.

What is Sex?

Sex is often referred to as the act of reproduction, it is, nonetheless, an important notion of how pop culture
sees sex. According to popular culture, sex is something done for pleasure, and perhaps in a more Freudian
sense, it is what drives people to do certain things. The association of sex with pleasure and vice versa may
make people dismiss it as a serious topic for study. Meanwhile, because sex is so often equated with and
related to gender, gender as a topic for discussion is likewise disregarded.
 Sex in the biological sense is a category for living beings specifically related to their reproductive
function. There are two sexes, the male and the female.
 The female sex is determined by the following characteristics: produces egg cells which are fertilized
by another sex, and bears the offspring.
 The male sex produces sperm cells to fertilize the egg cells.
 Chromosomes determine one’s sex. Chromosome XX equates to female and Chromosome XY equates
to male. These pairs of chromosomes are distinct because the differences in their characteristics are
necessary for reproduction.
 Copulation – the union of the sexes which produces offspring.
 Genitalia or the organs used for reproduction and secondary sex characteristics are largely influenced
by one’s X and Y chromosomes. These chromosomes determine whether someone’s body will express
itself as a “female” or a “male”.
 Hormones play a large part in the definition of one’s sex. The exposure in the womb affects how the
organism develops as a male or a female. Both males and females have estrogen, testosterone, and
progesterone but in varying amounts. Usually, male have more amounts of testosterone and females
have more amounts of estrogen.
 Hormonal imbalances, both natural and induced, can result in someone born as female to have more
testosterone than her male counterpart.

Biology is learned in school, but the enactment of one’s sex is experienced differently in one’s culture. Because
of one’s perception of maleness and femaleness, his or her view of another is prone to change. For instance, the
case of commercial models displays in advertisements. If all the males presented in advertisements are in
powerful and dominant poses, once can presume that power and dominance are associated with maleness and
masculinity. Similarly, if all females in advertisements are seen to take care of people – their spouses, children,

2 | Gender and Society

or parents – one associated female with caring roles. These roles, which do not necessarily have anything to do
with reproduction, become tied to one’s sex. This is where gender comes in.

What is Gender?

Gender is a socially learned behavior usually associated with one’s sex. It is short for gender relations between
the sexes, or how the male and female relate to one another. Gender is also based on how people see
themselves and, on their tendency, to act along either the masculine of the feminine line.
Gender is a social construct that determines one’s roles, expected values, behavior, and interaction in
relationships involving men and women. It affects what access is available to men and women to decision-
making, knowledge and resources.

Table 1. Main Difference Between Sex and Gender

SEX GENDER
Physiological Social
Related to reproduction Cultural
Congenital Learned Behavior
Unchanging Varies within a culture/among cultures
*Due to advances in science and other social trends, one can now legally and physically change his or her gender.

Does Sex Correspond to Gender?

Many scientists, psychologists, and sociologists believe that sex does not determine one’s gender. Femininity, or
the behavior that one associates with females, may not actually be tied to a woman’s sex. Similarly, masculinity
is not tied to one’s gonads.
Gender role socialization is defined as the process of learning and internalizing culturally approved was of
thinking, feeling and behaving. It starts soon as one is born and manifests from the color associated with one’s
gender to the roles one sees his or her gender performs the most.
One’s socialization regulates his or her perceptions of genders in two ways – external regulations and
internalized self-control.
 External regulation involves various institutions dictating what is proper and normal based on one’s
identity. It affects how one sees his or her gender, and that gender in relation to other genders. External
regulation can happen through censorship of some forms of sexuality (Example: Homosexuality is bad!)
or subtle forms of control such as microaggression (Example: “Only girly boys do housework!”). Because
of these external regulations enforced by society, notions on gender are absorbed and internalized
social control is formed.
 Internalized self-control causes a person to police himself or herself according to society’s standards
and norms. A consistent practice will eventually affect all aspects of his or her personality, in turn,
resulting of others, expanding and perpetuating this regulation.

GENDER
Gender stereotypes develop when STEREOTY
different institutions reinforce a biased perception of a certain

PES
gender’s role. These institutions include the family, the church, the school, the state, and the media.

FOUR TYPES OF GENDER STEREOTYPES

1. SEX STEREOTYPES are a generalized view of traits that should be possessed by men and women,
specifically physical and emotional roles. These stereotypes are unrelated to the roles women and men
actually perform.
2. SEXUAL STEREOTYPES involve assumptions regarding a person’s sexuality that reinforce dominant
views. For example, a prevalent view that all men are sexually dominant. Another notion is
heteronormativity, or the assumption that all persons are only attracted to the sex opposite theirs.
3. SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPES encompass the roles that men and women are assigned to based on their
sex and what behaviors they must possess to fulfill these roles.

