GENDER FAIR LANGUAGE

WHAT IS SEXISM IN LANGUAGE?  Language which disparages and

marginalizes women (or persons of another
 It is the use of language which devalues
gender)
members of one sex, almost invariably
women, and thus fosters gender inequality. CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE
 It discriminates against women by rendering Girl Adult female
them invisible or trivializing them at the
same time that it perpetuates notions of Ladies Women
male supremacy. Salesgirls Saleswomen
Young girls Teenage women
WHY THE CONCERN OF MERE WORDS?

 Language articulate consciousness  Language that fosters unequal gender

relations
It not only orders our thought but
from infancy, we learn to use language to CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE
give utterance to our basic needs and Man and wife Husband and wife
feelings.
Men and girls Men and women; boys
 Language reflects culture and girls
It encodes and transmits cultural President Bush and President Bush and
Mrs. Arroyo President Arroyo;
meaning and values in our society
President Bush and
 Language affects socialization President Macapagal-
Arroyo
Children learning a language absorb
the cultural assumptions and biases
underlying language use and see these as an
index to their society’s values and beliefs.

WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF SEXIST LANGUAGE?

 Language that excludes women

CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE

Man, person, individual Human being, human

Working men Workers, wage earners

Man on the street Average person,
ordinary person, the
common person

 Language that trivializes women or

diminishes their stature

CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE

Actress Actor
Authoress Author
Usherette Usher
 GENDER SENSITIVE LANGUAGE GENDER ISSUES

LANGUAGE  Politics

 The system of words or signs that people use  Domestic violence

to express thoughts and feeling to each
other  Same sex marriage
 Any one of the systems of human language  Superiority Males
that are used and understood by a particular
group of people  Quality of Education for Males only

1. Big effect  RA 7877 Anti-Sexual Harassment

2. Deep effect

3. Early effect

4. Broad effect

5. Weighty effect

GENDER AND LANGUAGE

 Basic mode of communication

 “Language is the blood of the soul into which
thoughts run and out of which they grow” –
Oliver Wendell Holmes
 Language shapes and reflects the way we
think of and relates toward people.
 It can reinforce gender stereotypes and
inequalities in social relation.
 It can affirm and reclaim one’s self –respect
and personal agency, challenges biases, and
empower people.
 Does not merely reflect the way think: it also
shapes our thinking.
 Two problems that arise are ambiguity and
stereotyping
 Hence the need to adjust our language when
our ideas evolve

