SSP 101C Introduction to Gender and Society PDF

SSP 101C INTRODUCTION TO GENDER AND SOCIETY CONCEPTS RELATED TO GENDER STUDIES Gender refers to the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female memb...

SSP 101C INTRODUCTION TO GENDER AND SOCIETY CONCEPTS RELATED TO GENDER STUDIES Gender refers to the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female member. It is likewise the differential social roles, practices, behaviors, capacities (intellectual & emotional) and ascribed social characteristics by a culture to men and women. There are two genders: masculinity-- credited to the male sex, and femininity-- attributed to the female. Almost all cultures consider gender as a natural phenomenon, deriving from the biological differences between men and women. However, the meanings of masculinity and femininity often vary from one race and culture to another. For instance, traditional Filipinos would view construction work as "heavy" labor that fits only for men; while in India and Thailand, it is a low-wage work regarded as suitable only for women. Gender expectations also vary in degree in various social classes within a similar ethnic group. In Makati, the Philippines, the professional woman who walks alone at night is bound to welcome social disapproval more than the women who work at night shift in a food handling facility. The strict religious teaching that women's place is in the home likewise discovers a more significant number of followers among the propertied classes than among the average workers who need spouses' income. In many societies' physical quality is less basic to the meaning of maleness among the propertied and professional classes than among the classes which engage in manual labor. Gender changes throughout history. The women during pre-colonial Philippine times enjoyed equal political rights, social status, sexual freedom, and property. The spread of Christianity changes the situation, supporting the pure and submissive docile women to the authority of the father, husband, and priest. Such variations in gender definitions are because of specific economic, social, political, and historical conditions of each class, culture, or period. However, almost all gender systems in the world today share regular components (Eviota, 1994). Sex refers to an individual's membership in one of two biological distinct categories – male or female. Sex is a biological term. We use it regularly to allude to the demonstration of mating between two life forms. 1  In Biology, Sex is seen as an act ("coitus" or sexual intercourse), which is part of natural multiplication. Unlike other animals, human sexual intercourse acquires a cultural dimension. The human sex responds to a physical urge, instinct, and body's readiness, but it can also express common emotions and mutual relationships: love, domination, and affirmation. Human beings have a sexuality that is influenced but not dictated, by biological circumstances. The categorization of sex is made according to reproductive function: the male organ produces sperm, which fertilizes the egg cell or ovum, produced by the female organ. However, there are people born with both male and female organs and incomplete genitalia – Hermaphrodites. But these form a tiny portion of the human population. Aside from the fact that males produce sperm cells and females produce egg cells, they also have different chromosomal make-up, other internal and sex organs, sex characteristics, and different quantities of various hormones and body features. Let’s Think About it! 1. How is gender socially constructed? 2. Sex and gender are often taken as the same thing. Why do we need to differentiate Sex and Gender? What is the basis of this differentiation? Gender is one of those everyone thinks they understand, but most people don't like inception. Gender is not binary. It is not either-or. In many cases, it's both/and, a bit of this, a dash of that. Gender Identity is a person's perception of having a particular gender, which may or may not correspond with their birth sex (Woman-ness vs. Man-ness vs. Genderqueer).  Genderqueer is a person’s identity who does not subscribe to conventional distinction but identifies with neither or a combination of male and female genders. 2  Gender Expression is how a person expresses their gender identity, typically through their appearance, dress, and behavior (Feminine vs. Masculine vs. Androgynous).  Androgynous is characterized as having both sexes' physical characteristics (partly male and partly female in appearance). Biological sex refers to measurable organs, hormones, and chromosomes. XX chromosome: vagina: female, XY chromosomes: penis: male, and intersex: the combination of the two (Female vs. Male vs. Intersex). Sexual Orientation is a person's sexual identity concerning the gender to which they are attracted, being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual (Heterosexual vs. Bisexual vs. Homosexual).  Heterosexual a person is sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.  A Bisexual, is a person, sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender, attracted to both men and women.  Homosexual a person is sexually attracted to people of one’s sex. --------------- Assignment #1 Write a critical essay on how crucial for a conservative society to internalize and understand the wide array concepts of gender.  In two paragraphs of four to five (4-5) sentences each, develop your answer either in English or in Filipino.  Should there be scholarly articles to support your answers, indices/reference must not exceed 10 % so as not to compromise your personal insights. Plagiarism should be avoided for academic integrity.  Use short bond paper; Arial as font style and 12 as font size.  Label your essay with the following: Assignment #1 and your full name (surname/s, given name/s, middle Initial/s).  Submission is on February 6, 2023, during the scheduled class. Gender socialization is how people learn to behave in a certain way, as dictated by societal beliefs, values, attitudes, and examples. Individuals are informed about the norms and behaviors associated with their assigned sex, and it usually begins as early as childhood development. 3  Parents/Families provide children with the first lesson about gender. Parents typically have normative expectations of their sons and daughters about personality traits, abilities, and activities. However, modern society is now considering mother and daughter to do heavy works too as long as their physical capacity permits them to do so. While on the other hand, father and son can also work on household chores. Supporting statement: The management of work and working time within organizations must take into account the social changes occurring in gender roles and start to consider that both men and women gradually tend to give the same importance to their work and family environments (Kuo et al, 2018). Children/Peers/Playgroups learn about gender (referring to norms and expectations) through their peers' interactions. During early childhood, children prefer to play with peers who share similar interests or believe they share those interests and are more likely to be socialized by their same-gender peers. Gender Socialization can be direct or indirect. For example: children learn gender stereotypes through their peers' direct comments (e.g., short hair for boys while long hair for girls) Teachers/School is another source of gender socialization. Similar to parents, teachers have gender expectations, model gender roles, and reinforce gender-stereotypical behaviors in their classrooms. (e.g., reinforcing gender stereotypes by labeling and organizing students in group activities or creating different activity centers for boys and girls. Another example is having a segregated comfort room for boys: male comfort room and girls: female comfort room). This gender segregation, in turn, highlights gender as a social category and reinforces children's gender stereotypes and avoidance of cross-gender playmates. Religious Leaders/Churches facilitate perceptions of understanding Gender and Sex. The church ideologies and values have been shaped by the teachings that male and female believers complement each other in their different roles and duties. 4  In the context of Christianity, men (e.g., Jesus Christ, Joseph, Apostles, Priests) are to be leaders in the church and the home, whereas women are not. Likewise, women (e.g., Virgin Mary and Nuns) are to assist the husband in raising their children and expanding the kingdom of God. REMEMBER: It does not mean that women are inferior, and men are superior, but instead, it sees them as identical in nature but different in function and role. However, it is worth noting that extreme gender-stereotypical beliefs, particularly about women, have been instrumental in normalizing sex-based violence and discrimination throughout history. Mass Media is widely regarded as influencing people to perceive the world around them through the images and messages it produces. Media explicitly promotes gendered society by highlighting messages that inform societal understandings of what it means to be a man or woman. At the early age of children, media plays a crucial role in socializing individuals into gendered roles; media represents the stereotypical masculinity and femininity thru children's books, magazines, television, film, advertisements, and even in video games. While the different forms of gender socialization tend to influence and shape a normative view of gender, these can also express progressive gender notions (i.e., gender-neutral public CR, LGBT supportive parents, feminist films, etc.) Gender Dichotomy Male and female (referring to biological "sex") are entirely different and opposite. However, this distinction in "sex" (natural) does not adequately capture the range of human experience or expressions of self and identity that "gender" (social in nature) encompasses. For example, sports like basketball are often seen as a male domain, but many men are more interested in the arts than in athletics. As women gained equal rights with men, women step out of domestic work to professional laborers, as women are now valued as men. 5  The very concept of a gender dichotomy reflects alpha prejudice by exaggerating differences between men and women. Conflating rationality with masculinity and relatedness with femininity leads to their being construed as mutually exclusive (Hare-Mustin, 1987). Traditional Gender Ideas The doctrine of separate spheres states that men excelled in the public worlds of politics and work, while women were best suited to the private realms of family and home and child nurturing. Accordingly, men were seen as agentic and independent, while women were passive and dependent. Men were vigorous and passionate, while women were weaker and more emotional. While women are moral, virtuous, and intuitive, men were rational, intellectual, and strong-willed. In traditional Filipino beliefs influenced by Western Christianity, men are expected to be tough, masculine, and dominant, embodying Adan while, Eba, the female counterpart, exhibits softness, emotions, and passiveness. Filipinos hold strong opinions about males, often saying "magpakalalake ka" or "kalalake mong tao" for men and "Maria Clara" or "Dalagang Pilipina" for women. Filipino men are also expected to be the breadwinner of the family, perform labor- intensive work outside their home and pursue course programs in engineering and architecture, while nursing and education for traditional Filipinas. In addition to the notion that Filipinas should stay at home or be home before sunset. Gender is considered socially constructed, and it begins at birth once infant sex becomes known; from birth, infants learn attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, patterns, and habits established by societies or groups of separate sex. 6 Assignment #2 Watch the presentation of France Villarta from TED Talks wherein he discussed the Gender Fluid History of the Philippines. As far as our discussion is concerned, write your position paper on the importance of historical understanding of the ancient Filipino gender ideas and how significant it is in debunking false gender assumptions in our society today. Link: https://youtu.be/I6xuJu7gLe0  In two paragraphs of four to five (4-5) sentences each, develop your answer either in English or in Filipino.  Should there be scholarly articles to support your answers, indices/reference must not exceed 10 % so as not to compromise your personal insights. Plagiarism should be avoided for academic integrity.  Use short bond paper; Arial as font style and 12 as font size.  Label your essay with the following: Assignment #2 and your full name (surname/s, given name/s, middle Initial/s).  Submission is on February 6, 2023, during the scheduled class. 7