gen·der

/ˈjendər/
Photo courtesy of Direct Society
 refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed
(https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender)

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. discuss the gender variations and their importance to live in harmony in the community;
2. demonstrate mutual respect across genders in their respective communities;
3. transform knowledge on gender to strengthen one’s role in community development;
and
4. learn about the idea of “stereotype” and will consider whether gender stereotypes are
fair or unfair.

When filling out your school forms or any documents, you are usually asked to provide
information such as your name, address, phone number, birth date, and sex or gender. But have
you ever been asked to provide your sex and your gender? Like most people, you are often
confused and used sex and gender interchangeably. You may not have realized that sex and
gender are not the same. These two terms are used as synonyms of each other, however the
distinction between sex and gender can be very important. Social scientists see them as distinct
in definition and concept.

A. Meaning and Nature of Gender

Gender refers to the characteristics and social positions that members of the
society attach to being female, and male, girls, and boys (Palispis, 2007).
Gender refers to the socially-constructed notion of and relationship between men
and women. It also concerns men and women including conceptions of both femininity
and masculinity (Agdalpen, et., al., 2019).

Gender is not determined biologically, as a result of sexual characteristics of either

women and men, but is constructed socially. It is a central organizing principle of
societies, and often govern the process of production and reproduction, consumption and
distribution (Food and Agriculture Organization, 1997).
Having said that, gender has become more fluid--- it may or may not depend upon
biological traits alone. It is more of a concept that describes how societies determine and manage
sex categories: the cultural meanings attached to men and women’s role; and how individuals
understand their identities including but not limited to, being a man, woman, transgender, intersex,
gender queer and other gender orientations and dispositions (Agdalpen, et., al., 2019).
B. Sociology of Gender
The sociology of gender examines how society influences our understandings and
perception of differences between masculinity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a
“man”) and femininity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a “woman”). We examine how
this, in turn, influences identity and social practices. We pay special focus on the power
relationships that follow from the established gender order in a given society, as well as how this
changes over time.
Regardless of sexual experience, sexual desire and behaviors can change over time, and
sexual identities may or may not shift as a result.
Gender and sexuality are not just personal identities; they are social identities. They arise
from our relationships to other people, and they depend upon social interaction and social
recognition. As such, they influence how we understand ourselves in relation to others.
Source: https://othersociologist.com/sociology-of-gender/
The sociology of gender is one of the largest subfields within sociology and features theory
and research that critically interrogates the social construction of gender, how gender interacts
with other social forces in society, and how gender relates to social structure overall. Sociologists
within this subfield study a wide range of topics with a variety of research methods, including
things like identity, social interaction, power and oppression, and the interaction of gender with
other things like race, class, culture, religion, and sexuality, among others.
Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/sociology-of-gender

C. Sex vs Gender

What it means to differentiate between Sex and Gender?

To understand sexual diversity and gender diversity we need to first have an

understanding of sex and gender and how these terms differ and relate to each other. These two
words are often used as synonyms of one another, though the distinction between sex and gender
can be very important.

SEX GENDER
Biological characteristics (including Socially constructed set of responsibilities
genetics, anatomy and physiology) that associated with being girl and boy or women
generally define humans as female or male. and men, and in some cultures a third or other
Note that these biological characteristics are gender.
not mutually exclusive; however, there are
individuals who possess both male and female
characteristics.
Natural Learned
Categorize as male and female Categorize as feminine and masculine
 Cannot be changed, except with the medical Can be changed over time, since social values
treatment. and norms are not static.
PRACTICAL POINT: At birth, the difference between boys and girls is their sex; as they grow
up, society gives them different roles, attributes, opportunities, privileges and rights that in the
end create the social differences between men and women.

Your sex, as determined by your biology, does not always correspond with your gender.
Therefore, the terms sex and gender are not interchangeable. For example, a baby boy who is
born with male genitalia will be identified as male. As he grows, however, he may identify with the
feminine aspects of his culture. Since the term sex refers to biological or physical distinctions,
characteristics of sex will not vary significantly between different human societies. Generally,
persons of the female sex, regardless of culture, will eventually menstruate and develop breasts
that can lactate.
Characteristics of gender, on the other hand, may vary greatly between different societies.
For example, in U.S. culture, it is considered feminine (or a trait of the female gender) to wear a
dress or skirt. However, in many Middle Eastern, Asian, and African cultures, dresses or skirts
(often referred to as sarongs, robes, or gowns) are considered masculine. The kilt worn by a
Scottish male does not make him appear feminine in his culture.

