SOCIETAL INFLUENCES

MODULE 2: AFFECTING GENDER

CONSTRUCTION

OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE

This module tackles the historical roots of our understanding about gender and sexuality
and how this understanding evolved through time, affected various aspect of human life. Also,
this module aims to explore the different factors that influence the development of gender
construction of a person and how these factors are related to one another and how we as a
person influence the society, we are living in.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Describe how the construction of gender socially, historically, and globally shaped the
experiences of men and women

2. Analyze the role of socialization in the development of one’s gender and sexuality

CONTENTS
The module is divided into two lessons, namely:
Lesson 3: Gender and Sexuality Across Time
Lesson 4: Factors Affecting Gender Socialization:

DURATION: 2 weeks

1
 LESSON 3: GENDER AND SEXUALITY
ACROSS TIME

OVERVIEW
Hello dear students!! The past lesson opened up new knowledge about sex and gender
and how our views and opinions of other gender may affect people. In this lesson, we are going
to understand how gender evolve across time, and try to look at how time and situations
affected our notions of gender today. This lesson provides understanding about the history of
gender construction and how it shaped the experiences, understanding and perception of men
and women across time.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. discuss the historical roots of our understanding of gender and sexuality; and
2. show appreciation of how this understanding evolved through time, affected
various aspect of human life

MOTIVATION

A. THINK AND CHAT

Activity 1: COLLAGE MAKING

Materials Needed
1. Half White Cartolina
2. Colored pencils/crayons
Duration: 30 min.
Procedure:
a. In a white cartolina, create a collage showing the progression of human understanding and
attitude of gender and sexuality in modern societies. You may ask a parent, guardian or a friend
to help you out in providing some information about the past with regards to gender and sexuality

2
 b. Have a dyad with your buddy to share your outputs.
Based on the activity, what are your realizations about the evolution of gender? How was
gender evolved over time?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
B. CALL A FRIEND

Activity 2: SELF-REFLECTION
Materials Needed
✓ Paper and Pen (It can be encoded)

Instruction:

Find a friend or someone whom you are comfortable to discuss your Patriarchy is a
social system where
thoughts and feelings. On your own, reflect on the question. Share ideas society upholds
male supremacy in
with them. Think about the phrases babae kasi, lalaki kasi, haligi ng
the law, at home, in
tahanan, ilaw ng tahanan, and pakipot. the work and in the
society
In a short bond paper, briefly explain your answer to the question below:

How these words communicate patriarchy?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

LESSON PROPER

Historical accounts show that across time, human’s conception of gender and sexuality
has also changed. Archeological artifacts reveal that during the dawn of civilization human
societies have high regard for women (Botor,2019). This is because the concept of divine
feminine or the sacredness of the woman due to her ability to conceived children has prevailed,
and thus, women are treated equally with men. Philippine historians also noted that before the
3
Spanish invasion, male and female offspring enjoyed relatively equal status, with both men and
women having equal access to societal resources and inheritance rights (or the equivalents
thereof). Children bore the mother’s name. Lineage was traced both from the maternal and
paternal lines (a practice that still manifests in the Filipino naming system: a child’s “middle
name” is their mother’s maiden surname). Women could move as freely as the men, could
acquire education, retained equal rights in marriage and divorce, were eligible to be leaders in
both political and religious domains, and while there was a bias towards males in terms of
inheritance and martial leadership, it was by no means a systematic bias against women
The significant roles of women during the precolonial
period where the Babaylans considered as priestess during FACTS:
their time held a high status in the communities (UP Women
• Greece: Plato and other
Center,2001). They are normally the gifted ones who has
the power to communicate with the spirits and Gods, ability Philosophers viewed women
to heal the sick and provide advices to the ruler or head of as the inferior sex and are
the tribe. Babaylan women serve as intermediaries properties of men.
between spiritual and material worlds in their communities. Forbidden to learn
In the TV series “Amaya”, the series showed how philosophy and ethics
empowered women were during the precolonial period who • Egypt: Egyptian women
held high respect even from the leaders of the tribe, and
enjoyed higher status than
the fate of the tribe was dependent on how the Babaylans
Greek women because they
were able to take care of the community with their
relationships with the Gods. can inherit property and
engage in trade. However,
Being the spiritual leader, the babaylan was in Greek influence quickly
charge of rituals, including those of agricultural
significance. Through her knowledge in astronomy, she spread Egypt through the
determined the right time to clear the land, as well as the conquest of Alexander the
planting and harvest cycle. She also studied and took Great.
charge of medicine, developing her knowledge and • China: Confucianism had
passing this on (Alporha & Evangelista, 2018).
stringent written rules that
The Filipino women's experiences and the roles they dictate how women should
played in different historical conjunctures reflected the
conduct themselves. The
character of the times and determined the nature of their
struggle. written document Precept of
Women states that women
At the onset of agricultural era, the views and
should obey their fathers,
conception about women changed. This is because the
when married, should obey
issue of paternity became widely recognized when
societies became dependent on the strength of men in the their husbands, and when
productive sphere such as building their houses, taming for widowed, she is to obey her
farm animals, while women were left at home to do son.
domestic work.
With the discovery of paternity, societies have privileged men for the longest time over
other genders. Preferences were given to men in the productive sphere outside of the home
while women became confined in reproductive affairs.
4
Patriarchy
Recognizing patriarchy in the simple things we do is very important for us to identify
these instances so we can change it. Even the simplest acts that are seemingly harmless can
be analyzed and seen as a way to force women into submission and compliance. That is the
power of putting labels on oppressive acts, and you can call it out and stop it.
Patriarchy came from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means “the rule of the father”
It is a social system where men primarily hold power in the political and private sphere. It simply
means that our society is organized and maintained in a way that men rule over women and
their children (Peralta 2019). This is a patrilineal society that follows a patriarchal system where
only men can inherit property and family name. This is the reason why when women married,
they carry the name of their husbands in total submission putting aside their own family names.
Patriarchy privileges boys and men over girls and women. This has led to inequalities
reflected in gender gaps in the economic, social, cultural and political sphere. It is viewed by
most sociologists as a social construct and not as a biological phenomenon.
For further reading… please read: The Culture of Patriarchy and Human Rights
https://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/webportal/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1544_rev.pdf