Principles

1. Respect for the inherent dignity, worth and

rights of all people

2. Inclusiveness

3. Gender equality
 SOGIESC conventional binary categories
(Male or Female).
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression,
C. TRANSGENDER (I am…)
Sex Characteristics
o An umbrella term for people whose
WHO? gender identify and/or expression
differs from what is typically
SOGIESC is not only intended for LGBTQ+ associated with the same sex
people but for each individual. It covers a spectrum of assigned at birth.
sexuality and orientation for each human being.
GENDER EXPRESSION
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
 External manifestation of a person’s gender
 It refers to a person’s emotional, physical, identity, expressed through one’s name,
and sexual attraction to another individual. pronouns, clothing, voice and body
A. Heterosexual characteristics
o It refers to a person who is A. MASCULINE
emotionally, physically, and o A person who has qualities and
sexually attracted to those of the characteristics which are
opposite sex. traditionally associated with a man
B. Homosexual B. FEMININE
o It refers to a person who is o A person who has a qualities and
emotionally, physically and sexually characteristics which are
attracted to those of the same sex. traditionally associated with a
C. Bisexual woman
o It refers to a person who is C. ANDROGYNOUS
emotionally, physically and sexually o A person whose qualities and
attracted to the same or opposite characteristics are a combination of
sex/gender. those traditionally associated with a
D. Pansexual man and a woman
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically, and SEX CHARACTERISTICS
sexually attracted to anyone
 Refers to a person’s inner and outer and
regardless of their sex or gender
reproductive characteristics such as genitals,
identity.
chromosomal and hormonal structure, and
E. Asexual
other characteristics emerging from puberty
o It refers to a person who is
A. Intersex
emotionally, physically, and
o A general term used for a variety of
sexually not attracted to anyone.
conditions in which a person is born
GENDER IDENTITY with a reproductive and sexual
anatomy that doesn’t fit the definitions
 It refers to a person’s internal experience of male and female
and identification of gender, which may or B. Male
not correspond to the sex assigned at birth. o A person born with XY chromosomes
A. CISGENDER and has a male reproductive and sex
o It refers to a person whose gender organs
reflects their sex assigned at birth. C. Female
B. GENDER QUEER o A person born with XX chromosomes
o It refers to a person who does not and has a female reproductive and sex
identify themselves belonging to organs
 SOCIETY  Defines norms and discipline
 Cultural elements:
ORIGIN OF SOCIETY
o Customs, laws, dress,
 Emerged in the fifteenth century architectural style, social
 Derived from the French “société”, in turn, standards, religious beliefs,
had its origin in the Latin “societas” a and traditions
“friendly association with others,” from  Transmit to culture:
“socius” meaning “companion, associate, a. Ethnocentrism
and comrade or business partner” o Based on the idea within
 One of the basic sociological term the group
b. Acculturation
In simple sense, society is a large o Adapting & borrowing new
grouping that shares the same geographical culture
territory, shares a common culture and c. Assimilation
social structure, and expected to abide by o New situations through
some laws. conformity
d. Immersion
 Society is the actual arrangement of social
o Involving in some activities
relations, while “culture” consists of belief,
& interest
art, morals, law, customs, and any other
2. Social structure
capabilities and habits acquired by all
 interdependent components that
members of particular society
interactively related as a whole
– Clifford Geertz and Edward
 the organized set of social
Burnett Taylor (1871)
institutions and patterns of
 Simply defined as a grouping of individuals,
institutionalized relationships that
which is characterized by common interest
together compose society
and may have distinctive culture and
 both a product of social
institutions
interaction and directly determines
 An organized group of people associated
it
together (regardless of gender for religious,
 not immediately visible to the
benevolent, cultural, scientific, political,
untrained observer, however, they
patriotic, or other purpose) to obtain a
are always present and affect all
common goal
dimensions of human experience in
 Human beings are inherently and essentially
society
social creature with the desire and need to
 operating on three levels within a
be close with (other and environment)
given society
TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF A SOCIETY a. Micro
o Small circle, working with
1. Culture
individuals
 manifest the common b. Mezzo
characteristics of the community o Working with small groups
that binds individuals together and families
 set of patterns of human activity c. Macro
within a community or social group o Large scale, actual working
and the symbolic structures that with agencies,
give such activity significance organizations, and
 Connects people with each other government
 Gives a sense of belonging, unity
 Builds communities
NATURE OF SOCIETY  Today, not only individuals are
interdependent upon one another, but
1. Society consists of people
communities, social group and nations
 Without people there can be no are also interdependent.
society, no social relationship and no
7. Society is dynamic
social life at all.
 Society is not static, but dynamic.
2. Mutual awareness and mutual interaction
Changeability is inherent quality of
 Society is a group of people in human beings. No society can even
continuous interactions with each remain constant for any length of time.
other. A social interaction is made Changes may take place slowly and
possible because of mutual awareness. gradually of suddenly and abrupt.
 Society is understood as a network of 8. Social control
social relations. Thus, social
relationship implies mutual awareness.  Absolute freedom makes man’s life like
other animal beings. So, society has its
3. Society depends on likeness
own ways of controlling the behaviour
 The principle of likeness is essential for of its member. For this, society has
society. It exists among those who formal and informal means of social
resemble one another in body and control.
mind to some extent. Just as the birds  Customs, tradition, more folkways, are
of same feather flock together, men the informal means of social control,
have many things in common. It implies whereas law, police, constitution,
consciousness of kind. police and formal means of social
control.
4. Society rests on differences too  Norms
- a principle of right action
 If men are exactly alike, their social
binding upon the members of a
relationship would be very limited.
group and serving to guide,
people differ from one another in their
control or regulate proper and
looks, personality, ability, talent,
acceptable behaviour
attitude, aptitude, interest, taste, faith
- acceptable way of living in a
and so on. People pursue different
certain place
activities because of these differences.
Sumner’s three dimension of social
5. Co- operational and division of labor Norms
1. Folkways – concerned with minor
 Division of labor involves the everyday conversation of behavior:
assignment to each unit or group a etiquette, tradition, etc.
specific share of a common task. 2. Mores – based upon larger societal
 For example: human body, organization level standards of morality
institution 3. Laws – strongest set of norms;
6. Society function interdependently too formally codified, suctioned, etc.

