Gender and Society Module PDF

Gender and Society  VELEZ COLLEGE College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages Gender and Society 1st semester A.Y 2024 -2025 Prepared By: Lois Vanjie G. Napalit  Sex, Sexuality, and Sexual Orientation A. What Constitutes Sex? 1....

Gender and Society  VELEZ COLLEGE College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages Gender and Society 1st semester A.Y 2024 -2025 Prepared By: Lois Vanjie G. Napalit  Sex, Sexuality, and Sexual Orientation A. What Constitutes Sex? 1. Sex 2. Classifications of sex 3. Primary characteristics and Secondary Characteristics 4. Reproductive Roles and Reproductive Responsibilities B. What is sexuality? C. Sexual Orientation 1. Heterosexuality 2. Homosexuality 3. Bisexuality 4. Pansexuality 5. Asexuality D. Psychosocial Dimensions of sex A. What Constitutes Sex? 1. Sex o Sex refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals. Is a category that people are assigned at birth based on the genitals they are born with. o “Sex” refers to the physical differences between people who are male, female, or intersex. A person typically has their sex assigned at birth based on physiological characteristics, including their genitalia and chromosome composition. This assigned sex is called a person’s “natal sex.” o Male and female genitalia, both internal and external, are different, and male and female bodies have distinct hormonal and chromosomal makeups. Doctors use these factors to assign natal sex. 2. Classifications of Sex (Male, Female, Intersex) o Male -If a child at birth is observed to have a penis and testicles, then the child is categorized as male. o Female-If a child is observed to have a vagina, then the child is categorized as female. o Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. o For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY. 3. Primary Characteristics o Characteristics that are directly involved in the reproduction of species. o Primary sexual characteristics are processes related to the sex organs which are present at birth, and mature when sex hormones are released during puberty. They are involved directly in the process of reproduction. a. Male: Penis, testes scrotum, prostate gland, seminal vesicles b. Female: Ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina, clitoris, labia Secondary Characteristics o Secondary sex characteristics are features not directly concerned with reproduction, such as voice quality, facial hair, and breast size. Also called sexual characteristic.  o These are physical characteristics which develop at puberty which distinguishes males from females. After the onset of puberty, boys and girls become different and dissimilar in appearance. o The secondary sex characteristics are controlled and regulated by hormones. In males, testosterone or androgen is the hormone that regulates secondary sex characteristics. In females, the hormone estrogen is secreted by the ovaries. These hormones regulate the secondary sex characteristics in females. a. Male: Facial and body hair growth, deepening of the voice, increase in muscle mass, broadening of the shoulders, Adam’s apple development. b. Female: Breast development, widening of the hips, growth of pubic and underarm hair, menstrual cycle, skin changes. 4. Reproductive Roles o Reproductive role – Refers to the different tasks that individuals undertake in the process of reproduction. These roles are often defined by gender and can vary across cultures. (Example: childbearing and caring for children, unpaid domestic tasks to sustain the home (cooking, fetching water, cleaning, washing clothes, etc.). o.Reproductive responsibilities o Refers to the individual and collective obligations that individuals, couples, and societies have in relation to sexual reproduction, reproductive health, fertility, and parenting. It involves making informed choices about when and how to have children, as well as taking steps to ensure that reproductive health needs are met. Reproductive responsibility can include a range of activities and behaviors, such as: a. Using contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. b. Seeking medical care for reproductive health issues, such as infertility or sexually transmitted infections. c. Making informed decisions about fertility treatments, adoption, and surrogacy. d. Planning and preparing for parenthood, including financial and emotional readiness e. Providing support and care for children and family members. Reproductive responsibility is important for individuals and couples, as well as for the society as a whole. It can help to ensure that individuals have the resources and support they need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and family planning. It can also help to promote healthier families and communities and to reduce the burden of unintended pregnancies and reproductive health problems. B. What is Sexuality? Sexuality o Sexuality is about your sexual feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors towards other people. You can find other people