Gender Identity and Sexuality

Biological Sex – Assigned genitalia, sex from birth.

Gender Identity – Internal and individual experience of gender. It is
their sense of being a woman, man, or neither. It may be the same or
different from their birth–assigned sex.
Sexual Orientation – Who they are attracted to, or drawn romantically
or emotionally.
Intersexes:
 Hermaphrodite
 congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) – overdevelopment of
 the adrenal glands from birth
 Most common cause of the intersex condition.
 ACTH (too much)
 Cortisol (too little or absent)
 Hypotheses on the Causes What does the bible say?

Prenatal influences:  Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in His own image, in the
image of God He created them; male and female He created
 Stress and alcohol level of the mother during pregnancy them.
 Mother’s immune system The Bible inextricably (inseparably) ties gender to biological
sex and does not make a distinction between the two.
Brain anatomy:
 The Scripture acknowledges, however that due to the Fall, the
 Homosexual men are shifted partly in the female-typical whole human being (mental, physical and spiritual faculties)
direction for some brain structures but not others and vice are affected by sin and need to be renewed by God. Our
versa. emotions, feelings and perceptions are not fully reliable
indicators of God’s designs, ideals and truth.
Sexual Behaviors:
Brain – the largest sex organ controlling the biological urges, mental
processes, as well as emotional and physical responses to sex
Roles of the brain in sexual activity:
1. The brain is responsible for translating the nerve impulses
sensed by the skin into pleasurable sensations.
2. It controls the nerves and muscles used in sexual activity.
3. Sexual thoughts and fantasies are theorized to lie in the
cerebral cortex, the same area used for thinking and reasoning.
4. Emotions and feelings (which are important for sexual
behavior) are believed to originate in the limbic system.
5. The brain releases the hormones considered the physiological
origin of sexual desire.
 we don’t know whether these brain differences are causes or
effects of sexual orientation because persistent behaviors can
change brain anatomy.
 The published papers likely overstate certain anatomical
differences (Kalat, 2019).
 Oxytocin – known as the “love hormone” and believed to be Young people are sent to school by their parents to obtain an
involved in the desire to maintain close relationships. It is released education, not to flirt with the opposite sex. The good of society, as
during sexual intercourse when orgasm is achieved. well as the highest interest of the students, demands that they shall not
 Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – It is responsible for the attempt to select a life partner while their own character is yet
ovulation of females. undeveloped, their judgment immature, and while they are at the same
 Luteinizing hormone (LH) – is crucial in regulating the testes in time deprived of parental care and guidance.—1MCP 302.3
men and ovaries in women. In men, it stimulates the testes to Love is not unreasonable; it is not blind. It is pure and holy. But the
produce testosterone. passion of the natural heart is another thing altogether. While pure love
 Vasopressin – involved in male sexual arousal. Directly associated will take God into all its plans and will be in perfect harmony with the
with increased motivation to engage in sexual behavior. Spirit of God, passion will be headstrong, rash, unreasonable defiant of
 Estrogen and Progesterone – regulate motivation to engage in all restraint and will make the object of its choice an idol. -1MCP
sexual behavior in females, with estrogen increasing motivation
and progesterone decreasing it.
The Chemistry of Love, Lust, and Attraction:
 Lust (erotic passion) – marked by physical attraction. You want to
seduce and be seduced by your object of affection. Lust is driven
by testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Lust, however, will
not guarantee that the couple will fall in love in any lasting way.
 Attraction (romantic passion) – at this stage, you crave for your
partner’s presence. You feel excited and energetic as you fantasize
about the things you could do together as a couple.
 Chemicals that trigger this feeling: norepinephrine,
dopamine, and serotonin.
 Attachment (commitment) – involves the desire to have a lasting
commitment with your significant other. At this point, you may
want to get married and/or have children.

