Polytechnic University Of The Philippines

College Of Architecture, Design, And The Built Environment

Department of Architecture
Sta. Mesa, Manila

ASSESSMENT A: ESSAY

GEED 20033

Gender and Society

Dela Rosa, Paul Angel S.

BS Architecture 4-2

Prof. Leonila R. Medina

May 16, 2023

 Polytechnic University Of The Philippines
College Of Architecture, Design, And The Built Environment
Department of Architecture
Sta. Mesa, Manila

Assessment A: Please write a short essay (500 words) in response to this chapter’s critical

thinking questions activity on “Getting to Know Yourself.

1. How did you score? Can you think of the micro-and macro-level factors that have

influenced your score?

2. Do you think a test like this, created more than two decades ago, is still a useful

inventory? Why or why not?

I scored 17+ on my “Getting to know Yourself” test in which my gender traits are being

scored, meaning my traits are mostly feminine. The biggest factor that has influenced my score

is the environment I grew up in. Tough love is the main form of love that they show me and

sometimes, it may reach the point where they go beyond the line and say hurtful things under

the premise that they love me. I saw and experienced its effects on me and it still does to this

day. Knowing this, I am trying to be different from them by showing my true self to the people I

trust and the people that I know love me. It was because of this that my answers to the words

relating to emotions were high. My environment allowed me to be who I am today.

Of course, other minor factors are related to how I interpret them based on what I know.

How I interact with my lifelong friends, how I am on social media as well as what my traits are in

education, my intimate relationship and my future. I was always patient and understanding to

people, especially to those close to me, they made frequent comments as to how I was able to

maintain a calm demeanor even if there are bad news and people did something wrong to me. It

was also why I am in a happy relationship with someone and why my life became vastly better

than the one I had envisioned. Overall, I think I did a good job focusing on myself and choosing

to be different rather than emanate the same kind of treatment I experienced.

 Polytechnic University Of The Philippines
College Of Architecture, Design, And The Built Environment
Department of Architecture
Sta. Mesa, Manila

Although the test allowed me to understand myself, on much bigger picture, it does more

harm than good. Of course it is known that it gives you definition of how to express yourself or

what to improve on, but it also insinuate stratifications. It divides people and given the standards

of the society that’s slowly fading, there are still those that will weaponize this against you. One

example is that my score is 17+, which is mostly feminine. Others may see this that maybe I’m

gay and make snide comments about my personality. In fact, I was bullied by people, saying

this which affected my confidence for some time.

Furthermore, the binary thinking that the society is slowly fading now but when the time

that the test was created, it just enforces my claim that not all will accept it and many will judge

you based on this test. But of course, it solely depends on the people whether they would like to

give this test a go because it does provide a profound meaning for self-expression, I think the

test should be updated to fit this generation to minimize the division of people and to promote

unity for the future.