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LESSON GENDER AND SEXUALITY

2 ACROSS TIME

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

 discuss the historical roots of our

understanding of gender and sexuality; and

 show appreciation of how this

understanding evolved through time,
affected various aspects of human life.

Welcome to Lesson 2

Introduction

Society has progressed so much in a way that information and knowledge is available to
everyone. This gives us an opportunity to examine our social and political condition in more
detail than when information was scarce and limited to only a few individuals.

Historical accounts show that across time, humans’ conception of gender and sexuality has
also changed. Archeological artifacts reveal that in the distant past, during the dawn of
civilizations, human societies have high regard for women. The concept of the divine feminine
(the sacredness of the woman due to her ability to conceive children) has prevailed, and thus,
women are treated equally with men. This make society’s egalitarian (men and women have
equitable power and roles)

However, humans’ discovery of paternity (fatherhood/ role of the father in

conception), presumably during the Agricultural era, when societies began to establish
communities and tame rear cattle and stocks, have also changed how societies have
viewed women and men therefrom.

For the longest time thereafter, societies have privileged men over other genders, mainly
because of the preferential given to them in the productive sphere (world of public work).
Women who have been revered due to their ability to conceive have been viewed as solely
capable only of reproductive affairs (world of the home and related tasks such as suckling the
young, child rearing, and home management). The gender disparity was intensified by the
Industrial era where factors were built and men were preferred because they did not have to bear
children for nine months and because of their perceived physical strength. But how did they really
the conceptualization of gender and sexuality changed? This lesson tackles movements in history
which shows how men, women, and people of other genders are viewed in human societies.

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ACTIVIT
Y
CONTEMPLATE: Find a friend whom you are comfortable to discuss your
thoughts. On your own, reflect on the following questions. Share ideas with them.

Think about the phrases babae kase, lalaki kase, haligi ng tahanan, ilaw
ng tahanan, and pakipot.

How do these words communicate patriarchy?

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ANALYSIS

On your own, reflect on the following questions. Find a

friend whom you are comfortable to discuss your
thoughts. Share your idea with them.
COMMUNICATE

 How and why have feminists used the concept of

patriarchy?

 What role does the concept of patriarchy play in

feminist analysis?

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ABSTRACTION

PATRIARCHY

A close examination of our

society can lead us to see the invisible
layers of oppression in our society like
patriarchy-a system based on the control
and oppression of women wherein they
are perceived to be the weaker sex. It is a
structure that upholds male supremacy in
the law; at home, in the work place, and
in society. https://www.slideshare.net/nivi88/patri
archy-in-society

A patrilineal society often follows a

patriarchal society; this means only men
can inherit property and the family name.
Women were left with no inheritance and
are expected to marry a man can support
her economically. In fact, women were
not allowed to go to schools, or even
vote, because they are viewed as a
weaker sex and should not concern
https://www.asianage.com/opinion/col themselves in learning science or politics.
umnists/010818/laws-to-protect- Women had to fight for the right to vote,
children-must-be-gender-neutral.html to go to school, to go to work and even
Patriarchy is from the Greek word participate in politics.
Patriarchies which means “the rule of the
Patriarchy is viewed by most
father”. It is a social system where men
sociologists as a social construct and not
primarily hold power in the political and
as a biological phenomenon. This is
the private spheres. This means that in
because history proves that in the
this social system, society is organized
prehistoric hunter-gatherer tribes and
and maintained in a way that men rule
civilization, they prioritized equality of
over women and their children. In the
all members, male and female. History
social, legal, political, and economic
suggests an egalitarian system rather than
spheres, men are expected to lead while
a patriarchal system. Men and women
women are expected to obey and are
contribute to society, and they enjoy the
relegated to house chores, bearing
same social status.
children and child care.

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CHINA
Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher
and sociologist, argues that patriarchy Confucianism has stringent written
came about when people started having rules that dictate how women should
private property instead of a communal conduct themselves. The written
living. The development in agriculture documents titled “Three obedience’s and
and domestication of animals led to four virtues” and “Percepts of women”
creating product surplus which allows states that women should obey their father,
people to have private property. As a way when married she is to obey her husband,
to control the excess wealth generated by and when widowed she is to obey her son.
these advantages, male dominate was
Gendered biases in ancient
asserted over women so only male heir
patriarchal societies were very strict,
can inherit wealth.
heavily enforced, and often violent.
Imagine not being able to go to school just
because you are woman, not being able to
express your opinion on important matters
even when it concerns your future, and not
HISTORICAL VIEWS ON GENDER
being able to say no to any man.
GREEK
Women have come a long way since the
Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek ancient times through the feminist
philosophers viewed women as the movement, however, patriarchy has taken
inferior sex and are properties of men on subtle forms of oppression that often go
whose only job was to obey their unnoticed such as:
husbands, beat children, and take care of
 Sexism – prejudice, stereotypes, and
the household. They were forbidden to
discrimination based on sex;
learn philosophy, politics and science.  Gender pay gap – men earn more that
women;
 Underrepresentation in politics,
EGYPT military, executive positions, etc;
 Rape on women and the stigma
Herodotus, a Greek historian, making women ashamed to report the
observed the Egyptian civilization citing crime;
that Egyptian women enjoyed higher  Very conservative expectations on
women on how they behave;
social status than Greek women because
 Unrealistic depictions of women in
they can inherit property and engaged in
fiction, often very sexualized;
trade and politics. However, Greek  Women do more housework and
influence quickly spread in Egypt childcare;
through the conquests of Alexander the  Boys were trained to be leaders while
Great across Asia and Africa. women trained to do house chores.