Spirituality
EGW Admonition
Spiritual Self:
 The most intimate, inner subjective part of the self
 Most intimate version of the self because of the satisfaction
experienced when thinking of one’s ability to argue and
discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and conscience, and of our
unconquerable will is purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction
Spiritual vs. Religious:
 Spiritual is defined as relating to or affecting the human spirit
or soul as opposed to material or physical things
 A religious person is someone who believes in a god or group
of gods and consciously adheres to the beliefs of his/her
religion.
 A spiritual person places little importance on beliefs and
traditions and is more concerned with growing and
experiencing the Divine.
Why is spirituality important?
 Spiritual practices are associated with better health and well-
being.
 Associations between spiritual health, resilience and
psychological well-being have been established through
literature. Maternal spiritual health is a significant predictor of
resilience (p < .01) of their young adults. (Goshaland Mehrota,
2017)
 Spiritual fellowship can be a source of social support that
provide belongingness, security, and community.
 Contemplative practices are methods to develop concentration,
deepen understanding and insight and cultivate awareness and
compassion.
 Spirituality, has positive benefits for longevity and quality of
life, and was viewed by Adler as central to holism and wellness
(Mansager, 2000). It incorporates one’s existential sense of
meaning, purpose, and hopefulness toward life.
God-shaped brain by Dr. Jennings:
 The core, central, primary characteristic of God….is love
 God’s very nature is other-centered love
 We see the circle of love, the law of life in everything God
creates…in all life we see this circle of giving, which is the law
of love.
 Sin severs the circle of life
 The lifeblood of an animal, is naturally, its physical blood.
 The lifeblood of the economy is money; of an appliance,
electricity. But the lifeblood of the universe is love, which
flows from God through Christ to all creation and back to God
through Christ again. This is God’s design template. This is the
blueprint on which humanity was created to operate!
 Whenever the circle of giving – the circle of love – is broken,
pain, suffering and death inevitably follow. And it is only the
love flowing from God that restores life health and happiness.
How God Changes Your Brain by Newberg and Waldman
 If a belief in God provides you with a sense of comfort and
security, then God will enhance your life. But if you see God as
a vindictive deity who gives you justification for inflicting
harm on others, such a belief can damage your brain as it
motivates you to act in socially destructive ways.
 But religious and spiritual contemplation changes your brain in
a profoundly different way because it strengthens a unique
neural circuit that specifically enhances social awareness and
empathy while subduing destructive feelings and emotions.
Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasure of
heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches
of universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives
them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use
these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in
earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in Me.
DA 57.1
 Cultural Identity
The identity of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-
conception and self-perception and is related
to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality, or
any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.
 Central to a person’s sense of self
 Dynamic
 Can also refer to principles and lifestyles that individuals share
with others.
 Normally, people internalize the beliefs, values, norms, and social
practices of their culture and identify themselves with that culture.
The culture becomes a part of their self-concept Lustig, 2013)
Who is a Filipino?
According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are:
“…those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the
Philippines, those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers,
who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority, and
those who are naturalized in accordance with law.”
Citizenship is not the only marker of being a Filipino; People who
were born and grew up in the same culture develop and share common
personality traits and values.
Filipino Identity:
Foreign culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent
on our own by setting a foundation to the contemporary Filipino
identity and culture.
Filipino characteristics are rooted from:
1. Home environment 6. Religion
2. Social environment 7. Economic environment
3. Culture and language 8. Political environment
4. History 9. Mass media
5. Educational system 10. Leadership and role models
Filipino values and traits:
 Filipino Hospitality
- Filipinos welcome their guests and tourists as if they are
their own brothers and sisters. They always make their
guests feel at home, offering them something to eat, or even
a place to stay.
 Respect for Elders
- Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while
saying “Mano po!” and constantly using “po” and “opo” in
conversations.
- A wide array of references to elder people such as ate for
older sister; kuya for older brother; tito and tita for uncle
and aunt; lolo and lola for grandfather and grandmother;
and manong and aling for older people outside the family.
 Cheerful Personality
- Filipinos smile when they are happy, or sometimes even
when they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping
strategy for many Filipinos especially during trying times
and calamities.
 Close Family ties
- Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families.
They are fond of family reunions during birthdays,
holidays, or fiestas year-round.
 Self-sacrifice
- Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends,
families, and loved ones.
- Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sacrifice a lot. That is
why they are regarded as modern-day Filipino heroes.
 “Ningas Kugon”
 - “Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and “kugon” is a - It is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the
Filipino term for Cogon grass that easily burns out after it achievement of another, instead of feeling happy for that
is put into flames. It is the attitude of eagerly starting things person; just like crabs in a container, they pull each other
but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing down.
difficulty.
Filipino Markers:
 Bayanihan
- It is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of  Proverbs or Salawikain
Filipinos. It is also about giving without expecting  proverbs express a general attitude toward life and the laws that
something in return. govern life.
 “Bahala Na” attitude  ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning
- It is the Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna certain vices.
Matata,” meaning no worries.  proverbs expressing a system of values
- The phrase is said to have originated from “Bathala na,”  proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life
where Bathala means God, and the phrase meaning leaving and human nature.
everything into God’s hands.  humorous proverbs
- Filipino term for procrastination; derived from a Filipino  miscellaneous proverbs
phrase called “Mamaya na” meaning dawdling things,  Proverbs or Salawikain examples:
which could have been done at an earlier time. a) Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim kumakapit
 Colonial mentality b) Pag maliit ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot
- It is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude c) Nasa Dios ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.
where Filipinos favor foreign products more than their d) Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga
own; but also the desire to look more foreign than local and  Superstitions
keep up with foreign beauty trends.  Filipinos’ set of superstitions passed down from generation to
generation.
Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other
cultures, but Filipinos have retold these superstitions according
to their own experiences.
 Filipino time  Superstitious belief examples:
- Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at o Papag
commitments, dinner, or parties especially if they are
o Tao po
meeting someone close to them.
o Sukob
 Pride
 Myths and Legends
- Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they are more
 Due to the Philippines’s rich culture and history, numerous
precious than keeping a good relationship with family and
myths and legends have sprung.
loved ones.
 Crab mentality.
  These stories are aimed to explain the origin of things, at the  stereotyped as tech-addicted, anti-social, or “social justice
same time, teach a valuable lesson. warriors.”
 Heroes and Icons
Gen Alpha:
 Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism
as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country’s  pre-schooler and kindergarteners of today
freedom and progress. known as ‘digital natives’.
 Famous Filipino icons such as Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao,  the most materially endowed and technologically literate
and our very own national hero, Jose Rizal, have made the generation
Filipino name more pronounced worldwide through their own  their pacifiers have not been a rattle or a set of keys but a
expertise. smartphone or tablet device."
Generational Differences
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28

