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CHAPTER I: Differentiating sex and gender

A. The concept of sex and gender

MODULE OVERVIEW

Most of us have been raised with pretty simplistic ideas about sex and gender that
there are two sexes, male and female, and that they align with two genders, man and
woman. But with the increased visibility of transgender, gender non-conforming, and
nonbinary folks, many people are beginning to understand that the categories of sex and
gender are far more complicated.
In this module, we’ll break down the difference between sex and gender to give you a
better idea of what each of these terms really mean.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Differentiate gender from sexuality

2. Identify the differences between sex and gender

LEARNING CONTENTS

What exactly is sex?

Sex refers to physical or physiological differences between males and females, including
both primary sex characteristics (the reproductive system) and secondary characteristics
such as height and muscularity.

Society typically tells us that there are two sexes: male and female. You may also be
familiar with the fact that some people are intersex, or have a difference/disorders of sexual
development (DSD).DSD is used to describe chromosomes, anatomy, or sex
characteristics that can’t be categorized as exclusively male or female.
As with names and pronouns, it’s important to refer to people in the manner that they
prefer. Some people are comfortable with the term “intersex” and use it to describe
themselves. Others have moved away from using this term and refer to their condition as a
DSD.

How can you determine your sex?

Genitalia
Some believe genitals determine sex, with males having penises and females having
vaginas. However, this definition excludes some people with a DSD. It can also invalidate
Trans people who are non-operative those who don’t want to have bottom surgery or pre-
operative. For example, a transgender man a person who was assigned female at birth and
identifies as a man may have a vagina but still identify as male.

Chromosomes

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We’re typically taught that people with XX chromosomes are female and people with XY
chromosomes are male. This excludes folks with a DSD who may have different
chromosomal configurations or other differences in sexual development. It also doesn’t
account for the fact that Tran’s people often have chromosomes that don’t “match” their
sex. A transgender woman, for example, can be female but still have XY chromosomes.

Primary sex characteristics

We tend to associate a predominance of estrogen with females and a predominance of
testosterone with males. It’s important to understand that every person has both of these
hormones. In fact, estradiol, the predominant form of estrogen, is critical to sexual function
Trusted Source for people who were assigned male at birth. Estradiol plays a significant
role in sexual arousal, sperm production, and erectile function. Although hormone
replacement therapy is an option for Trans and gender non-conforming people, a Tran’s
man who isn’t on hormones, for example, isn’t any less male than one who is.

Secondary sex characteristics

Many secondary sex characteristics are easily identifiable. This includes facial hair, breast
tissue, and vocal range. Because of this, they’re often used to make quick assessments
about sex. But secondary sex characteristics vary greatly; regardless of whether someone
identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. Take facial hair, for example. Some
people who were assigned female at birth may go on to develop facial hair, and some who
were assigned male at birth may not grow any at all.

What is gender?

Gender is a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or
female. Gender identity is the extent to which one identifies as being either masculine or
feminine.

Society has traditionally taught us that there are two genders: man and woman. We’re told
that those who are assigned male at birth are men and those who are assigned female at
birth are women.
But gender isn’t an either/or scenario. It’s a spectrum. Although a majority of people in our
society do identify as men or women, there’s a wide range of possibilities between and
beyond the two.

Some people identify as no binary, an umbrella term for people whose gender identities
don’t align with the man-woman binary. Others identify as big ender, meaning they identify
as both men and women at varying points, or gender, meaning they don’t identify with any
gender.

What’s the difference between gender and sex?

A person’s sex, as determined by his or her biology, does not always correspond with his or
her gender. Therefore, the terms sex and gender are not interchangeable. A baby boy who
is born with male genitalia will be identified as male. As he grows, however, he may identify
with the feminine aspects of his culture. Since the term sex refers to biological or physical
distinctions, characteristics of sex will not vary significantly between different human
societies. For example, all persons of the female sex, in general, regardless of culture, will

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eventually menstruate and develop breasts that can lactate. Characteristics of gender, on
the other hand, may vary greatly between different societies. For example, in American
culture, it is considered feminine (or a trait of the female gender) to wear a dress or skirt.
However, in many Middle Eastern, Asian, and African cultures, dresses or skirts (often
referred to as sarongs, robes, or gowns) can be considered masculine. The kilt worn by a
Scottish male does not make him appear feminine in his culture...