 Social relationship is characterized by TYPES OF SOCIETY - Gerhar Lenski (sociologist)

interdependence of elements of Different societies into four levels based on their
society. Family is an example of level of technology, communication, and economy;
interdependence of member for its
smooth functioning. 1. Hunters and gatherers
 2. Simple agricultural o Providing social status.

3. Advance agricultural Kinds of Family

4. Industrial 1. According to Membership

a. Conjugal or Nuclear Family
SOCIAL INTITUTIONS
• Husband, wife and children
 Any institutions in a society that works to b. Consanguine or Extended Family
socialize the groups of people in it • Married couple, their parents,
 Any people or groups that you have social siblings, grandparents, uncles,
interactions with aunts and cousins
2. According to Terms of Marriage
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INSTITUTION a. Polyandry
• One woman married to two or
 Institutions are purposive.
more men
 Relatively permanent in their content. b. Polygamy
• One man married to two or
 Institutions are structured. more women
c. Cenogamy
 Institutions are a unified structure.
• Two or more men mate with
 Institutions are necessarily value-laden. two or more women in group
marriage
MAJOR SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS 3. According to Line of Descent
A. Family a. Patrilineal
• recognized through the
 the smallest social institution with the
father’s line
unique function
b. Matrilineal
 Basic unit of Philippines society and the
• recognized through the
educational system
mother’s line
Characteristics of the Filipino Family c. Bilineal
• recognized through both the
o The family is closely knit and has strong father’s and mother’s line
family ties. 4. According to Place of Residence
o The Filipino family is usually extended a. Patrilocal
one and therefore, big. • married couple lives with the
parents of the husband
Functions of the Family b. Matrilocal
• married couple lives with the
o Reproduction of the race and rearing of
parents of the wife
the young.

o Cultural transmission or enculturation. c. Neolocal

• married couple maintains a
o Socialization of the child. separate household and live
o Providing affection and sense of by themselves
security. 5. According to Authority
a. Patriarchal
o Providing the environment for • father is considered the head
personality development and growth of and plays a dominant role
self-concept in relation to others.
 b. Matriarchal 2. Legislative
• mother is considered the head o makes rules and laws
and makes the major decisions 3. Judicial
c. Equalitarian o interprets rules and laws
• both the mother and father
share in making decisions and
are equal in authority
B. Education
 A form of learning in which the
knowledge, skills and habits of group of
people are transferred from one
generation to the next through
teaching, training or research
C. Religion
 An institution that engages people to
express belief in a divine power.
 An organization of religious beliefs,
morality, ethics and world views that
relate humanity and aims to explain the
meaning and origin of life
D. Economy
 The institution that provides for the
production, distribution and
consumption of goods and services,
which people in every society need

Sectors of Economy

1. Primary Sector
o Draws a raw material from the
natural environment
2. Secondary Sector
o Transforms raw materials into
manufactured goods
3. Tertiary Sector
o The part of the economy that
involves services rather than
goods
E. Government
 An institution entrusted with making
and enforcing the rules of a society as
well as with regulating relations with
other societies. It can be city,
provincial, national or even
international