Feminism
Women empowerment became known as the goal of women’s liberation movements
or feminism that aims to challenge the patriarchal society that privileged men over women.
Particularly, these movements cry for women participation in the public sphere most
importantly, the right to vote.
Feminism gained women access to education, right to vote, right to work, take control
of their reproduction, and the right to say no instead of just obeying. However, there is still
much to be done for gender equality.
Simply means that feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities.
It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and
striving to empower all women to realise their full rights (IWDA, 2018). It’s about levelling the
playing field between genders, and ensuring that diverse women and girls have the same
opportunities in life available to boys and men.
In a paper written by MJ Arnado (2011), he states that “feminists’ vision of society and
their perceived sources of women’s oppression vary depending on how they have experienced
differentiation, oppression, or exploitation.” Therefore, feminism is not monolithic; it is a
movement with various “strains”, pushing and pulling against each other throughout history, all
based on the personal struggles of their demographics.

Moreover, in the Philippine Country Study of Hega et al (2018) she emphasized that
women's movement in the Philippines has achieved numerous gains in terms of economic,
5
political, and social equality. Nevertheless, a lot of things remain to be done like inequality in
political representation and economic opportunities, and aggression and violence brought by
the specter of patriarchy that persists up to the present. While the women's movement in the
Philippines demonstrated perpetual growth and momentum, women in the minority like the
lesbians, bisexual and the transwomen still grapple for the place of their struggle in the
movement. Because of this feminism and the women's movement in the Philippines face new
challenges at the dawn of a new government and the present conditions of the time. The
challenge is to persevere and adapt to these changes in order to sustain the women's struggle
for freedom, equality, and social justice.

APPLICATION
Gender across time taught us how marginalization of gender evolved because of
societal conditions such as patriarchy that sat boundaries between sexes. Based on your
learning, list down at least five significant influences that happened in your life that were
associated with patriarchy and how this affected your gender identity.
1.________________________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________

6
 GENERALIZATION
In this lesson, our key learning points are:

• Gender equality was present in precolonial times. Men and women are co-equal
and respectful of each other because of the significant roles they played in the
family and society in both productive and reproductive work

• The development of societies and recognition of paternity and culture of patriarchy

paved the way for marginalization and discrimination of women.

• Patriarchy privileged men over women in the longest time resulting women to
become a weaker gender incapable of participation in societal affairs

• Feminism is an offshoot to women discrimination to battle the culture of patriarchy.

The rise of women’s movements aimed at women’s’ liberation and empowerment
became strong through the years in order to attain social justice, and gender
equality.