Coping Self
 Effective coping skills with multiple stressors that are inherent to
the environment
 Realistic Beliefs (avoiding the trap of perfectionism or the should
or ought's)
 Stress management (effective coping strategies)
 Self-worth (Positive self-concept and good self-esteem)
 Leisure (A person who is constantly tense and do not have much
fun in life usually not fun for others to be around)

Gen Z:
Stress Terminology:
 Also known as ‘generation connected’ or ‘dot com kids’
 This generation has been raised on the internet and social
media
 Stress: The effect of anything in life to which people must adjust.
Stress requires us to adjust our attention and behavior and makes
demands on our energy.
 Stressor: Anything that has the effect of causing stress.
 Stress Capacity: The amount of stress a person can carry, since
each person has some stress in their lives.
 Stress Load: This refers to the amount, or quantity, of stress a
person has in their lives.
Red Cross, 2002
Types of Stress Reaction:
 Physiological Stress Reactions: “I have stomach/head aches”,
“My heart beats fast”, “I was shivering”
 Emotional Stress Reactions: “I am scared/I feel fear”, “I am
afraid that people were hurt”, “I felt sad”
 Cognitive Stress Reactions: “I am occupied with my thoughts”,
“I imagine people getting killed”, “I don’t know what will happen
to my house or my friends”.
 Behavioral Stress Reactions: “I cover my head with my
blanket”, “I run away”, “I scream and swear”.
Learned Response:
 Brain chemistry and development is affected by a distressing
event
 Immediate “fight or flight” response
 Heightened sense of fear/danger
What we know about disasters:
 Negative strategies = higher PTSD, depression
 Negative self-attribution and guilt = higher PTSD
 Higher PTSD, depression = use more strategies
Define Coping:
Constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to
manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as
taxing or exceeding the resources of a person (Folkman & Lazarus,
1984, p. 141)

…anything people do to adjust to the challenges and demands of

stress… any adjustments made to reduce the negative impact of stress
(Red Cross: Community-based Psychological Support, p. 87)