Branches of the Government

1. Executive
o enforces rules and laws
THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL THEORY OF SOCIOLOGY offers a way to transmit a society’s skills,
knowledge and culture to its youth. Politics
SOCIOLOGY
provides a way of governing members of
 The study of human society, its origins, society. Economics provides for the
function, and problems. production, distribution, and consumption
 Focuses on relation among people, group, of goods and services. And religion provides
classes, organization and culture moral guidance and an outlet for worship of
1. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALIST THEORY a higher power.
 Theory assumes that all part of the 2. SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY
social structure (including group,  George Herbert
organization and institution), the o Theory compiled in 20th century
culture (values and beliefs), the social o He believed that the development
process work together to make the of the individual was a social
whole society run smoothly and process, as were the meanings of
harmoniously individual assigned to things
 Understand human behavior as part of  People change based in their
system that help keep society organized interactions with objects, events, ideas
and function and other people.
 Created by Emile Durkheim  The meaning of a social reality is not
 We have specific job and role that they predetermined: its meaning is created
need to that for everything to work and by the individual
all these individual people that live in Example:
the society work together Marriage or living together?
Predetermined meaning or not?
 Vital functions
 Every structure has a function that  People don’t respond to the world
meet a need in a society. around them but to the meaning they
collectively apply to it
 All structures are work together to
maintain a social equilibrium  They assign meaning in order to decide
how to act. We gave meaning to things
 Society is heading toward an
based on our social interactions.
equilibrium
 The same thing can have a different
Structures that meet the needs of the meaning for different people.
society Meaning
- can change in our everyday life
 Institutions & Social Facts (subject to change)
1. Education system - made as a result of people
2. Laws interacting together; thus =
3. Business symbolic interactionism
4. Financial institutions Action
5. Mass media - depend on meaning (different
6. Medicine perspectives)
7. NGO
 Takes a small-scale view of society (It
8. Military forces
can explain social order and change).
9. Religion
Focuses on a small-scale perspective of
Example:
the interactions between individuals,
Each of the social institutions
like when you hang out with a friend
contributes important functions for society:
 We can give meaning
family provides context for reproducing,
nurturing and socializing children. Education
 Example of symbol: WID, WAD & GAD APPROACHES
Engagement ring
HISTORY
- sign of love, happiness and
commitment  In the last four decades, three development
Tattoo paradigms (WID, WAD & GAD) have offered
- certain meaning (body is a explanations why women have not fully
temple) or having a significant benefitted from development, just as much
to you as men
Symbolic Interactionism  The origin of development
1940s
a. Human actions depend on the o World War II, women took over the
meaning of the object industries as men were sent to war
o After the war, soldiers returned and
b. We give meaning to things based
assumed work in the industries as
on social interactions &
supervisors and managers
experiences
 United Nation was created on October 24,
c. The meaning of symbols is not 1945 in Geneva, Switzerland to ensure
permanent & can change over international order and prevent another
time world war. It provides forum to resolve
international disputes.
3. CONFLICT THEORY  1945 – equality between women and men
 It contends that conflict is inevitable in started
any group or society. The conflict  UN use roadmap to guarantee the rights of
perspective claims that inequality and individual everywhere
injustice are the source of conflicts that
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights –
permeate society.
adopted in Paris, France on December 10,
Example: Capitalism 1948
 Article 2 of UDHR
“Everyone is entitled to all the rights, and
freedoms set forth in this declaration,
without distinction of any kind, such as race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or
other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth or other status.”

Women in Development (WID)

 Started in the 1970s

 1975 – International Women’s Year
 1976-1985 United Nations Decade on
Women
o All the major conferences were held in
Mexico City, Copenhagen and Nairobi
 Adopted by UN in 1975 and at the First
World Conference on Women held in Mexico
 Government were asked to create National
Machineries such as Ministries of Women to
promote and oversee national efforts to
advance women and WID units
  Aim: to integrate women into economic  Development perspective anchored on
development by focusing on women’s rights-based and people-centered
productive work in two ways development
1. Providing women money and other  This approach focused on social, economic,
resources for income-generating political and cultural factors that determine
activities how differently women and men participate
2. Developing appropriate technologies to in benefit, form, and control resource and
lighten women’s loads activities
 Belief that economic development can be  A development perspective that recognizes
achieved through industrialization the unequal status and situations of women
 Focusing on women were developed, WID and men in society
project involved only women participants  Recognizes women as agents of change
and beneficiaries and eventually, the project rather than mere recipients of development
failed and it emphasizes the need for women to
mobilize in order to achieve greater political
Women and Development (WAD)
impact
 Emerged in the second half of the 1970s –  Focuses not on women (as WID and WAD
launching of the women’s movement did) but on the social relation between men
 Argues that women have always been a part and women
of the development process but that their
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW)
work has been exploited to profit others in
the global North  The primary policy-making and coordinating
 Advocated increasing women’s share in body on women and gender equality
resources, land, employment and income concerns
 Perspective therefore was more concerned  August 14, 2009
about the relationship between women and  Formerly known as the National Commission
development rather than integration of on the Role of Filipino Women (PCRFW),
women into development which was established on January 7, 1975
 Once the need for structural and through Presidential Decree No. 633, as an
institutional reforms are installed at the local advisory body to the president and the
and international levels cabinet on policies and programs for the
 Argues about WAD advancement of women
 Focused on third world (Latin America, Asia,  Its mandate was expanded by the enactment
and Africa) of Republic Act 9710, otherwise known as
the Magna Carta of Women (MCW)
Both WID and WAD were less successful in
improving the overall situation of women.
While both approaches promoted the
visibility of women in development, both
also failed to adequately consider the
inequalities between men and women cited
in handbook on the application of the
enhanced gender mainstreaming evaluation

Gender and Development (GAD)

 Originated in the early 1980s as a strategic

response to the limitation of WID and WAD
approaches to improve the status of women