ASSESSMENT

Write a 300-word essay reflecting your insights on the history of Feminism in the
Philippines. Please read the following studies as your reference. Do not copy the
articles, write your reflections on what you’ve read. What does the information mean to
you now?
• https://medium.com/humanist-voices/empowerment-in-progress-feminisms-in-the-
philippines-from-the-pre-hispanic-period-to-the-duterte-
• https://asia.fes.de/news/feminism-and-the-womens-movement-in-the-philippines

7
REFERENCES
E. Peralta, Botor & Laude, (2019) Gender and Society: A Human Ecological Approach,
Rex Bookstore

M. Hega, V. Alporha & M.Evangelista (2018) Feminism and the Women's Movement in the
Philippines: Struggles, Advances, and Challenges, https://asia.fes.de/news/feminism-and-
the-womens-movement-in-the-philippines
Jacobsen, Scott Douglas,(2019) Empowerment in Progress: Feminisms in the Philippines
From the Pre-Hispanic Period to the Duterte Regime Part I,https://medium.com/humanist-
voices/empowerment-in-progress-feminisms-in-the-philippines-from-the-pre-hispanic-
period-to-the-duterte-

The Culture of Patriarchy and Human Rights

https://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/webportal/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1544_rev.pdf

8
 Factors Affecting
LESSON 4: Gender Socialization

INTRODUCTION
Hello class!!! Our lesson on the how gender evolved across time helped us to
understand the roots of patriarchy which started the conceptualization of women as weaker
gender. In this lesson, we are going to deepen more our understanding on how the culture of
patriarchy was perpetuated and affected all societal factors that affected gender construction.
This lesson will explore on the major socializing agents, namely; family, church, school, media,
and the State which are the most influential on the development of our gender identity and
expression, and on how we view other’s gender.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify the different factors affecting gender socialization.
2. Determine how these factors influence the person’s identification of himself.
3. Examine one’s self in relations to the factors that might have an effect on the persons’
gender identity.

MOTIVATION
A. Self-Reflection
Activity 1: The River of Life

Instruction:

1. Draw a river to reflect YOUR journey to where you are now as a man or woman (in reference
to the three words that describe you). You can identify major facilitating and hindering factors
and free to represent that symbolically.
2. Answer the following questions in your River of Life
a. What three words describe me as a woman/man
b. What is my socio-economic background, educational status, age, ethnicity, religion, if
any?
c. Who have been the major socializing agents (people/institutions) which informed me
about the notions of gender?
d. How have gender definitions affected my life in terms of my behavior, choices, identity
and roles?
9
e. Have I personally experienced gender bias in my lifetime?
B. Think-and-chat
Instruction:
1. Group yourselves into five (5), each with five (5) members.
2. Create your own group chat, zoom meet, or any platform you prefer to use.
3. Each group will have these assignments;
Group A; Family
Group B: Church
Group C: Media
Group D: School
Group E: State or the Government

3. In your group, meet and discuss the following:

How does the agent of socialization affect the construction of gender based on
the following?
a. the roles individuals played
b. the belief system
c. values that passed on from generations that influenced the norms
4. Your outputs will be reported in our synchronous class. Be creative in your report.
You may do it in vlog, role play, reporting etc.
5. Please submit also your written outputs of the report in our goggle classroom
indicating the names of the group members.

LESSON PROPER

Socialization
In its general idea, socialization is an influence of norms, social values, cultural
beliefs, and normative behaviors to a certain group members. The most crucial period
of socialization is during childhood in which particular members of a certain adult
population teach the children to behave and act according to the norms the culture
dictates.
Gender Socialization which is also called gender categorization is believed to
start even before the birth of a child. It starts from knowing what is the “gender” of the

10
baby from the womb to
choosing and buying the
color of the babies’ clothes
(girls wear pink; boys should
wear blue). During
childhood, parents are the
ones who usually determine
toys to play, kinds of games
to play, behaviors that are
expected to be acted in
public, profession to be
dreamed of, attitudes that
are expected to be behaved
bound by the norms set by
the society and social
values. Gender
Socialization is intensified during adolescence, when the person’s exposure to people
is widening and new gender roles emerged. It is then contributed to gender ineq ualities
in school system, workplace, political views, community interaction and cultural biases.
During our childhood, we were all bound by certain roles and responsibilities that
molded our belief system and values as a person. As a child, we are expected to do
things in accord to our biological characteristic as
man or woman. This is what we call gender roles.
Roles that are assigned to us dictated by the family,
the culture and the community we are in. As we
grow older, we were exposed to various influences
that somehow affected our thoughts, behaviors,
and preferences. Social values made an impact in
shaping our personal identity and that is related to
how we construct our gender identity.
Society’s distinction of what to act and how to behave are the main factors of
how gender is construed. Some countries have different interpretation of their roles as
a person disregarding the sex, emphasizing their responsibilities.

