THE IMPACT OF GENDER ROLES TOWARDS THE SELF-ESTEEM

AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OF SELECTED

GRADE 12 STEM STUDENT IN

SAINT JUDE PARISH SCHOOL

A Research Study

Submitted to the Senior

High School Department of

Saint Jude Parish School

In partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the

Practical Research II

MARY GRACE J AGUILAR

FEDERICO A. FAUSTINO JR.

PHILIP CHRISTIAN D. ROSARIO

NIEL JAYSON V. ORCALES

C-JAY T. VILLANUEVA

November 2020
INTRODUCTION

Gender roles play an important role in shaping the way people think about
other individuals in the society, it is the role that men and women are expected to
occupy based on their sex. The way of appearing and behaving that meets the
cultural expectations based on the individual’s gender. There is a difference
between sex and gender. Sex is defined as the biological nature, determined based
on individual’s primary sex characteristics. Gender on the other hand, refers to the
values, meanings, beliefs and characteristics that people attribute to different
sexes. The gender assign specific roles and norms for women and men and said to
be the individual’s identification that exist between male and female. The role is
the function or expected behavior pattern. The traditional gender roles become the
society’s expectation for every individual on how to act, speak and behave based
upon on the assigned sex. People have been expected to fit either a male or female
gender role.

According to the gender theory, gender is associated with a role that

today’s people are consciously live with. Gender role have been described as
society’s shared beliefs that apply to individuals based on their socially identified
sex and are thus closely related to gender stereotype (Eagly, 2009). Sex role has a
pattern connected to stereotyping that leads to the gender discrimination and other
social problem that the male and female become affected in terms of their social
interaction and self-esteem. Gender stereotypes are fixed ideas about men’s and
women’s traits and capabilities and how people should behave, based on their
assigned gender. The gender role become the source of criticism due to perception
that individual’s must limit their personal freedom, specially the cultural
understanding about the different traditional gender role that must be observed. Of
course, not everyone wants to fit and fit within these roles in the society. Many
individual’s engage in stereotyping behavior that affect their self-esteem and
social interaction in the society. Some people do not identify themselves as a male
or female, but it hasn’t stopped the gender roles from having a great impact in the
society. The gender role still impacts the way an individual is recognize by the

2
world and the expectation within their decisions. The society places ideas that
concern a proper behavior regarding gender roles and dictating roles that a male
and female gender must possess. Over the years, the society’s expectations from
men and women are very different. The contrasting distribution of men and
women into social roles, and the inferences it prompts about men and women are
like, give rise to the gender stereotypical conceptions (Koenig and Eagly, 2014).
Many people are still stick to the traditional ideas that men and women should
behave in ways that fall into specific categories determined only by the gender.
This aspect continues to contribute to the social development of an individual
within the society.

As the study aims to identify and measure the impact of gender roles
towards the student in the aspect of their self esteem and social behavior. To
explore the different traditional gender roles that affect the modern society
nowadays. There may be student that are greatly affected by stereotypic role in
the society. The researcher is expected to investigate the common sex role
stereotyping and different adjustment made by the student. Furthermore, we seek
to build a path on the gaps of student’s gender role that able to develop and
enhance their social behavior and self-esteem.

3
Statement of the Problem
The study aimed to determine the impact of gender roles in the self-esteem
and social behavior of selected grade 12 STEM students in Saint Jude Parish
School.
Specially, it aimed to answer the following question:

1. What are the effects of traditional gender roles in self-esteem and social
behavior of selected Grade 12 STEM students?
2. What are the common gender roles stereotyping selected Grade 12 STEM
students have experienced?
3. What are the different adjustments made by the selected grade 12 stem students
to reduce the stereotyping on gender roles?

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SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study focuses particularly on the impact of gender roles in self-

esteem and social behavior. The coverage of this study are the selected Grade 12
STEM students in Saint Jude Parish School, the estimated people that participated
in the research is 30 students in grade 12 STEM that consist of 15 boys and 15
girls to be equal, this study will mainly focus on different factors of gender roles
when it comes to self-esteem and social behavior. Also, this study yearns to
identify on how the researchers can develop and assist the impact of gender roles
in building self-esteem and social behavior that most of the population is now
currently facing and a problem that may come. The researchers started their study
on October 22, 2020 and are expected to finish until November 20, 2020 or until
the submission day given by the research teacher.

