This document discusses gender roles and cultural variations in Philippine society from pre-colonial times to the present. It describes how gender roles have changed over different historical periods, with women having more restricted roles and responsibilities during colonial rule compared to pre-colonial and present times. The document also discusses how present-day Philippine society is more open to people of any gender pursuing different types of work and activities based on their individual capabilities and interests rather than strict gender norms.

1. JUBILIN L. ALBANIA MBA, LPT

2. Topic of Discussions:
 Introduction: The Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics
 Defining Culture and Society: The Perspectives of Anthropology and
Sociology
 Human Biocultural and Social Evolution
 Becoming a Member of Society
 Organization in Society
 Cultural, Social, and Political Institutions
 Social and Political Stratification
 Cultural, Social, and Political Change
 Human Adaptation and Social Change

3. CHAPTER I - Introduction: The Understanding of
Culture, Society, and Politics
 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Gender)
 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Socioeconomic Class)
 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Ethnicity)
 Cultural Variation and Social Differences (Religion)
 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Exceptionality/Non-
Exceptionality)
 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Nationality)
 Social, Political, and Cultural Behavior and Phenomena
 Social, Political, and Cultural Change
 The Study of Culture, Society, and Politics

4. Why do you think our culture varies?
What do you think are the factors that
may contribute or affect our culture?

5. LESSON I - Cultural Variations and Social
Differences (Gender)
Objective
At the end of this lesson, you should be
able to discuss gender roles in Philippine
society from pre-colonial to the present
era.

6. You can do it!
Activities or jobs will be
flashed on the screen.
Name whom they are
appropriate. For a male
or for a female.

8. How do gender roles vary across cultures
according to a particular culture’s beliefs
and expectations concerning men and
women’s roles?

9. Learn about it!
Gender and Gender Roles
People play different roles in society
depending on age and occupation. There
are jobs that require a specific gender to
perform tasks while other jobs are open
to both men and women.

10. Gender
Gender refers to social, cultural, and
psychological characteristics or traits
related to males and females based on
certain social contexts.

11. Gender
It is different from sex, which refers to
the biological characteristics that
distinguish a male from a female.
Thus, sex makes a person male or
female, while gender makes a person
masculine or feminine

12. Gender Roles
Gender roles refer to attitudes and
behaviors that the society expects a
person to exhibit based on his or her sex.

13. Gender Roles
For example, in traditional Philippine
society, women are expected to be plain
housewives and take care of their
children, while men are expected to be
professionals and provide the needs of
their family.

14. Gender Roles
Another example is that society expects
women to be more emotional and
sensitive while men are expected to be
strong and capable of doing things that
women cannot do.

15. Gender Roles in Pre-colonial Philippine Society
In pre-colonial Philippines, males and females
enjoyed the same rights and privileges.
Different social functions were assigned to
different members of society. There were
functions that were specifically given to males,
females, or both.

17. Gender Roles in Philippine Society During the Colonial Period
Gender roles during the colonial period
changed drastically. Women were restrained
from other activities outside their homes,
while men were given more social functions.
These roles also changed as the Philippines
was occupied by new colonizers.

18. Spanish Period
The introduction of Catholicism, the babaylan lost their role
in the religious life of the community. This role was taken
over by Catholic priests.
Women were relegated to doing household chores and
taking care of children. More often than not, young women
were not sent to school but instead trained to be good
wives and mothers for their future families. Some women
were also forced to marry for economic and political gain.

19. American Period
Women had more freedom in society. They were allowed to
study and work in any field they wanted. They also adopted
American values.
Men and women became equal in the sense that it became
acceptable for both genders to have jobs and be educated.

20. Japanese Period
Although men and women were able to maintain their
status in society during the Japanese period, women were
usually kept inside their houses to protect them from
abusive Japanese soldiers. Men also became busy
defending the country, with most of them serving as
soldiers.

22. Gender Roles in Current Philippine Society
At present, Philippine society is more open to allowing
both men and women to perform different tasks not based
solely on gender, but on an individual’s capabilities and
strengths. For example, fields like engineering, architecture,
and medicine, which are often associated with men, have
long been open to women. Likewise, there are also lots of
male teachers, nurses,chefs, and hairdressers nowadays.

23. Group Activity
Explore!
What are your hobbies? Do you have a hobby that is
typically done by the opposite sex? What do people say
about your "unusual" hobby?
Try it!
Ask five of your friends about their dream jobs. Does any of
these jobs tend to be associated with men or women?
What do you think about your friends’ dream jobs?

24. Group Activity
What do you think?
Is it proper to limit a person’s choices based
on his or her gender? Why or why not?

25. Tips!
Gender is a set of characteristics that pertains
to a person’s masculinity or femininity while
biology determines sex. For example, a man is
male because he has male sex organs. He,
however, can be considered effeminate
because the things he likes are often
associated with women.

26. Keypoints
 Gender refers to social, cultural, and psychological characteristics or traits related to
males and females based on certain social contexts.
 Gender roles refer to attitudes and behaviors that the society expects a person to
exhibit based on his or her sex.
 In pre-colonial Philippines, males and females enjoyed the same rights and
privileges. Different social functions were assigned to different members of society.
There were functions that were specifically given to males, females, or both.
 Gender roles during the colonial period changed drastically. Women were
restrained from other activities outside their homes, while men were given more
social functions. These roles also changed as the Philippines was occupied by new
colonizers.
 The present Filipino society has become more open in allowing people of different
genders to do things not based on their sex but based on their capabilities.