3 | Gender and Society

 4. COMPOUNDED STEREOTYPES are assumptions about a specific group belonging to a gender.
Examples of groups subject to compounded stereotypes are young women, old men, single men or
women, women factory workers and the like.

SOGIE
Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity and
Expression
Sexuality is different from sex, as sexuality is the expression of a person’s thoughts, feelings, sexual
orientation and relationships, as well as the biology of the sexual response system of that person. The different
terms standing for SOGIE are further defined below.
1. SEXUAL ORIENTATION covers the three dimensions of sexuality, namely:
a. Sexual attraction, sexual behavior, sexual fantasies;
b. Emotional preference, social preference, self-identification; and
c. Heterosexual or homosexual lifestyle.
Sexual orientation involves the person to whom one is attracted and how one identifies himself or
herself in relation to this attraction which includes both romantic and sexual feelings.
2. GENDER IDENTITY refers to one’s personal experience of gender or social relations. It determines
how one sees himself or herself in relation to gender and sexuality. A person could identify himself or
herself as masculine or feminine.
3. GENDER EXPRESSION determines how one expresses his or her sexuality through the actions or
manner of presenting oneself.

LGBTQIA
Lesbian, Gay,
Transgender,
Queer/Questioning,
This category describes distinct groups outside of heteronormativity who are usually defined by their
Intersex, Asexual
SOGIE.
HETERONORMATIVITY – the notion that being heterosexual, or the attraction to the opposite sex is
the standard for correctness.
HETEROSEXUAL – or straight, refers to people who have sexual or romantic feelings for the same
gender – men who are attracted to men, and women who are attracted to women.
CISGENDER – is someone whose gender identity corresponds with his or her biological sex.
LESBIAN – pertains to women who are attracted to different women.
GAY – refers to men who are attracted to other men. It can also be used as an umbrella term for
homosexuality.
BISEXUAL OR BI – denotes people who are attracted to both genders.
TRANSGENDER – is an umbrella term that refers to someone whose assigned sex at birth does not
represent his or her gender identity.

The labels were created to recognize the identity of those who are considered outside the norm of society.
These words and terms were popularized to show those who fell outside the norm that they are not alone, and
that there are others facing the same struggles.

Why Equate
Gender
Issues
Gender issues are equated with women’s issues because of sexism and gender stereotypes.
with
Sexism is defined as the prejudice against a certain sex. Because we live in a patriarchal society, men
are still seen as dominant, leaders, and the “norm”. This notion places women and the LGBT at risk for
discrimination. Women’s
Gender Equality is defined as the recognition of the state that all human beings are free to enjoy equal
Issues
conditions and fulfill their human potential, to contribute to the state and society. It can also be defined
as equality of the sexes, visibility in public and private spheres and full participation in society.

ACTIVITY
SHEET 4 | Gender and Society
 PRELIM MODULE
Name : _____________________________________________________________________________
Course&Year/Major : _____________________________________________________________________________
Subject Code : _____________________________________________________________________________
Date Submitted : _____________________________________________________________________________

I. MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct. If the statement is FALSE, replace the UNDERLINED word
to make the statement true. (10 points)

__________ 1. Gender inequality is defined as the recognition of the state that all human beings are free to
enjoy equal conditions and fulfill their human potential.
__________ 2. Homosexual is someone whose gender identity corresponds with his or her biological sex.
__________ 3. Gender identity determines how one expresses his or her sexuality through the actions or
manner of presenting oneself.
__________ 4. SOGIE stands for sex orientation and gender identity.
__________ 5. Because of external regulations that dictate what is proper and normal based on one’s identity,
notions on gender are absorbed and internalized social control is formed.
__________ 6. Feminity is the behavior that associates women.
__________ 7. Gender role socialization develop when different institutions reinforce a biased perception of a
certain gender’s role.
__________ 8. Chromosome XX equates to female and chromosome XXY equates to male.
__________ 9. Gender is a socially learned behavior usually associated with one’s sex.
__________ 10. Sexual orientation is a category for living beings specifically referred to reproduction function.

II. WHAT ABOUT YOUR GENDER? (10 points)

Directions: Complete the following sentence.

1. When I was a child, my favorite toy was

2. I first found out I was a girl/boy when

3. Because I’m a girl/boy,

4. Because he/she is a girl/boy,

5. Because x is LGBTQ+,

III. GENDER SOCIALIZATION (20 points)

Directions: Conduct an interview with three people and ask what is expected of girls and boys in the following
institutions:
1. Your school
Interviewee:

5 | Gender and Society

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2. Your household
Interviewee:
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3. Your church
Interviewee:
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IV. Guide Questions.

Directions: Answer the following questions. (5 points each)
1. How do gender, sex, and sexuality differ from one another?
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2. What role does gender socialization play in the perception of gender roles?
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3. What are some examples of gender stereotypes and how do they affect the genders?
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4. What is SOGIE and how it is relevant to the Philippine Society?

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6 | Gender and Society