Conceptualizing Coping Strategies:

a) Biological/physiological – fight or flight

b) Cognitive – how we think about the situation

c) Behavioral – behavior related to mental process

d) Learned – strategies learned from modeling/observation

e) Intentioned – voluntary/involuntary
 Models of Coping
Transactional Model of Coping
Core Assumptions:
 Stressful experiences are construed as person-environment
transactions.
Transactions depend on the impact of the external stressor
 Impact is mediated individual/environmental antecedents, by
the person’s repeated appraisal of the stressor, and coping
responses.
The system changes moment to moment
Lazarus, 1999 Emotion Focused Coping:
Coping efforts that are directed toward regulating emotional states:
Transactional Model Concepts: -- Denial/avoidance
-- Distraction or minimization
1. Primary appraisal
-- Wishful thinking
2. Secondary appraisal
-- Self-control of feelings
3. Coping efforts
-- Seeking meaning
4. Problem management
-- Self-blame
5. Emotional Regulation
-- Expressing/sharing feelings
6. Meaning-based coping
7. Outcomes of coping
8. Dispositional coping styles
9. Optimism
10. Information seeking
Glanz, Rimer, & Lewis, 2002
Problem Focused Coping: Involuntary Strategies
Efforts to act on the source of stress to change 4. Involuntary Engagement – Directed toward
the person, the environment, or the relationship the stressor or their emotional reactions (arousal, rumination,
between the two: impulsive action)
5. Involuntary Disengagement – Directed away from the stressor
1. Planned problem solving or their emotional reactions (emotional numbing, escape)
2. Confrontation
Wadsworth et al, 2004
Compas & Epping, 1993
Motivational Model of Coping:
Innate Psychological Needs
 Relatedness
 Competence
 Autonomy

Universal Stressors
 Neglect
 Chaos
 Coercion
Skinner & Wellborn, 1997
The Community Stress Prevention Model:
Responses to Stress Levels: Six dimensions central to coping with adversity:
Voluntary Strategies 1. Beliefs/Values – relies on values to cope
2. Affect – emotion expression as coping mechanism
1. Primary Control Coping - Attempts to modify
3. Social – seeking support/relationships
stressful problem or emotion (problem solving)
4. Imagination – creative expression to cope
2. Secondary Control Coping – Attempts to adapt
5. Cognitive – need honest dialogue & guidance
via cognition (cognitive restructuring)
6. Physiological – physical activity as coping
3. Disengagement Coping – Attempts to redirect
Lahad, Shacham, & Niv, 2000
attention away from the stressor or emotional
reaction (denial, wishful thinking)
The

Importance of Self-care

Retrain and Rebalance
“God designed our bodies to function in balanced cycles of work and
rest. We need to cooperate with our bodies’ requirements in order to
achieve a healthy balance”
Coping Strategies
Activities that can be self – initiated:
 Reaching out to others for support
 Eating comfort/healthy foods
 Doing exercises
 Stress reduction and relaxation techniques
 Doing things that divert your attention
 Doing things you enjoy
 Getting sunlight/fresh air
 Meditation through prayer
Worry is blind and cannot discern the future, but Jesus sees the end
from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to
bring relief.—The Desire of Ages, 330 (1898).
All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive” (Matthew 21:22).
Social Self
 Affect: How do we evaluate ourselves, enhance our self-images,
and defend against threats to our self-esteem?
 Behavior: How do we regulate our actions and present ourselves
according to interpersonal demands?
 Cognition: How do we come to know ourselves, develop a self-
concept, and maintain a stable sense of identity?
Social Self:
 Ability to relate to the world in socially-connected manner
 Friendship (People with a lot of friends live longer and happier
than those who don’t)
 Love (central dimension of positive psychology and wellness
counseling)
 Through interaction with their social and cultural environments,
people are transformed into participating members of their society.
Socialization:
The interactive process through which people learn:
 Basic skills
 Values
 Beliefs
 Behavior patterns of a society
Within socialization, a person develops a sense of self
Conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates
you from other members of society.
Theories of Socialization:
John Locke  Called role-taking
 Socialization process that allows a person to anticipate what
 English philosopher from the 1600’s.
others expect of us.
 Insisted each newly born human being is
EX: being a good person around grandma!
a tabula rasa “blank slate”
You do so because she is a good person!
 No personality
Meade’s “generalized other”
 Newborns could be molded into anything
with training. Mead says a person first individualizes significant
others:
Charles H. Cooley
 Mom
 Developed idea of looking glass self  Dad
 The interactive process by which we develop  Sister
an image of ourselves based on how we imagine we appear to
 Brother
others.
Ex: Other people act as a mirror reflecting As we grow older:
back the image we see with their reactions.
 People internalize attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of
Fear = ugliness
society.
Looking Glass Theory:  Generalized other.
3 steps Three Stages of Role Taking:
1. We imagine how we appear to others. Children develop skills that are necessary in order to role-take through
2. Based on the other’s reactions, we attempt to social interaction.
determine whether they view us as we see ourselves.
3. We use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop 1 month – 3 years
feelings about ourselves.
Children lack sense of self.
Therefore, they can only imitate the action of others.