physically, sexually, or emotionally attractive, and all those things are a part of your sexuality. Sexuality is diverse and personal, and it is an important part of who you are. o Determines whom they do or do not feel attraction toward. This attraction is typically sexual or romantic. o Term used for someone’s sexual behaviors, attractions, likes, dislikes, kinks, and preferences. C. Sexual Orientation 1. Heterosexuality o People who are attracted to the opposite sex. Also called as straight. o Heterosexual people are sexually or romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex. Heterosexual men are sexually or romantically attracted to women, and heterosexual women are sexually or romantically attracted to men. o is attraction to people of the opposite sex. Men who are attracted to women and women who are attracted to men are heterosexual. 2. Homosexuality o People who are attracted to the same sex. Lesbian is the term for people who identify as women and are same-sex attracted. Gay is the term for men who are same-sex attracted. o Homosexuality refers to attraction between people who are the same sex. It comes from the Greek word homos, meaning “the same.” 3. Bisexuality o People are attracted to both men and women. o Bisexuality is when a person finds both men and women physically, sexually, or emotionally attractive. o Bisexuality means that a person feels attraction toward their own gender and other genders. 4. Pansexuality o Pansexuality is the romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people regardless of their gender. Like everyone else, pansexual people may be attracted to some people and the gender of the person does not matter. o Someone who is attracted – either emotionally, physically or both – to all genders. This includes cisgender, transgender, agender and gender nonconforming individuals. The prefix was chosen because it comes from the Greek root “pan,” meaning “all.”  5. Asexuality o A person who identifies as asexual (‘ace’ for short) is someone who does not experience or experiences very little, sexual attraction. Asexuality is not a choice, like abstinence (where someone chooses not to have sex with anyone, whether they are attracted to them or not). Asexuality is a sexual orientation, like homosexuality or heterosexuality. o Asexual is an umbrella term that encompasses a broad spectrum of sexual orientations. According to the LGBTQIA Resource Center, asexuality is a spectrum. Some people may experience no sexual or romantic attraction toward anyone, while others may experience varying degrees of sexual or romantic attraction toward people. Those who identify with this orientation do not have to abstain from sex to be asexual. Some orientations that exist within the asexuality spectrum include:  Sex-averse: This is when a person is averse to or entirely disinterested in sex and sexual behavior.  Sex-favorable: This is when a person has positive feelings toward sex in some situations.  Sex-indifferent: This refers to those who feel neutral about sex and sexual behavior.  Sex-repulsed: This refers to those who are repulsed by sex and sexual behavior.  Cupiosexual: If someone identifies as cupiosexual, they do not experience sexual attraction but still desire to engage in sexual behavior or have a sexual relationship.  Libidoist asexual: This term refers to those who identify as asexual but experience sexual feelings that they can satisfy with masturbation or selfstimulation. D.Psychosocial Dimensions of Sex o The dimensions of sexuality are the factors that affect the sexual orientation of a person, their attraction to one or both genders and the behavior of the person in the society in which they live. This includes biological, cultural, and psychological factors. There are three dimensions: o Biological - Human genes give the body certain predispositions that define the sexual orientation of each person. The genes that define gender play an important role in this area, and while culture is an influential factor in human sexual activity, the very essence of sexuality is purely biological. o Psychological - Sexual activity is a purely biological factor, but it is affected by the psychological state of each person. The thoughts that go through the minds of  individuals define their way of acting when interacting with other people in a sexual way and, in turn, these are influenced by external factors. For example, it has been determined that physical training often helps men with an interest in the female gender to relate to women. This occurs because the training positively affects the acceptance they have of their own body. o Sociocultural - In the sexual sphere, any external influence produced by a society modifies the way in which every individual behaves. There is a theory called social constructionism, which ensures that the beliefs and sexual orientation of people are shaped by the environment in which they live. From birth, people are bombarded by countless stimuli and signals from the adult members of a society, which indicate to the young person how to act and how to function.