Sex Role vs Gender Role

Sex Role

 A function in which a male or female assumes because of the basic physiological or

anatomical difference between the sexes.

 A role which can be performed by ONLY ONE OF THE SEXES.

Example: female associated with childrearing while male produces spermatozoa which
determines child’s sex.

Gender Role

 Learned behaviors in given society or community of social groups and influenced by

perceptions and expectations.

 Arising from cultural, economic, environmental, social and religious factors.

Example: Women are expected to do house chores and nurture the child while men are
generally expected to work and provide for the family.
D. Sexuality

Sexuality is the total of our physical, emotional and spiritual responses, thoughts
and feelings. Sexuality is more about who we are than about what we do. It is part of what
makes us human.
Sexuality varies from biological sex, in that "sexuality" refers to the desire to have
sexual desires and attraction, whereas "biological sex" refers to the classification of one's
anatomy, biology, hormones and genetics (typically male, female, or intersex). Sexuality
is also separate from gender identity, which is the sense of a person's own gender, or
sociocultural classification (i.e., man, woman, or other gender) based on biological sex
(i.e., male or female); It is also distinct from — though it develops — sexual orientation, or
one's emotional and physical attraction to a specific gender or sex.

E. The Genderbread Person

Gender Identity

One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how
individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity
can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
 CISGENDER- is a term for people whose gender identity matches their sex
assigned at birth. Kung ang SEX ay match sa kung ano ang nasa
UTAK.

TRANSGENDER- is a term for people whose gender identity do not match with
their sex assigned at birth. Kung ang SEX ay di match kung
ano ang nasa utak.

GENDERQUEER is most commonly used to describe a person who feels that

his/her gender identity does not fit into the socially constructed "norms" associated with
his/her biological sex.
*** Genderqueer is an identity that falls anywhere between man/boy/male and
woman/girl/female on the spectrum of gender identities.

Gender Expression

Gender expression is the external manifestations of gender, expressed through a person's

name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics.
How an individual physically expresses herself/himself (through appearance, how she/he
dresses, the haircut, voice, body language, or other physical behavior characteristics) based on
their gender identity and sexual identity, whether it shows manly characteristics (Masculine) or
womanly characteristics (Feminine) or does not clearly show either masculine and feminine
characteristics is called Androgynous/ Gender Neutral.

 Masculine- a person who has qualities and characteristics which are traditionally
associated with a man.
 Feminine- a person who has qualities and characteristics which are traditionally
associated with a woman.
 Gender Neutral- a person whose qualities and characteristics differ from those
which are traditionally associated with a man or a woman.
 Androgynous- a person whose qualities and characteristics are combination of
those traditionally associated with a man or a woman.

Biological Sex

The classification of a person as male or female. At birth, infants are assigned a sex,
usually based on the appearance of their external anatomy. (This is what is written on the birth
certificate.) A person's sex, however, is actually a combination of bodily characteristics including:
chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs, and secondary sex
characteristics.
Intersex is a group of conditions where there is a discrepancy between the external
genitals and the internal genitals (the testes and ovaries). The older term for this condition is
hermaphroditism.
 Sexual Orientation

It refers to each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional, physical and sexual
attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with individuals of a different gender or the same
gender or more than one gender.

The following is the forms of sexual orientations:

 Heterosexual- refers to a person who is emotionally, physically, and sexually

attracted to those of the opposite sex/ gender.
 Homosexual- refers to a person who is emotionally, physically, and sexually
attracted to those of the same sex.
 Bisexual- refers to a person who is emotionally, physically, and sexually attracted
to individuals of more than one gender.
 Pansexual- refers to a person who is capable emotionally, physically, and sexually
attracted to anyone regardless of their biological sex and gender
identity.
 Asexual- refers to a person who is not physically and sexually attracted to anyone
but has the same emotional needs as everybody.

References:
Agdalpen, R., et., al. (2019). Gender & Society. Sucat, Muntinlupa City. Panday-Lahi Publishing
House, Inc.
Palispis, E. (2007). Introduction to sociology and anthropology. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book
Store Inc.
https://othersociologist.com/sociology-of-gender/

https://www.thoughtco.com/sociology-of-gender