3 -5 years
George Herbert Meade
Children learn to play and act out roles
 Believed that we not only see ourselves as others see us, but Can play “house” or role play
actually take on the roles of others.
  Are your answers more relational (collectivist) or about self
After 5 years (individualist)?
 Which brain hemisphere helps you to recognize yourself? (Decety
Children can play games with specific rules
& Sommerville, 2003) Right? Left?
Children can anticipate actions of others
Children can outmaneuver other players At The Center of Our Worlds: Our Sense of Self:
The ”I” in me: Schema
“I”  Mental templates by which we organize our worlds)
 The unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested component of  We bolster our self-schema by remembering things better that are
personality. consistent with it. (Kilstrom & Cantor, ’84)
 Very large role in children Self-schema
“Me”  Beliefs about self that organize and guide the processing of self-
relevant information.
 The part of our self that is aware of the expectations and attitudes
of society. Development of the Social Self:
 Very large role in adults
What Determines Our Self-Concept?
Research Close – up: On Being Nervous About Looking Nervous:
 Roles we play
Examples of interplay between our sense of self and our social world:  Social identities we form
 Comparisons we make with others
 Social surroundings affect our self-awareness
 How other people judge us
 Self-interest colors our social judgment  Surrounding culture
Self-serving bias: The Roles We Play:
 We attribute favorable outcomes to internal causes (self)  New roles begin as playacting then become reality
 We attribute unfavorable outcomes to external causes As we play them we begin to believe them (self perception theory,
 Self-concern motivates our social behavior (D. Bem)
 We monitor our own and others’ behavior (Snyder)
 Social relationships help define our self
 Could mindful meditation help?
Social Comparisons:
Self – Concept: Who Am I?
 We compare ourselves with others and consider how we differ …
 A person’s answers to the question, “Who am I?”
Via Social Comparison theory (Festinger, ‘54)
 Take time to answer this question…
 We tend to compare upward  Richard Nisbett’s The Geography of Thought (2003)
 Who is your referent group?  Contends that collectivism results in different ways of thinking
 Can diminish satisfaction  Asians tend to think more in relationships than Americans
 Americans see choices as expressions of themselves.
 Which focus more on the focal object/background?
Success and Failure:
 Japanese / Americans?
 Our daily experiences cause us to have empowerment or low self-  What does this tell us?
esteem
 Remember Self-esteem <-> Competence? Culture and Self-Esteem
 In collectivist cultures
Other People’s Judgments:
 Self-concept is context-specific rather than stable
 Looking-glass self (Cooley, 1902 –sociologist)  Conflict takes place between groups
 How we think others perceive us is a mirror for perceiving  Persist more when failing
ourselves  In individualistic cultures
 Self-esteem is more personal and less relational
Self and Culture:
 Persist more when winning
Individualism  Conflict takes place between individuals
Crime
Concept of giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and
Divorce
defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group
identifications
Independent self
Western cultures – tend towards self-inflation (cf to Japanese)
- Is Pride a deadly sin?
Collectivism
Giving priority to the goals of one’s group and defining one’s identity
accordingly
Interdependent self
Asian, African, and Central and South American cultures
Thought ? Can you think of groupings other than just national
cultures?  In your opinion, which culture is ‘better’?
Cultural Influences on the Self – Concept
Culture and Cognition
 Not Independent Atoms
You should be taught that you are not independent atoms. Each one is
a thread which is to unite with other threads in composing a fabric.
Testimonies for the Church 6:172 (1900)

  Self-concept is also influenced by cultural factors.

 Contrasting cultural orientations:
 Individualism: One’s culture values the virtues of
independence, autonomy, and self-reliance.
Collectivism: One’s culture values the virtues of
interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony.
Cultural Conceptions of Self
 Influence of Cultural Orientation on Self
 Individualistic cultures: People strive for personal
achievement.
 Collectivistic cultures: People derive more satisfaction from
the status of the valued group.
What’s Your Preference? Similarity or Uniqueness: