MODULE Gender and Society as a Social Reality

Lesson 1:

1: Understanding
Sex and Gender LEARNING
OUTCOMES
1. Capacitate the students with the basic concept on sex and gender.
2. Understand the biological construction of sexes.

INTRODUCTION
Why study gender? Gender is an important human variable. Women and men show a
wide range of variation within and between genders. This lesson provides understanding
about the complexities of defining and differentiating sex and gender. Likewise, it will express
gender from birth to adulthood.

ACTIVITY

ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING
1.
SCHEDULE
Read and watch the learning materials provided for this lesson (i.e. video
presentation, supplemental materials, and PowerPoint presentation).

2. Longest Line
Instruction:
1. Prepare sheets of paper and pen.
2. Write the physical and social characteristics of men and women as many as you
can.
3. Think
1. What are the similarities between men and women?

Reminders
 This activity will be done prior to the synchronous learning schedule.
 To ensure full participation of students they will need to submit their output.
ANALYSIS

SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING
via VIDEO CONFERENCING

On the Learning MaterialsSCHEDULE

Longest Line
 In your longest line activity, what do you notice about the physical and social
characteristics of men and women?

Think
 What is thought about the similarities of men and women?

ABSTRACTION
Sex
Sex is the biological dimension of your gender and sexuality. Also referred to a
biological sex or physical sex, the term generally pertains to your identity depending on
your sexual anatomy and physiology – the parts of your body that are relevant to production
and the function of these parts. Sex is typically determined by examining your genitals -
these are external organs that are associated with reproduction – the process or the ability
to create offspring.
Among human, sex is often assigned at birth. If at birth, a child is observed to have a
penis and testicles, then the child is categorized as male. If on the other hand, a child is
observed to have vagina, then the child is categorized as female. However, there are cases
when the baby’s genitals appear to be a conglomerate of male or female organs such that it
may be difficult to classify the baby’s sex without further examination. In the past, this
condition is referred to as hermaphroditism (from Hermes, a male Greek god and Aphrodite,
a female Greek goddess). In modern times, the term intersexuality is used to refer to this
phenomenon. Hermaphroditism or intersexuality is a naturally occurring variation in humans
and animals (1 in 1,500 births) according to the American Psychological Association (APA)
(2006).
 Since it may be difficult to distinguish biological sex by merely examining the genitals,
there are other biological markers used. For instance, your chromosomes – protein
structures which contain your genetic materials – are also used to determine sex. There are
specific chromosomes referred to as sex chromosomes, which marks a person’s biological
sex. An individual with a set of XY sex chromosomes is said to be a male, while an individual
with a set of XX chromosomes is said to be a female. The levels of some hormones –
chemicals in our body that are responsible for sustaining bodily process – are also used as
markers. For examples, human males tend to have higher levels of testosterone, which is
associated to sex drive and aggressions. On the other hand, human females tend to have
higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are associated to lactation, menstruation
and other female reproductive functions.

Gender
However, humans are meaning-making organisms. Our ability for higher order thinking
and our tendency to create social norms, allow us to attach social and cultural meanings to
things, including our sex. For example, male are typically expected be masculine and females
are expected to be feminine. Once parents are aware of their child’s sex (male or female)
during birth or through prenatal procedure such as ultrasound, they automatically attach
social and cultural meanings to their child’s sex and in doing so, they already set an
expectation in terms of how their child should behave and how they should treat their child.
This social dimension of one’s sexuality is referred to as gender.
There are many ways through which gender is manifested. As soon as a new baby
arrives in the family, adults surrounding the baby manifest their social interpretation of the
baby’s sex by the colors assigned to the baby. For example, it is common for families to buy
blue apparels and toys when the baby is a male, as color blue is associated with boyhood.
Conversely, female babies are often assigned the color pink, such that families would buy
clothes and toys that are color pink because the color is associated with girlhood.
Remarkably, the moment a baby is born, the name, toys, and apparels are picked by parents
and relatives based on their interpretation of the baby’s sex.
Throughout childhood and adolescence, this assignment becomes more complex as
the expectations go beyond the kind of clothes worn, but also in terms of how the person
must or must not behave. There are set of behaviors that all female individuals must follow
and so with the male individuals, and all are expected to stick to these behaviors that are
aligned with their biological sex. This phenomenon of determining the normality of a behavior
based on whether it conforms or not to the expectations relative to one’s biological sex is
referred to as heteronormativity. In the Filipino culture, girls are expected to have certain
characteristics of being gentle, caring, and loving while boys are encouraged to be strong,
rough, and assertive. These expectations also extend to how men and women are expected
to behave, the college courses they take, and the jobs they apply to.
 However, there are people who do not follow culturally-accepted standards of
masculinity and femininity like girls not wanting to wear dresses and boys not wanting to play
rough sports. This is a natural variation of the human gender expression. Social and cultural
practices change through time. Just 60 years ago, women could not wear pants without
social disapproval, and now wearing pants is already an accepted fashion trend among
people of different genders.
How we express our gender is largely based on our social and cultural setting. Most
are comfortable with their sex and gender; men who are masculine and women who are
feminine. Each culture also has different standards on how to be a man and a woman and
how they should present themselves according to their sex and gender.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION
SYNCHRONOUS ASYNCHRONOUS
Journal Entry
ASSESSMENT
Output Presentation Write an 80 word –
reflective journal about the
Each student will be given
following.
a 2 minutes to present his/her
output (longest line). 1. What are my personal
experiences on my journey of
Rubric assessment tool will
discovering my sense of being
be utilized for the evaluation of
a man/woman?
activity
2. What are my views/opinions
about gender?

REFERENCES

MODULE Lesson 2: Sexual