The Family
The family who is the basic social unit of the society is the first environment of a
child where all major influences emanate. The process of gender socialization in the
family is presented as follows:

11
 The way children were treated put them in a box of being male or female. Infants
have no knowledge whether they are boys or girls but parents do. Most fathers wish to
have son as their first born who will be trained to like him while girls will be trained to be
like their mothers. In this process, children began to learn how to behave like boys or
girls.
It is in our families that we knew of our father as the head of the family while our
mothers are next to the head. The concept of patriarchy where men rules happen in
most families where major decision making comes from the father. On the other hand,
mothers are fitted to be the provider of moral and emotional support to the family.

The School
The second parents of children are their teachers who are expected to teach
them not only good behaviors and skills but new learnings as well. The classroom as a
learning environment also influenced construction of gender among young students The
textbook that they used in classrooms normally perpetuates gender biases, particularly
on how men and women ought to do at work, at home or in any endeavor that they
engage in.
It is in school that we begin to dream our future, what do we pursue studying as
a career when we graduate. However, career opportunities were also limited to men’s

12
or women’s work. Courses for Engineering are fitted for men while those in helping
professions such as psychology, social work or teacher are fitted for women.

The Church (Religion)

Spirituality or the purpose of our being was given meaning with our relationship
with God. Whatever religious affiliation we engaged in, the God that we worship is a
MAN. The Catholic Church, the oldest religious congregation presented the God -
Jesus Christ as the SON of Man. The teaching
of Jesus Christ taught us how He was as a man.

On the other hand, his mother, the Virgin

Mary known as the Immaculate Conception is
personified with a pure heart, kind and loving.
These conceptions greatly shaped our young
minds what do we ought to do as women in
reference to the character of the Virgin Mary and
what men should do. The Church also molded
gender biases since priesthood were confined to
men while women confined to being nuns. Most
churches are difficult to accept other genders in
diverse SOGIE as the Bible says there are only
two creations, man (Adam) and woman (Eve).

The Media
The powerful yet silent influencer of gender construction is media. What we watch
in TV, movies, internet, or read or watched in social media influences the way we do
things. Most young people are influenced on what they watched which they eventually
copied. How individuals shape their social characters, how they come to differentiate
between genders, colour, ethnicity,
race, caste – even urban or rural – is
shaped by objectified texts presented by
media for audiences that are
increasingly biased by the social
construction of gender. In short, media
has a strong position in controlling our
social realities (Manisha, 2019)
Media perpetuates gender biases
stereotyping women and men’s roles. It
is also the culprit in promoting
commodification of women in
13
advertisements. The overall focus of portrayal of women in the media reinforces the
stereotypes and prejudices instead of reducing them.

The State (Government)

The participation of women and men in formal and informal decision-making

structures varies greatly between countries, but is generally in favor of men. Institutional
as well as cultural, economic and societal factors limit women’s opportunities and
abilities to participate in decision making (GSDRC,2015).
The Philippines remains the top country in Asia in terms of closing the gender
gap, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 of the World Economic Forum.
The report shows that the Philippines has closed 78% of its overall gender gap,
garnering a score of 0.781 (down by 1.8 percentage points from .799 in 2019). With this,
it ranked 16th out of 153 countries with the narrowest gap between men and women,
dropping by 8 notches from its place last year (PCW,2020). This simply means that
government initiatives in promoting gender equality have been positive. In terms of
participation of women in politics, holding key positions in various levels of government,
the gender gap is close between men and women. Likewise, there is a recognition of
the participation of diverse SOGIE in various fields of government.

APPLICATION

List down at least three learnings and state how you are going to apply them to
yourself.
(1) __________________________________________________________________
(2) __________________________________________________________________
(3) __________________________________________________________________
14
 GENERALIZATION

In a nutshell, we have learned from this lesson that:

• There are major agents of socialization that influenced gender

construction namely; family, school, church, media and school

• How our gender identities were formed is a result of the influences of

mainly our families as it is the basic social unit and the primary agent
of socialization among children where their values, discipline and
moral foundation shaped the way they behave, act and think.

• In each of the major socializing agents, gender biases occurred

stereotyping the roles of men and women, hence marginalization of
gender occurred.

ASSESSMENT
Insight Paper

Make a creative lifemap of the roles you played at home, the influences
you had with regards to school system, the influences of your peer and
how the community and the society impacted your gender construction
and identity as a person.

15
REFERENCES:
Manisha & S. Mangla (2018) Social Construction of Gender through Mediated
,
Communication in India Kalindi College, University of Delhi, East Patel Nagar, Delhi-
110008https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/jccc%20june%202019%20final-64-67.pdf

16