SEX GENDER
Primarily refers to physical attributes-body
Is the composite of attitudes and behavior of
characteristics notably sex organ which are
men and women (masculinity and femininity)
distinct in majority of individuals.
Is learned and perpetuated primarily
Is biologically determined – by genes and
through: the family, education, religion
hormones media; thus it
(where dominant) and is an acquired identity

Is relatively fixed/constant through time and Because it is socialized, it may be variable

across cultures through time and across cultures.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY

SUMMARY

Gender refers to the widely shared set of expectations and norms linked to how women and
men, and girls and boys, should behave. Unlike 'sex' which refers to the biological and
physiological characteristics that define men and women, gender refers to the socially
constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that are assigned to men and women
in any given society. These expectations are not fixed but are continually being constructed
and reinforced through social relationships and economic and political power dynamics.

REFERENCES

Rodriguez A., & Rodriguez, A., Gender and Society, C & E Publishing Inc., 2018

https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology/pages/12-1-the-difference-between-sex-
and-gender

http://spl.ids.ac.uk/sexuality-and-social-justice-toolkit/1-issues-and-debates/what-
link-between-sexuality-and-gender

https://doh.gov.ph/node/1378

https://www.healthline.com/health/sex-vs-gender#gender-expression

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Module No.2

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2

CHAPTER 2: Sex roles and Gender roles

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module seeks to understand the difference between sex roles and gender roles. The
terms sex roles and gender roles often are used interchangeably to denote a repertoire of
emotions, attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions that are commonly associated more with one sex
than with the other.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Define the differences between sex roles and gender roles

2. Define concepts of socialization and social processes
3. Identify and illustrate the agents of socialization

LEARNING CONTENTS

Sex Roles

Sex roles refer to socially coded behaviors and practices often related to a person's
reproductive capacities, such as women with the roles of motherhood and men with
fatherhood. Notions of sex roles tend to privilege biological factors such as internal or
external sex organs, chromosomes and hormones as determining a person's social
placement as either male or female, man or woman. Such determinations rely on a dualistic
or binary understanding of sexual difference emphasized in most patriarchal cultures, but
how the differences between the two sexes are expressed varies greatly between cultures
and historical periods. Stereotypes about sexual difference—such as men are rational and
strong, therefore, women are emotional and weak—often affect a person's notions of sex
roles but fail to indicate any natural or essential truth about sexual differences. Some
scientists and scholars argue that external and internal sex markers are overwhelmingly
ambiguous, which suggests that sex is not binary but multiple and that even notions of
biological sex are culturally, not naturally, produced. Among scholars of sex and gender,
however, there is considerable debate about how and to what degree biological sex may be
linked to social roles and gender identity.

Gender Roles

As we grow, we learn how to behave from those around us. In this socialization process,
children are introduced to certain roles that are typically linked to their biological sex. The
term gender role refers to society’s concept of how men and women are expected to act
and how they should behave. These roles are based on norms, or standards, created by
society. In American culture, masculine roles are usually associated with strength,
aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles are usually associated with passivity,
nurturing, and subordination. Role learning starts with socialization at birth. Even today, our
society is quick to outfit male infants in blue and girls in pink, even applying these color-
coded gender labels while a baby is in the womb.

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One way children learn gender roles is through play. Parents typically supply boys with
trucks, toy guns, and superhero paraphernalia, which are active toys that promote motor
skills, aggression, and solitary play. Daughters are often given dolls and dress-up apparel
that foster nurturing, social proximity, and role play. Studies have shown that children will
most likely choose to play with “gender appropriate” toys (or same-gender toys) even when
cross-gender toys are available because parents give children positive feedback (in the
form of praise, involvement, and physical closeness) for gender normative behavior.

A. Gender division of labor

The division of labor refers to the way each society divides work among men and women,
boys and girls, according to socially-established gender roles or what is considered suitable
and valuable for each sex. Anyone planning a community intervention needs to know and
understand the division of labor and allocation of assets on a sex-and-age disaggregated
basis for every community affected by development interventions.
In each society, men and women perform gender-specific tasks to help support their
families and communities. In the Republic of the Philippines, Western influence and
colonization have greatly contributed to this gendered division of labor, with men working
for pay outside the home and women working within. Because this gave men financial and
political control over their families, a social hierarchy formed in which women was typically
subjugated to both their husbands and their patriarchal governments, which supported this
division. In recent decades, however, the distinction between the roles of men and women
has blurred. The Philippines, like many other undeveloped countries, is exporting an ever-
growing portion of its female workforce to the First World, where the majority of these
women will work for pay as domestics and prostitutes. This unparalleled labor trend has
had dramatic consequences on the migrant women, their children and families, and the
society of the Philippines.

Gender Exclusive Tasks:

Men generally handle heavier tasks that are often dangerous. They generally engage in
warfare and usually exercise political leadership.
Men are said to be able to mobilize strength in quick bursts of energy Matches most tasks
done by males, including hunting, clearing land (upper left), and heavy construction.

Women generally handle domestic duties and rear children. Often the tasks they handle
are compatible with child care.
Women handle tasks compatible with child care (especially at breastfeeding) Tasks are
interruptible to tend to child (such as cultivating local fields); tasks do not take them away
for long tasks do not place children in danger.

Gender Division of Labor/ Shared Tasks:

Either or both genders perform handicrafts: weaving, leatherworks, pottery, basketry,
and others both genders tend and milk cattle and other herd animals, plant the fields, tend
them during the growing season, and harvest the crops they handle other sundry tasks,
such as smoke or otherwise preserve meat or fishh.

B. Socialization and Socialization Agents

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Socialization is the lifelong process through which people learn the values and norms of a
given society. Socialization is not the same as socializing. Socializing is to mix socially with
others (i.e., family, friends, neighbors, coworkers), whereas socialization is a process that
may include socializing as one element, but is a more complex, multi-faceted and formative
set of interactive experiences. It is also an adaptive lifelong learning experience, because
society is constantly changing, and because we may find ourselves in new situations—such
as a new job with different norms and values, or in a different familial role—such as that of
parent or caregiver to an older relative.

Social Group Agents

Family
The family gets the baby first. Hence the process of socialization begins in the family. A
child is born with some basic abilities that are genetically transmitted through germplasm.
These abilities and capacities are shaped in ways determined by culture.
The mother with whom the relation of the child is the most intimate plays a significant role in
the process of molding the child in the initial stages. Subsequently, father and older siblings
transmit to the child many other values, knowledge and skill that children are expected to
acquire in that particular society.

Peer Group
As the child grows older, his contemporaries begin to influence him. He spends most of his
spare hours outside his work and study schedule with his peers in the playground and
places outside his home. The attraction of peers is virtually irresistible to him.
He learns from them and they also learn from him. With the passage of time, the peer
group influence surpasses at of parents significantly. It is not surprising that teen age is the
age of parent-child misunderstanding.
In the socialization of the child, the members of the family, particularly those who exercise
authority over him, and the members of his peer group exercise two different kinds of
influence upon him. Both authoritarian relationships (typified by the former) and equalitarian
relationships (typified by the latter) are equally significant to him.
He acquires the virtues of respect, constraint and obedience from the first type of
relationships, and the virtues of co-operation based on trust and mutual understanding from
the second.

School
When the child comes to the school, his formal indoctrination into the culture of the society
begins. He is exposed to a wider background than hitherto known to him. He is formally
introduced to the lore and the learning, the arts and the sciences, the values and the
beliefs, the customs and taboos of the society from a wider circle, his teachers play a very
significant role.
The child may admire, respect and love some of his teachers. The impression which they
make during this impressionable age lasts almost throughout his life.

Religion
While some religions are informal institutions, here we focus on practices followed by formal
institutions. Religion is an important avenue of socialization for many people. The United
States is full of synagogues, temples, churches, mosques, and similar religious
communities where people gather to worship and learn. Like other institutions, these places

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teach participants how to interact with the religion’s material culture (like a mezuzah, a
prayer rug, or a communion wafer). For some people, important ceremonies related to
family structure—like marriage and birth—are connected to religious celebrations. Many
religious institutions also uphold gender norms and contribute to their enforcement through
socialization. From ceremonial rites of passage that reinforce the family unit to power
dynamics that reinforce gender roles, organized religion fosters a shared set of socialized
values that are passed on through society.

Mass Media
Mass media distribute impersonal information to a wide audience, via television,
newspapers, radio, and the Internet. With the average person spending over four hours a
day in front of the television (and children averaging even more screen time), media greatly
influences social norms. People learn about objects of material culture (like new technology
and transportation options), as well as nonmaterial culture—what is true (beliefs), what is
important (values), and what is expected (norms).

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Cite 3 examples that shows how sex roles and gender roles differ from the past and at
the present.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_____________.
2. _______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________.
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

Essay. What social group agents influence you the most? Explain your answer.

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SUMMARY

Sex roles refer to socially coded behaviors and practices often related to a person's
reproductive capacities while gender role refers to society’s concept of how men and
women are expected to act and how they should behave.
Social groups often provide the first experiences of socialization. Families, and later
peer groups, communicate expectations and reinforce norms. People first learn to use the
tangible objects of material culture in these settings, as well as being introduced to the
beliefs and values of society.

REFERENCES

Moi, T. 2005. Sex, Gender and the Body. New York: Oxford University Press.

https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology/chapter/chapter5-socialization/#section5.3.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/socialization/

https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/socialization/5-important-agencies-of-socialization/
2780

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Study Guide in Gender and Society Module No.3

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___

3

CHAPTER 3: THEORIES OF SOCIALIZATION

MODULE OVERVIEW

In the advent and growth of social sciences, new approaches in examining the nature of the
self become possible. In this module we are going to look onto the different theories of
socialization.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Discuss the different types and theories of socialization

2. Identify and illustrate different examples of socialization theories.

LEARNING CONTENTS

Socialization is the means by which human infants begin to acquire the skills necessary to
perform as a functioning member of their society and is the most influential learning
process one can experience. Unlike other living species, whose behavior is biologically set,
humans need social experiences to learn their culture and to survive. Although cultural
variability manifests in the actions, customs, and behaviors of whole social groups, the
most fundamental expression of culture is found at the individual level. This expression can
only occur after an individual has been socialized by his or her parents, family, extended
family, and extended social networks.

Looking Glass Theory by Charles Cooley

The looking-glass self is a social psychological concept, created by Charles Horton

Cooley in 1902, stating that a person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions
and the perceptions of others. The term refers to people shaping themselves based on
other people’s perception, which leads people to reinforce other people’s perspectives on
themselves. People shape themselves based on what other people perceive and confirm
other people’s opinion on themselves.
An example would be one's mother would view their child as flawless, while another person
would think differently. Cooley takes into account three steps when using "the looking glass
self". Step one is how one imagines one looks to other people. Step two is how one
imagines the judgment of others based on how one thinks they view them. Step three is
how one thinks of how the person views them based on their previous judgments.

Stages of formation of self:

1. The imagination of our appearance of how we look to others.

2. The imagination of their judgment of how we look or how we think others judge our
behavior.
3. How we feel about their judgment, i.e., our feelings (self-feeling) about their judgments.

We know that we exist, that we are beautiful or ugly, serious or funny, lively or dull etc.,
through the way other people think of us, of course, but we can imagine how we appear to

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them and how they evaluate our appearance. We often respond to these imagined evalu-
ations with pride, embarrassment, humiliation or some other feeling. In conclusion, the
looking-glass self means that we see ourselves and we respond to ourselves, not as we are
and not as other think we are, but as we imagine others think we are.

Social Self Theory by George Herbert

George Herbert Mead is known for his theory of the social self which stands on the point
that the self is not initially there at birth. Instead, it arises out of one’s social communication,
our activities such as observing and interacting with others, responding to others’ opinions,
and internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself.

According to Mead’s theory, the self has two sides of phases: the “I” and “me”. The
represents the self as subject, and the individual’s impulse, while the “me” is considered to
be the socialized component of the individual that represents the learned behaviors,
expectations and attitude of others organized into a social self. It is referred as the
“generalized other” as one acts according to the generalized attitude of the social group the
person occupies. When one is able to be aware as to how other view him / her, then full
sense of “me” is attained.

Phrases of Self Development

 LANGUANGE
At the age of 0 to 2 years old, children tend to imitate the language used by people that are
around them. Thus, the symbols, gestures, words, and sound for children at this stage are
mere words and sound and does not have any meaning. Hence, since children at these
ages are on preparatory stage, it is important that language conveyed on them is screened
as eventually these languages could already be understood as a child grows older.
 PLAY
During ages 2 to 6 years old, play develops the one’s self-consciousness through role
playing. It develops the self by allowing people to take on different roles, pretend, and
express expectations of others. The play done at these ages are far easier as children do
not adhere to any roles. During role-play, a child is able to internalize the view of others and
develop an understanding of how other people feel about themselves and others in different
situations.
 GAME
The game activity that is engaged by children ages 7 years old onwards allows the child to
understand and adhere to the roles of the games which as a result may lead to the
development of self. To add, self will be developed when a child understands that rules of
the game are existing and that these rules should be followed to possibly win the game.
The game stage results to what Mead identifies as one side of the self, the “me” or the
generalized other.

Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud, the Austrian psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis, was not directly
concerned with the problem of the individual’s socialization (he has not used the word
‘socialization’ anywhere in his writings); he nevertheless contributed amply toward the

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clarification of the process of personality development. Distinguished sociologist T. Parsons

has also adopted Freud’s account of personality development to provide the psychological
underpinnings of his theory of socialization.
Freud challenged Mead and Cooley’s concept of socialized self who saw no separate
identity of self and society. Freud believed that rational portion of human conduct was like
the visible portion of an iceberg, with the lager part of human motivation resting in the
unseen, unconscious focus which powerfully affects human conduct.
Freud’s theory of personality (self) development rests on the following process.

He divided the self (human mind) into three parts:

 The ID represents the instinctive desires, which may be viewed as an unsocialised
aspect of human nature. It is the obscure inaccessible part of our personality. It is the
source of drives (animal impulses of man—hunger, aggression, and sexual drives)
demanding immediate satisfaction in some way or the other. These impulses are
controlled and partially repressed into the unconscious, while a reality-oriented
conscious self or ego appears.
 The EGO is the acting individual. It serves as the mediator between desires and action
representing the urges of the id when necessary. It tries to mediate the resultant
conflicting demands of the id and the superego.
 The SUPEREGO (the conscience) represents the social ideals (norms, values,
traditions, the idea of moral and immoral etc.). It is seen as internalized parental and
social authority. The parent is no longer outside telling the child what to do, but is inside
the psyche, invisibly overseeing the child’s thoughts and actions, praising what is right
and making the child feel guilty for wrong doing. For Parsons, the Freudian superego is
the key device by which society’s values are transmitted to the child. Thus society’s
norms and values are passed down from generation to generation in this way.

The Freudian theory contends that people possess a number of drives or urges connected
with satisfying basic needs, such as the need for food or sexual release. These urges,
known collectively as the id, seek immediate satisfaction.
Freud’s all theories have inspired bitter controversies and numerous interpretations. This
theory (development of self) is opposite to the views of Cooley and Mead. Cooley and
Mead have demonstrated that the very emergence of the self is a social process and not a
psychological process as contended by Freud. They have viewed self and society as two
aspects of the same thing, whereas Freud finds that the self and society are often
opponents and self is basically anti-social.

Collective Representation by Emile Durkheim

Émile Durkheim, a famous French sociologist, is credited with defining and developing the
concept of collective representations. Collective representations are symbols or images
that have a common significance amongst members of a group in that they convey ideas,
values, or ideologies. Collective representations give meaning to the world and social
interactions and help humans make sense of their existence. The cross is an example of a
collective representation because it is a symbol that has a common significance and
meaning for Christians.
Collective representations are also called 'collective' because their meaning and importance
have been decided by a communal entity. These symbols, ideas, values, or ideologies have

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not been decided by one person; they have been established by a large group of people
over the course of time.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

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SUMMARY
Socialization is important because it helps uphold societies and cultures; it is also a key
part of individual development. Research demonstrates that who we are is affected by both
nature (our genetic and hormonal makeup) and nurture (the social environment in which we
are raised). Sociology is most concerned with the way that society’s influence affects our
behaviour patterns, made clear by the way behaviour varies across class and gender.

REFERENCES

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/theories-of-socialization/
#:~:text=George%20Herbert%20Mead%20developed%20a,%2Dawareness%20and
%20self%2Dimage.

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/4-theories-of-socialisation-explained/35088

https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/chapter/chapter-5-socialization/

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4

CHAPTER IV: When Gender is Ambiguous

The Five Sexes-Gender Role Learning

MODULE OVERVIEW

In the articles The Five Sexes and The Five Sexes Revisited, Anne Fausto-Sterling
is challenging the long held idea of the two-sex system and the heteronormativity of that
construct. She says, “it should be noted that success in gender assignment surgery has
traditionally been defined as living in that gender as heterosexual” (Fausto-Sterling 22). The
author proposes the five-sex system where sex is viewed as a continuum as opposed to a
rigid two-sex system (FaustoSterling 21). She does this by showing that the arguments and
assumptions made by the medical community and other members of society are faulty.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Explain the issues on gender ambiguity.

2. Identify the problems encountered by intersexed people.

LEARNING CONTENTS

In an effort to emphasize her disagreement with the established sex discourse, Anne
Fausto-Sterling confronts the legal and state reinforcement of the parallels of man and
woman because it serves their interests. The legality of the two sex system is important
because it serves to inform things like draft registration and marriage decrees (Fausto-
Sterling 20-21). She disagrees with their essentialist argument that the two sexes are the
only ones considered natural (Fausto-Sterling 21). Sterling uses the constructs of true
hermaphrodites, male pseudohermaphrodites, and female pseudohermaphrodites to
expand the discussion of sex categories and their natural progression (21). According to
Sterling, “a person’s wish to conceal his or her original sex cannot outweigh the public
interest in protection against fraud” (23). This evidence illustrates the point that the medical
community’s distinction that intersexuals are not natural is not based on scientific principles
but more on the desire to meet societal expectations.

Sterling also uses her disagreement with the proposal that intersex children and those
with some gender ambiguity are not normal to build her argument against the two-sex
system. She takes support for her distinction that gender ambiguity is normal from the study
by John Money that stated, “intersexuals may constitute as many as 4 percent of births”
(Fausto-Sterling 21). Although this evidence was somewhat disputed as being too
widespread a number, she answers her critics and strengthens her argument by conducting
research that yielded the result “for every 1000 children born, seventeen are intersexual in
some form” (Fausto-Sterling 20). Anne FaustoSterling also cites Plato’s discussion of the
three sexes to question the medical community’s proposal of two sexes (23). Plato’s
assertion is important because it gives a historical timeline that illustrates disagreement
with the rigidity of the man/woman construct by one of the world’s first intellectuals (Fausto-
Sterling 23).

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Doctors and other scientists have determined that gender ambiguity is not normal by
saying that they fall somewhere between the chromosomal determination of male as being
XY and a woman as being XX (Fausto-Sterling 19-20). Fausto-Sterling turns that argument
on its head saying, “chromosomes, hormones, the internal sex structures, the gonads and
the external genitalia all vary more than people realize” (20). This information is quite
convincing because it shows that even people considered normal chromosomally, have
some variation in their makeup that lends itself to some women having facial hair or deep
voices (Fausto-Sterling 20).

In addition, the author confronts the reasoning of the medical community for gender
assignment surgery. They have long asserted a correlation between being not having
assignment surgery and emotional distress (Fausto-Sterling 23). Physicians Dewhurst and
Gordon say, “ it is a tragic event which immediately conjures up visions of a hopeless
psychological misfit doomed to live always as a sexual freak in loneliness and frustration”
(Fausto-Sterling 23). Sterling identifies the cases from the years 1930 to 1960 of intersex
children who did not suffer emotional distress because of lack of surgery (Fausto-Sterling
24). She says, “there is not a psychotic or a suicide in the lot” (Fausto-Sterling 24). Sterling
further argues that the gender assignment surgery rather than not correcting ambiguous
genitals is what causes the psychological problems that the doctors described (23). As a
convincing piece of evidence, she looks to the first hand experience of Cheryl Chase to
describe the emotional perils of having the surgery. Chase states that “many “graduates” of
medical intersex corrective programs are chronically depressed” (The Sciences 3). This is
in direct contention with reasoning of the medical community. Fausto-Sterling further
cements her argument against criticisms by John Money by proving that a patient, John
Colopiano, who Money cited as being a surgery success, had actually rejected the sex to
which he was assigned (20-21).

Suzanne J. Kessler states, “in the everyday world, gender attributions are made
without access to genital inspection…what has primacy in everyday life is the gender that is
performed, regardless of the flesh’s configuration under the clothes” (Fausto-Sterling 22). In
a society where there is power system that ranks males over females, true hermaphrodites
would make it difficult to assign that power (Fausto-Sterling 22).

LEARNING ACTIVITY

SUMMARY

Overall, Anne Fausto-Sterling sought to challenge the reigning two-sex system as the
standard of normal and also proposed the five sexes as being on a continuum. The author
also argues that a two-sex system serves to enforce a structure of power and differential
treatment based on sex. As a result, intersex children or those with ambiguous genitals
disrupt the tradition of raising children as male or female (Fausto-Sterling 24).

REFERENCES

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Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "The Five Sexes." Alpert Medical School. 1993. 01 Mar. 2009

Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "The Five Sexes Revisited." Alpert Medical School. 2000. 01 Mar. 2009

https://info.montgomerycollege.edu/_documents/resources/writing-in-the-disciplines/jaime-
browne.pdf

https://doh.gov.ph/node/1378

https://www.healthline.com/health/sex-vs-gender#gender-expression

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Study Guide in Gender and Society Module No.5

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___

5

CHAPTER V: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE)

MODULE OVERVIEW

The SOGIE Equality Bill aims to protect people who are continually harmed from a
societal and institutional level. It is about ensuring that people are protected from abuse,
dehumanization, and violence. Seeking an end to abuse is not about special treatment. It is
about wanting to be respected as human beings.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Define the meaning of SOGIE.

2. Differentiate the sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
3. Discuss sexual orientation and gender identity and expression or SOGIE.
4. Explain how SOGIE is a universal human characteristic.

LEARNING CONTENTS

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, also
known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), is a bill that was proposed by the Congress
of the Philippines. It is intended to prevent various economic and public accommodation-
related acts of discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Describes to whom a person is sexually attracted. Some people are attracted to people of a
particular gender; others are attracted to people of more than one gender. Some are not
attracted to anyone.

1. Asexual - not sexually attracted to anyone and/or no desire to act on attraction to

anyone. Does not necessarily mean sexless. Asexual people sometimes do
experience affectional (romantic) attraction.

2. Bisexual - attracted to people of one’s own gender and people of other gender(s).
Two common misconceptions are that bisexual people are attracted to everyone and
anyone, or that they just haven’t “decided.” Often referred to as “bi.” See also
Pansexual/Fluid and Queer.

3. Gay - generally refers to a man who is attracted to men. Sometimes refers to all
people who are attracted to people of the same sex; sometimes “homosexual” is
used for this also, although this term is seen by many today as a medicalized term
that should be retired from common use.

4. Lesbian - a woman who is attracted to women. Sometimes also or alternately

“same-gender-loving woman” or “woman loving woman.” See also Gay.

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5. Pansexual/Fluid - attracted to people regardless of gender. Sometimes also or

alternately “omnisexual” or “polysexual.” See also Bisexual and Queer.

6. Questioning - one who may be unsure of, reconsidering, or chooses to hold off
identifying their sexual identity or gender expression or identity.

7. Queer - traditionally a derogatory term, yet reclaimed and appropriated by some

LGBTQ individuals as a term of self-identification. It is an umbrella term which
embraces a matrix of sexual preferences, gender expressions, and habits that are
not of the heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary majority. It is not a
universally accepted term by all members of the LGBT community, and it is often
considered offensive when used by heterosexuals.

8. Straight - attracted to people of the “opposite” sex (see below); also sometimes
generally used to refer to people whose sexualities are societally normative.
Alternately referred to as “heterosexual.”

GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION

The ways in which a person identifies and/or expresses their gender, including self-
image, appearance, and embodiment of gender roles. One’s sex (e.g. male, female,
intersex, etc.) is usually assigned at birth based on one’s physical biology. One’s gender
(e.g. male, female, gender queer, etc.) is one’s internal sense of self and identity. One’s
gender expression (e.g. masculine, feminine, androgynous, etc.) is how one embodies
gender attributes, presentations, roles, and more.

1. Androgyny - The mixing of masculine and feminine gender expression or the lack of
gender identification. The terms androgyne, agender, and neutrois are sometimes
used by people who identify as genderless, non-gendered, beyond or between
genders, or some combination thereof.

2. Cisgender - A gender identity that society considers to “match” the biological sex
assigned at birth. The prefix cis- means “on this side of” or “not across from.” A term
used to call attention to the privilege of people who are not transgender.
3. Crossdresser - Cross-dressing refers to occasionally wearing clothing of the
“opposite” gender, and someone who considers this an integral part of their identity
may identify as a crossdresser (note: the term crossdresser is preferable to
transvestite and neither may ever be used to describe a transsexual person). Cross-
dressing is not necessarily tied to erotic activity or sexual orientation.
4. Genderqueer/Third Gender/Gender Fluid - These terms are used by people who
identify as being between and/or other than male or female. They may feel they are
neither, a little bit of both, or they may simply feel restricted by gender labels.

5. Intersex - A general term used for a variety of genetic, hormonal, or anatomical

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. Some intersex individuals
identify as transgender or gender variant; others do not. (Note: hermaphrodite is an
obsolete term that is not currently considered appropriate.)

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6. Transgender - First coined to distinguish gender benders with no desire for surgery
or hormones from transsexuals, those who desired to legally and medically change
their sex, more recently transgender and/or trans has become an umbrella term
popularly used to refer to all people who transgress dominant conceptions of gender,
or at least all who identify themselves as doing so. The definition continues to
evolve.

7. Transsexual - The term transsexual has historically been used to refer to individuals
who have medically and legally changed their sex, or who wish to do so. Most
transsexual people feel a conflict between their gender identity and the sex they
were assigned at birth. Other labels used within this group are MtF (maleto-female)
or trans woman, and FtM (female-to-male) or trans man.

8. Two-Spirit – A person who identified with the Native American tradition of

characterizing certain members of the community as having the spirit of both the
male and female genders.

OTHER COMMONLY USED TERMS

1. Biphobia - Aversion of and/or prejudice toward the idea that people can be attracted
to more than one gender, and/or bisexuals as a group or as individuals, often based
on negative stereotypes of bisexuality and the invisibility of bisexual people.

2. Coming Out – The process of acknowledging one’s sexual orientation and/or

gender identity or expression to oneself or other people.

3. Gender Binary - A system of classifying sex and gender into two distinct and
disconnected forms of masculine and feminine. It can be referred to as a social
construct or a social boundary that discourages people from crossing or mixing
gender roles, or from creating other third (or more) forms of gender expression. It
can also represent some of the prejudices which stigmatize people who identify as
intersex and transgender.

4. Heterosexism - The presumption that everyone is straight and/or the belief that
heterosexuality is a superior expression of sexuality. Often includes the use of power
of the majority (heterosexuals) to reinforce this belief and forgetting the privileges of
being straight in our society.

5. Homophobia - Negative attitudes and feelings toward people with non-heterosexual

sexualities; dislike of, or discomfort with, expressions of sexuality that do not conform
to heterosexual norms.

6. Internalized Oppression - In reference to LGBTQ people, internalized oppression

is the belief that straight and non-transgender people are “normal” or better than
LGBTQ people, as well as the often-unconscious belief that negative stereotypes
about LGBTQ people are true.

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7. LGBTQ - An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This is
currently one of the most popular ways in U.S. society to refer to all people who are
marginalized due to sexual orientation and/or gender identity, although other letters
are often included as well to represent identities described above.

8. Transphobia - Negative attitudes and feelings toward transgender individuals or

discomfort with people whose gender identity and/or gender expression do not
conform to traditional or stereotypic gender roles.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

CASE ANALYSIS

Write a case analysis on the Jennifer Laude murder case.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-jennifer-laude-killing-joseph-scott-pemberton-
release

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SUMMARY

The labels were created to recognize the identity of those who are considered outside the
norm of society. These words and terms were popularized to show those who fell outside
the norm that they are not alone, and that there are others facing the same struggles. While
these are usual words used when discussing LGBT issues, they are in no way stable, fixed,
or exclusive. They are temporary, as the terminologies for sex and sexuality can change
depending on the direction of the LGBT movement.

These scenarios are brought to light because of how trans issues are slowly coming to
public awareness, but the same issues have been faced by women throughout history.

REFERENCES

Rodriguez A., & Rodriguez, A., Gender and Society, C & E Publishing Inc., 2018

https://www.cosmo.ph/lifestyle/sogie-bill-philippines-a613-20190919-lfrm
https://www.chp.edu/-/media/chp/departments-and-services/adolescent-and-young-adult-medicine/
documents/gender-and-sexual-development/basic-definitions-sogie.pdf?la=en

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