Lesson 3 Gender and Sexuality As A Subject of Inquiry

Introduction
Gender seems so obvious and so simple, many would ask why we have to study
it. Well, gender studies as an area of knowledge, is about looking into, analyzing, and
examining society so that we notice power relations in the seemingly "simple things". It
helps us set the Issues in our everyday lives through a different lens.
The goal of this lesson is to un-define and appreciate gender studies. Gender is
a big part of our individuality and society: it is a form of social organization, and it is
often unnoticed. In different cultures and different times in our history, gender roles
played a big part of social organization.
Gender studies emerge from the need to analyze how gender, sex, and
sexuality Impact our lives, especially how it creates gender inequality. It came about in
the mid 1970’s after the second wave of feminism as a way to challenge the male-
defined and male-centered knowledge.
Gender role or sex role are sets of culturally defined behaviors such as
masculinity and femininity" according as the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender (2019).
These roles are not fixed such that the "culturally defined behaviors" for men and
women may be very different 50 years ago or very different for people from other
countries or tribes. In a binary system of viewing gender roles, we only see the mule
and the female where men are expected to be masculine while women are expected to
be feminine. This is the norm or the accepted standards of how to behave like a woman
(mahinhin) or how to behave like a man (matipuno/matapang). In gender studies, we
are asked to disrupt and question these kinds of social expectations, gender roles, and
gender norms.
Gender studies is not just for women or all about women, it is about
everyone. It explores how our gender roles have changed throughout our history and
how it created inequalities. One hundred years ago, women were not allowed to study
at universities since their role was only restricted to domestic or the household. This
repressed women’s potential in shaping the social and political landscape in the past,
but it also placed the burden on the men to provide for the whole family.
Our society has changed so much since then; the jobs available for everyone are
but so much dependent on physical strength, making these jobs accessible to women
as well. Most mothers also have a job now, so they also provide for the family. Gender
studies would ask us to question, is it still right to say that the men are the providers of
the family when both mothers and fathers now work and earn money.
Diversity and Inclusion
Gender roles are socially construed and are not something that we are "born with
Society, through a lifelong process of normalization, encourages or reprimands
behaviors to make a child adapt to these social expectations.
A young buy is always encouraged to be brave, to play rough, to be loud, and to

nor show signs of weakness such as crying. A young girl is discouraged from playing
rough and being loud, instead they are told to be gentle and soft. If a child does not
follow the gender roles, they are reprimanded by parents, relatives, friends, or anybody
that they interact with. That is how gender norm is forced upon an individual, a lifelong
process of normalization.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people often do not fit in the traditional
binary gender roles so they are often reprimanded, bullied, and discriminated. They are
often subjected to violence and hate just because they do not fit in what society calls
"normal",
GENDER STUDIES AND RESEARCH
As a subject of inquiry, Gender Studies utilizes a systematic approach in

identifying problems, making hypotheses and assumptions, gathering data, and making
conclusions. This systematic process is referred to as the research process.
Approaches in Research
Since Gender and Sexuality across a variety of issues that could be biomedical,
psychosocial, or political-legal, there is no singular way in conducting the research
process. There are however a variety of approaches which can be used.
Qualitative approach focuses more on the meanings created and

interpretations made by people about their own personal or vicarious (observed)
experiences. For example, if you want to know how women, men, or LGBTO+ live their
lives on a daily basis and how they make sense of their lived experiences, then the
qualitative approach is fitting. Some of the methods used in the qualitative approach are
as follows:
· phenomenology - conducting intensive interviews with individuals who have

experienced a particular event and understanding their "lived experience";
· hermeneutics - understanding the meaning of texts (literary works, art works)

and what they convey about human realities; and
· ethnography and ethnomethodology - immersing in a community and taking
note of their experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and practices.
Quantitative approach, on the other hand, focuses more on characterizing a

population (total number of individuals in a group) or a sample (a sub-group within the
population), and in some cases, making generalizations about the population based on
the behavior of a sample. For instance, if you want to know how many Filipino
adolescents are engaged in a romantic relationship or how many of them still believe in
marriage, then a quantitative approach is appropriate. Some of the methods used in the
quantitative approach are as follows:
· survey - collecting information from a sample; and
· experiment - creating actual set-ups to observe behavior of people in an

experimental group (a group receiving treatment such as training or a new
experience) and comparing it to the behavior of people in a control group (a
group without any treatment).
In most cases, information from both qualitative and quantitative approaches

provide a holistic view about certain social realities, such that there are researchers who
prefer to use mixed methods (combining qualitative and quantitative methods to derive
data from multiple sources).
Ethics in Gender and Sexuality Research
There are some principles to remember in conducting gender and sexuality

research. These principles are referred to as ethical principles because they make sure
that people involved in the research are protected from harm. Ethics is a prerequisite to
a properly conducted study. The following are the principles to remember:
· Informed consent - Researchers should make sure that the participants in

the study are aware of the purpose and processes of the study they are
participating in. They should also ensure that only those participants who
agree (in writing) will be included, and that they shall not force any participant
to join.
· Confidentiality and anonymity - Researchers should not reveal any

information provided by the participants, much so, their identity to anyone
who is not concerned with the study. All data gathered from surveys or
interviews should also be placed in a secure location or filing system.
· Non-maleficence and beneficence- A study should do no harm (non-
maleficence) to anyone. Especially in research involving humans, a study
should be beneficial (beneficence) for it to be worth implementing.
· Distributive justice should not disadvantage a particular group, especially the

marginalized and the oppressed (e.g., poor people, women, LGRTQ+, the
elderly). The benefits of a study should be for all.
GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
Human Ecology, as a field, recognizes the interplay among internal and external
environments physical, socio-economic, cultural (Bronfenbrenner 1994; Bubolz and
Sontag 1983). Hence, to look at realities from an ecological perspective is to appreciate
that human development across lifespan is influenced by these environments. In the
context of gender and sexuality, a human ecological approach looks at human sexual
lives and experiences at various levels and spheres of analysis.
First, it sees gender and sexuality as an organismic and personal experience.

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Introduction

A young buy is always encouraged to be brave, to play rough, to be loud, and to

GENDER STUDIES AND RESEARCH

As a subject of inquiry, Gender Studies utilizes a systematic approach in

Qualitative approach focuses more on the meanings created and

· phenomenology - conducting intensive interviews with individuals who have

· hermeneutics - understanding the meaning of texts (literary works, art works)

Quantitative approach, on the other hand, focuses more on characterizing a

· survey - collecting information from a sample; and

· experiment - creating actual set-ups to observe behavior of people in an

In most cases, information from both qualitative and quantitative approaches

Ethics in Gender and Sexuality Research

There are some principles to remember in conducting gender and sexuality

· Informed consent - Researchers should make sure that the participants in

· Confidentiality and anonymity - Researchers should not reveal any

· Distributive justice should not disadvantage a particular group, especially the

GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN ECOLOGY

First, it sees gender and sexuality as an organismic and personal experience.

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