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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Le Mouvement de Liberation des

Femmes or the women’s liberation
Women’s liberation movement, movement was formed in Europe and
women’s movement, or feminism is a they sought the right to education, right
continuing series of social movements to work, and right to vote in the 1940s.
that aim to challenge the patriarchal later, they also won women’s right to
society that creates these oppressive decide on their own bodies and their
political structures, beliefs and practices sexualities. This liberation movement
against women. It started at different views the intersectionality of economic
decades in different countries, some are status or class patriarchy.
far more advance in their struggle while
others are still starting a movement.
During the 19th and early 20th century,
first-wave feminism spread across the
western countries as women demanded
for their right to vote or participate in
elections and to be able to legally own
property.

In France, Simone de Beauvoir

write book titled “The Second Sex” in
1949. It outlined how the patriarchal
society disadvantaged women by https://www.terrafemina.com/article/l-
slowly raising her into submission and hymne-des-femmes-le-tube-feministe-
hindering their productivity and redescend-dans-la-rue_a336682/1
happiness by relegating them to
housecleaning. This inspired many Inspired by Beauvoir’s book, second-
women to write and speak their truths, wave feminism in 1960’s through the
such as Betty Friedan (*The Feminine 80’s, women drew attention to various
Mystique, 2963), Kate Millet (Sexual social and cultural inequalities such as
Politics, 1969), and Germaine Greer domestic violence especially marital
(The Female Eunuch, 1970). rape, reproductive rights, wage
Beauvoir’s book was instrumental in inequality, and etc. the 90’s gave birth
awakening women about their plights to the 3rd wave and 2012 started the
as the “wife-servant” to their husbands fourth wave. These movements only
in her famous quote “one is not born, show that there is still much to be done
but rather becomes, is woman”. for women’s rights.

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The United Nations reports that women They took on jobs and made significant
do more than men because even when contributions to their country. Many
countries soon started letting women
they work at the office, they are still
vote since they can no longer argue that
expected to do household tasks. Another women are “irrational and
report from UN Women states that temperamental”.
“women perform 66 percent of the
world’s work, produce 50 percent of the 2. Equality in politics and society - for
food, but earn 10 of the income and own hundreds of years, women’s voices
were silenced, so society must make an
1 percent of the property”. This is because
effort to restore their rights.
in agricultural countries, women Representation is very important for
participate in making the produce, but women, so that their genuine concerns
only the father or the male head of the are heard in politics and in society.
family controls the income. Feminist have always criticized that
old, privileged men always make the
decisions for women at home and in
politics.

3. Reproductive rights means the woman

is in control of her body, and she can
decide for herself on what she sees is
best for her. Contraception, abortion,
and other reproductive options should
be available to women because it is
their body.

4. Domestic violence – such as marital

https://www.terrafemina.com/article/l- rape and physical abuse are often
hymne-des-femmes-le-tube-feministe- dismissed by society as part of a
“marriage”. Although we have RA
redescend-dans-la-rue_a336682/1
9262 or Anti Violence Against Women
To put simply; feminism demands and their Children, our cultures still
equality. Here are a few salient points that dismiss such incidents as “away mag-
asawa”.
feminism demands.

1. Women suffrage – women were not 5. Sexual harassment and sexual violence
– The Center for Women’s Resources
allowed to vote before because they
in the Philippines estimates that one
were viewed as irrational and woman or child is raped every hour
temperamental and therefore, not able mostly by someone they know.
to make rational decisions. This
changed after World Wars I (1914 to 6. Other rights include the right to divorce
1918) wherein women were uprooted their husbands, the right to make
from the household. decisions on her pregnancy, equitable
wages, and equal employment
opportunity.

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEtd3kZYEoA
WATCH ME  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e12ZojkYrU
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-UNjnnhE0A

Definition of Terms:

 Patriarchy – social system where men primarily holds power in the political and the
private spheres.

 Feminism – continuing series of social movements that aim to challenge the patriarchal
society that creates these oppressive political structures, beliefs and practices against
women.

APPLICATION

1. Create a collage showing the progression of human understanding and

attitude of gender and sexuality in modern societies

2. Interview people from different age groups (adolescent, adult, elderly)

and ask them what they can think of when they hear the words gender
and sexuality. Ask them what influenced them to have these thoughts?

ADOLESCENT ADULT ELDERLY

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