The method that the researchers will use to gather the data is through
questionnaire the fact that it is an advantage to the respondent as they can remain
anonymous and may be more likely to express their controversial opinion. It is
also the most efficient way of obtaining large amounts of information from a high
number of people.

Due to time constraint, the researchers limited the study to only 30

respondents consisting of 15 boys and 15 girls from Grade 12 STEM for there are
too many students in Saint Jude Parish School. Thus, the research may not be
generalizable to other populations or youth who no longer or do not attend the
school.

5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of the study may be beneficial to the students, teachers, parents,
school administration and to the future researcher.

The study may give information to the students. On their gender role
affecting their social behavior and self-esteem. It can be a big help for their social
interaction to other people in the society. It can help them to boost their self-
esteem and to set a clear understanding in gender roles.

This study may give knowledge to the teachers about the impact of
gender roles towards self esteem and social behavior of the students. It may help
them to asses their relationship in the student’s behavior and adjustment
concerning about their gender roles.

This study may give information to the parents that will be enlighten
their mind set about their child’s social behavior and self-esteem involving gender
roles. This will help them understand that gender roles play an important role in
shaping their children’s social behavior and personal self-esteem.

The results and findings in this study will make help to the school
administration to establish awareness in order to have better knowledge and
understanding about the gender roles of the student and their social behavior
including self-esteem. This understanding can be used for school campaign
advocating the possible ways of managing student’s adjustment about gender
stereotyping.

This study may be used as a basis for the further study by the future
researcher hence the similar topic. Such as gender role, social behavior, gender
stereotyping and self esteem of the students for the same population could be
conducted and may be able to use this study as a survey for further studies.

6
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Gender roles are everyone's link in building their own identity in the
society, even in the early stages of their lives. Based on the studies made by the
American Academy of Pediatricians, as early as a kid reaches 4 years old, most
children have a clear awareness about their gender identity. Aside from that, on
this point of time, they learn gender role behavior by doing the things that a boy
or a girl does. Then, many factors will come into their lives that can influence the
gender roles that they will exercise.

Gender roles refers to the things expected to do by every individual based

on their assigned sex such as the way they act, speak, dress, groom and conduct
themselves (plannedparenthood.org, 2020). As the concept expands over time,
gender role stereotyping has been taking place. This refers to the generalizations
about each gender characteristics, differences and individual or group roles (Cliff
Notes). Some of stereotypic role of men are they are expected to provide income
to their families. Men are generally expected to be strong, power, aggressive and
competitiveness. On the other hand, women are expected to dress in typically
feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing.

Different gender roles are evident even in the early well-known

civilizations. In ancient Greece specifically on Sparta, Spartan women are known
as the Alpha Women of Greek society. Even though that they usually not free to
do everything they want, they are near equal of their male counterparts. Women
have the privilege to study. They are equipped with physical education and other
types of education. They also engaged with the physical activities to meet the high
standards of being fit and to pass the physical examination at the age of 18 to
acquire full Spartan citizenship. Another civilization is the Mesopotamia under
the reign of Hammurabi. Mesopotamia under the leadership of the Babylonians
was a patriarchal society where men are more dominant than women. The men
there have more access and abilities to be in politics and most other occupations.
Women are treated as second class citizens behind their male counterparts. Last
example is the gender roles in Byzantine Empire. The empire was greatly

7
influenced by the Christianity in making gender roles for their constituents. The
idea of virginity became the central concept of the civilization. Men and women
of the Byzantine society are separated from each other to ensure the virginity of
the woman for the future husband. The women of Byzantine are mostly
uneducated, but they can still enter jobs and own businesses. They are also
expected to have family and manage of their houses and properties. Just like other
civilizations, the men of Byzantine are in political affiliations, military field and
the heads of the families.

The Philippines itself has also a rich culture about Gender Roles. In
Spanish Colonization era, due to the standards set by the Spaniards, the status of
women stayed to be substandard compared to men. The function of ladies was
diminished to housekeeping and childrearing as this was cliché around then.
Essentially, ladies were seen to be held, timid, and accommodating to men. This
stereotyping changed when the Philippine Revolution starts. In 1893, Bonifacio
ordered the involvement of women on the group of “KKK”. That stands for
Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan. The
trustworthy women members of the group were tasked to divert the attentions of
the passers-by so that the meetings of the Katipuneros were not interrupted.
Women also served as the keeper of the documents and nurses for the wounded
members of the group. Aside from that, the teachings from their Kartilla says that
"Do not look on women as objects of entertainment only but as partners and
sympathizers in the hardships of life; use with great respect her weakness, and
remember the mother from whom you came and who reared you in your infancy."
In other words, they do acknowledge the role of the women of their community as
important part of the Katipunan.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, various occupations turned out to be

exceptionally subject to the presence of ladies’ representatives, particularly in the
assembling business. Filipinas had incredible attitudes in weaving, utilizing
various types of fiber like abaca, pineapple, silk, and cotton to make an

8
assortment of fabrics. They posses the characteristics like flexibility, persistence,
and the protection from submit fakes which were esteemed favorable.

