Gender and Sexuality as a Social Reality

2. • Biological sex is our anatomy
as male, female, or intersex.
• It includes our internal and
external sex organs,
chromosomes, and hormones.

3. • Hormones
 Males have higher
testosterone levels
 Females have higher
estrogen levels

5. • Male: XY ( )
- organism is the physiological sex
that produces sperm.

6. • Female: XX ( )
- is the sex of an organism, or a part of
an organism, that produces non-
mobile ova (egg cells).

7. • Turner’s Syndrome – X0
 1:2,500 or 1:5,000 live births
 Not capable of producing ova or sex
hormones
 Short with webbed skin from neck to
shoulders in some cases
 Can be treated with hormone
therapy to trigger menstruation as
well as breast and genital maturation

8. • Klinefelter’s Syndrome – XXY
 1:500 or 1:1,000 live births
 Masculinization is not complete and
possess some female characteristics
like partial breasts
 With underdeveloped penises and
testes and low testosterone
production

9. • Pseudohermaphrodism
 1:1,000 live births
 Male pseudo hermaphrodites have
XY genes and testes but external
genitals are female or ambiguous
 Female pseudo hermaphrodites have
XX and ovaries with male or
ambiguous external genitalia

10. • A concept that refers to the
differences between men’s and
women’s roles and responsibilities
that are socially constructed,
changeable over time and have
wide variations within and among
cultures.

11. • Refers to learned behavior and
expectations to fulfill ones image of
masculinity and femininity.
• Socially constructed
• Self perception

12. • Anatomy - “Anatomy is destiny“
• Manner of dressing
• Body movements and mannerism
• Personality traits
• Occupations/Jobs
• Attraction and choice of sexual
partners

13. • Lalake
• Babae
• Bakla
• Tomboy
• Chickboy
• Metrosexual
• Baklita

14. We learn to perform gender
through the family, school,
peers, neighbors, society

15. • Gender is relational in the sense
that male roles are defined vis a
vis female roles.
• Gender relations interact with
other social divisions like class,
ethnicity, religion, age.

16. Culture uses gender
attributes not only for
language but for other
domains as well, such as
food, spaces, clothing.

17. • The dominant gender ideology
defines what should be and
should not be for each of the
genders.
• Reinforced through language,
religion, politics.
Example: Patriarchy, Heterosexism

18. • Essentialism
 See gender differences as a
reflection of naturally evolved
dispositions.

19. Sigmund Freud
offered an early
influential
essentialist
explanation of male
and female
differences.

20. • Masculinity – it is relating to
or suited to men and boys.
 Having qualities appropriate to
or associated with man.
 Latin word ‘Masculinus’ (from
‘masculus’ which means
male).

21. • Femininity – it is relating to
or suited to women and girls.
 Having qualities appropriate to
or associated with woman.

22. • Social Constructionism
 It views gender as ‘constructed’
by social structure and culture.
 The distinction between male and
female is a social distinction made
by the society

23. • Social Constructionism
 Refers to the socially constructed
roles, behaviors, activities, and
attributes that a given society
considers appropriate for men
and women.

24. • Sexuality
 Encompasses sex, gender identities
and roles, sexual orientation,
eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and
reproduction.
 Experienced and expressed in
thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs,
attitudes, values, behaviors,
practices, roles and relationships.

25. • Dixon-Mueller’s 4 Dimensions of
Sexuality:
1. Sexual partnerships
2. Sexual acts
3. Sexual meanings
4. Sexual drives and enjoyment

26. • Number and Kinds of Partners
 Monogamy or polygamy
 Extramarital relationships
 Sugar daddy/cougar
• Partnership Timing
 Christmas, Valentine’s
 Sexual debut
 Premarital sex

27. • Conditions and Rate for Change
 Trophy wives/partners
• Conditions for Choice/Coercion
 Arranged marriages
 It is the duty of the wife to give in
to her husband’s desires.
 Sexual activity may be driven by a
deep economic need.

28. • Nature of the Sexual Acts
 Woman on top or missionary
position
 Why are condoms flavored
 Non-penetrative forms
 Pleasure enhancing devices

29. • Conditions of Choice /Coercion
 Rape
 Domestic violence in the context of
love – cariño brutal.

30. • Masculine/Feminine Sexuality
 Virginity of women is valued.
 Virility and potency of the men.
• Perceptions of Partnerships
 Men should lead, women should
follow.
 Elderly couples are asexual.

31. • Meanings of Sex Acts
 Is oral sex already “sex“ or is it
foreplay
 Non-reproductive, non-coital

32. • Socially conditioned sex drives
 Men are naturally more
promiscuous than women.
 In some societies, women are
thought to have powerful sex
drives that require strict societal
controls.

33. • Natal Sex
 The biological and physical features that
determine whether one is male or female.
• Sexual Identity
 The essential sexual self-concept of a
individual.

34. • Gender Roles
 The expectations of a particular culture
for males and females. It includes such
things as manner of talk, style of dress,
expressions, and behavioral
expectations.

35. • Sexual Orientation
 The “direction of one’s erotic
attractions, which can be to the
opposite sex (heterosexual), the same
sex (homosexual), or both sexes
(bisexual).