Things boosted for the Filipinas during the American Colonization.

Women were given an opportunity to earn college degrees equal to the given
chance given to men. The kind of education the Filipina women received during
the American Colonial period primarily prepared them to respond to the demands
of the colonial administration and economy. With the increase in the female
literacy rate, more women gained access to new types of work and careers, like in
law and science (Sobritchea) The Filipinas become managers of different business
firms because of their leadership and quality work ethics.

According to OHCHR, Gender stereotyping compounded and crossing

with different generalizations have a lopsided negative effect on specific
gatherings of ladies, for example, ladies from minority or indigenous gatherings,
ladies with incapacities, ladies from lower standing gatherings or with lower
monetary status, transient ladies, and so forth. Unfair gender stereotyping is a
regular reason for victimization ladies and a contributing element in infringement
of a huge range of rights, for example, the privilege to wellbeing, satisfactory way
of life, instruction, marriage and family relations, work, opportunity of
articulation, opportunity of development, political support and portrayal,
successful cure, and independence from sex based viciousness.

The OHCHR also mentioned three effects of Gender Stereotyping on

exercising human rights. First one is the effect on access to quality education.
Gender stereotypes serves as the wall that prevents young girls to have access to
quality education. Men are commonly stereotyped as the breadwinners of the
family; this leads to a certain concept that women are economically independent
with men. Aside from that, stereotypes are too propagated in school educational
program and materials, which frequently leads to word related sexual orientation
isolation, with young ladies less likely to ponder and seek after careers in
exceedingly esteemed proficient and customarily male-dominated areas, such as
science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

9
 The next one is the effect on the access to and participation in information
and communication technologies (ICTs). The gender digital divide as of late has
developed from 11 per cent in 2013 to 12 percent in 2016. The components
behind this divide are different and complex and regularly connected to social
standards, predisposition and sex generalizations as well as sexual orientation
separation offline. Online work advertisements created by artificial intelligence
may propose less highly paid work openings to ladies, compared to men, due to
the hurtful sex generalizations reflected within the information utilized for
machine learning.

The last one is the violence against women induced by the stereotyping.
To dispense with gender-based savagery against ladies, it would be vital to
convert unfair sexual orientation standards and generalizations and to advance
non-violent, conscious and break even with sex relations between men, ladies and
non-binary persons. Such change might be encouraged through a number of
measures, including: gender-responsive early childhood instruction and
advancement; the integration of sexual orientation balance substance into
educational program at all levels of instruction and logically based and age-
appropriate comprehensive sexuality instruction; advancing rise to sharing of
obligations in unpaid care and residential work, counting through parental take off
approaches and expanded adaptability in working courses of action; and
disassembling unfair generalizations in sexual and reproductive health.

Many researches have gone through to dissect the concept of gender roles
and putting it to smaller pieces to know the other entities that the people must
know. According to the WHO, Gender is a critical determinant of mental health
and mental illness. Gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common
mental disorders - depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. Depressive
disorders account for close to 41.9% of the disability from neuropsychiatric
disorders among women.

To lessen the effects of the gender stereotyping, local and international

groups and governments have created such laws and policies regarding this

10
matter. The United Nations Human Rights sector prohibits gender stereotyping
and cruel stereotyping’s which can kill the human rights and fundamental
freedoms through their International Human Rights Law Framework.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms were conceptually and operationally defined to

establish a common frame of understanding of the study.

Gender stereotypes. This refers to simplistic generalizations about the

gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals or groups.

Gender identity. This refer to the personal sense of one's own gender, can
correlate with a person's assigned sex at birth or can differ from it.

Sexologist. This refers to the scientific study of human sexuality,

including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions.

Masculine. This refer to an individual having qualities or appearance

traditionally set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with boys and men.

Feminine. This refer to the set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally
associated with women and girls.

Gender. This refer to either male or female division of species, especially

as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior.

Gender roles. This refer to the social role encompassing a range of

behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or
desirable for a person based on that person's biological or perceived sex. Also
called as sex role.

Self-esteem. This refer to an individual's subjective evaluation of their

own wort encompasses beliefs about oneself as well as emotional states, such as
triumph, despair, pride, and shame, can be an important part of success.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literatures and studies found from local
and foreign sources examined with depth by the researchers. Through this,
natures, strategies, and methods used in different related studies and published
articles are presented to help for the full understanding of the study to be
conducted.

The concept of gender role and gender identity was first coined by Dr.
John William Money a New Zealand American Psychologist, Sexologist, and a
researcher into sexual identity and biology of gender. He was considered as the
first researcher who issue the theories about the influence of gender to the
individual’s development of gender identity. According to Dr. Money the term
gender identity is to describe the internal experience of sexuality and gender role
which is refer to social expectations of male and female behavior. The
assumptions of Dr. Money provide a systematic theory for understanding how
sexual identity develop.

Many theorists believe that perceived gender roles from the bases for the
development of gender identity. The phycological theories of gender role and
gender identity include many theories that many researchers tend to study. Some
of this are evolutionary theory, objects relation theory and social role theory.
These theories become the basis of information about the development of gender
roles and gender identity in the society. The changes of development occur in the
adolescence year and continue to become important perspective and research
study for the people who tried to find a clear developmental accomplishment
about sex and gender. The concept of gender roles plays an important role in the
process of development. It is a way of looking at how social norms and
expectation of society impact the lives and opportunities available to different
groups of men and women within a society. The gender role was manifestations

12
of personality that reflect the gender identity of a person. Being able to express a
gender identity of one individual is important in understanding the role and
behavior of a person in the society. The gender includes gender roles, which are
becomes the society’s expectation about the people’s thoughts, behaviors, and
characteristics based on their assigned sex. The ideas of how men and women
expected to behave, dress and communicate are all contribute to the gender.

The different traditional gender roles in the society affect the way of life
of an individual. Many people argue that gender role expectations shape the
individual’s opportunities and responsibility. Given that men and women have a
different way of socializing (Eagly, 2005) This idea helps the role of men and
women in the society to act differently in terms of their knowledge, perspectives,
and ideas. The concept of traditional gender role give way to the individuals
perspective about feminine and masculine. Throughout the history the role of the
women in the society has ensured the stability, progress, and development of
nations. An individual who is holding to the idea of traditional gender role beliefs,
are people who support the women’s role as the primary caretaker of children and
elders in the family. The role of women’s as an educator is also become part of
the traditional gender role beliefs in the society. The men’s role is to provide
financial support as men expected to become breadwinner of the family. The
society always expect men’s role to become a protector and a provider. Gender
and gender roles continue to affect the economic, political, social and ecological
opportunities and limitation faced by both men and women in the society.

The Gender Stereotypes in the world become a widely held belief about
the behaviors and characteristics attributed to women and men. Female usually
portrayed as being emotional, caring, and need a protection. Many people believe
that gender stereotyping of women has been a huge advantage for the
advancement of woman socially, through their education and workplace. Men
also have a strict gender stereotypes that typically result to the idea that men do
not have any feminine qualities. This result for society to stereotype men based on
the qualities of neatness, being emotional, and weakness that been expected for a

13
female role to have. This expectation of society within men can negatively affect
men’s mental and emotional growth. Furthermore, gender stereotyping seems to
affect men positively, but also tends to restrict men’s creativity and emotional
growth. All the roles that the society expecting from both men and women give
rise to the problem of stereotyping. The concept of stereotypes was complex and
originate from local and traditions that was continuing to evolve with social
change, exposing how beliefs and reality influence one another. When the young
people regularly exposed to the idea of how boys and girls should look, behave,
and interact this will continue stereotyping to have an adverse effect on all
genders. The impact of gender stereotypes brings negative influence on the self-
perception, attitudes in communication, and influence in the place of work of an
individual. Gender stereotypes affect many areas of young children’s life
including their behavior, interests, academic performance, sense of self, and
cognitive development (Blakemore et al. 2009). These assumptions that been built
in both men and women can result for them to being treated differently or will
affect the offered opportunities based on their gender.

Through stereotyping, people are categorized according to the

characteristics they have in common, including age, gender, religion, language,
and culture. The importance of gender role attitudes in family dynamics continue
to find the interest of many researcher throughout the years. The formation of
gender role belief and behaviors usually begins in the early time in childhood,
within the family. The family has the earliest and has the most direct on the child
behavior and belief (Bisin & Verdier, 2011). The child gender stereotypes in a
family has demonstrated that the parent and siblings play an important role in the
development of children’s understanding about gender stereotypes. The family
tend to have patterns that connected to changes within gender role of the child.
This idea also impacts the role of men and women in terms of the responsibilities
and behavior within the family.

Gender inequality is often driven by existing gender stereotypes that

determine how an individual perceive the roles of men and women in the society.

14
According to the UNICEF, gender equality means that men and women are
enjoying the same rights, resources, opportunities, and protections. It is not only
defined as a fundamental human right but also a necessary foundation for a
peaceful and suitable living. The key for removing such barriers that the society
dictate between men and women is to shift the mindset away from gender equality
to one of gender equity. This idea will focus on equity bridges that gaps in
equality through laws and policies and program focuses about gender and to work
to change the culture about the given rights to men and women. The concept of
gender equity is to give an equal treatment for men and women according to their
respective needs. This idea doesn’t mean that men and women needed to become
the same, but their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on
whether they were born male or female. This will include an equal treatment in
terms of their rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities.

Gender role reflects the people’s understanding of themselves in terms of

the definition of male and female in the culture. The gender roles can produce sex
differences in behavioral but not only through behavioral, but it can also affect the
people’s self-concepts. The idea that sex role influences the individual perception
of themselves was supported by research findings that self-concepts tend to be
gender stereotypical. The idea that men and women are different in their
capability to communicate becomes a popular belief in the society. Whether with
their words, tone of voice, emotional expression, or body language the way in
which males and females communicate have been explored in a variety of ways to
distinguish the characteristics that makes us so different (Disch, 2009). The way
of communication of males and females are seeing differently. It is commonly
generalized that women communicate in more indirect, elaborate, and emotional
way. While men known for being direct and understanding. The communication
style become different base in the emotion that will be used in of a person in
interaction. Knowing all the differences can help to lessen misunderstandings and
build a greater path of communication between the gender.

15
 The gender differences have been reported from very early age in
children’s and adolescent’s perception, expression of emotions, and behavior. The
self-esteem has a large part in the adolescent’s self-understanding. Self-esteem
refers to a person’s overall sense of his or her value or worth. It can be also be
considered as a measure of how much an individual's values, approves,
appreciates the personalities within a person (Adler & Stewart, 2005). These
become a widely recognized as a central aspect of psychological functioning
during adolescence. The idea of self-esteem greatly affects the individual’s
decision and choice. Various studies have confirmed that self-esteem has a direct
relationship within the overall well-being of an individual. The most common
explanations for gender differences in self-esteem are gender roles (Zuckerman &
Hall, 2016). But many studies can’t give a clear hypothesis about the effect of
gender roles in aspect of self-esteem of an individual. Many researchers recognize
self-esteem to have many different factors that affect the individuals in society,
including environmental factors. The role of gender can also be linked outside the
family to their field of work. In the workplace men and women are expected to
have a different tasks and roles that occupy based on the assigned sex.

The purpose of Gender Roles is to ensure appropriate distribution of duties

and responsibilities for men and women within the society. Through the past
studies presented on this research paper, certain aspects of an individual have
been affected by the society’s expectation such as the way on how an individual
act, speak and interact with the various situations in the society. Aside from that,
gender roles strongly influence the gender identity of a person. It also leads to the
existence of the gender stereotyping where in it affects the opportunities given by
the society to both men and women. Currently, the information that explains the
effects of gender stereotyping on gender itself is not that wide. On the positive
note, there are studies that have proven that gender roles are continuing to impact
the way of behavior of an individual. Various studies are still on the process to
derive different measures that can prevent gender stereotyping to happen among
the society. If these studies will be made, there is a big possibility that the future

16
generations would understand and be an agent of change to eradicate gender
stereotyping circulating among the society.

ender stereotypes affect many

areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009).
ender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009).
ender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s

17
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009).
ender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009).
ender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive

18
development (Blakemore et al.
2009).
Gender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009)
Gender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009)
Gender stereotypes affect many
areas of children’s l i v e s
19
including their behavior,
interests, academic performance,
sense of self, and cognitive
development (Blakemore et al.
2009)

20