COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

MODULE 3

GE ELEC GENDER and

1 SOCIETY

Prepared by:
ROSALIE F. DEMOCRITO
Course COACH

Republic of the Philippines

FirstSemester, Academic
Basilan State College Year
2020-2021
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BASC, Sumagdang, Isabela City, Basilan, 7300
www.Bassc.edu.ph
 College of Health Sciences
SUMAGDANG , ISABELA CITY, BASILAN

GE ELEC 1- Gender and Society

To my BSN level I students in GE ELEC 1 -Gender and Society

Welcome to the new normal! This is Rosalie Democrito, your course coach for this subject GE ELEC 1 (Gender and
Society).

GE ELEC 1 (Gender and Society) Gender and Society was designed as a course for and about gender,particularly
women and how women’s liberation is a necessary condition for building a just and humane society .

This course will run for 18 weeks with a combination of blended learning and offline modalities. This course packet
will aid you in home learning. Read/understand/comprehend every part of this learning packet.

So, what is the composition of this module?

In this learning packet, you will find the following:

I. Activation of prior learning- with this part, you are to answer pretest or write in at least one sentence or more
sentences on few questions asked.

II. Content and Learning Activity/Activities – these are reading materials for you to read, view or listen.

III. Reflection/Response/Action - these are questions/activity sheets for you to answer related to what you have
read/viewed/listened about the materials given.

IV. Summative Assessment – these are performance tasks given after every unit.

V. Feedback to improve learning and teaching- write in bullet form, learning difficulties you have encountered.

Learning packets will be given on a weekly basis, so you are to submit activities on the designated date and time.
For more queries, you may text, message me on my messenger or thru our group chat or even email me.

GOODLUCK EVERYONE

Republic of the Philippines

Basilan State College
College of Health Sciences
Main Campus Sumagdang,Isabela City,Basilan

Course Code GE ELEC 1 Week/Day Week 3

Course Description Gender and Society Duration 6 hours
Lesson/Topic Gender fair language Lesson no. 3
Learning Outcomes Enumerate forms of discrimination in language.
Value integration Gender-fair language
References Agustin Martin G.Rodriguez,Ara Marie Leal Rodriguez(2019)Gender and
Society:The Whys of women,their oppression,and paths to liberation,Quezon
City,C&E Publishing ,Inc.
Course coach Rosalie F.Democrito

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 To get a better picture on Gender and Society, READ, WATCH and LISTEN TO the
learning materials below and answer learning activities after this unit.

Module 3

I. ACTIVATION OF PRIOR LEARNING

An opener knocking at you!!! Answer the following :

Write your answer in the answer sheet found on Annex A .

1.How do you speak to your female friends and how do you speak to your male friends? Do you shift in tone or word
choice?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________.

2. How do you describe feminine speech? What about masculine speech?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Engagement in relevant content and appropriate learning activities.

Chapter 3-Gender-fair Language

Language and Gender Relations

Language is a potent tool for how humans understand and participate in the world. It can shape how we see society.
It is a part of culture. In this regard, language is not a neutral force, it enforces certain ideas about people including gender.
Many gendered assumptions are present when it comes to language. Language defines men and women differently as
seen in common adjectives associated with these genders. Unequal relations can stem from statements that trivialize one
gender’s experience or perpetuate one gender’s supremacy. It evaluates gender, in so much as language trivializes or
devalues certain characteristics. Thelma Kintanar and Angela Tongson, in their 2014 book Gender-fair Language: A
Primer, focused on three aspects of language that inform how gender is shaped -language articulates consciousness,
reflects culture, and affects socialization. Like gender stereotyping, language influences how one sees his or her gender
and perceives other people’s gender.
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Violations of Gender -fair Language

Sexist language is a tool that reinforces unequal gender relations through sex-role stereotypes, microaggressions, and
sexual harassment. Language can be used to abuse, such as in the case of sexual harassment, or to perpetuate
stereotypes. It can form subtle messages that reinforce unfair relations, such as how “men cannot take care of children”
or “women cannot be engineers” which may impact how one views his or her capabilities. All in all, language is a powerful
force that plays a significant role in how one perceives the world. Kintanar and Tongson gave extensive examples
of these violations in their book. The following are condensed versions and real -life examples of violations of gender
fair language.

Invisibilization of women

The invisibilization of women is rooted in the assumption that men are dominant and are the norm of the fullness
of humanity, and women do not exist. Some obvious examples of women invisibilization in language are:
The generic use of masculine pronouns or the use of a masculine general. The use of the word mankind assumes
that men are representative of all people on this planet, and that women’s presence or roles are not acknowledged.
Similarly, saying guys when referring to a mixed gender group assumes that girls are invisible, and calls attention to the
male gender, giving them a stronger presence.

The assumption that certain functions or jobs are perfomed by men instead of both genders. For example, the
sentences “The farmers and their wives tilled the land”. or “The politicians and their wives lobbied for change.”
assume that men can have jobs as farmers and politicians, and women who do the same work are still made
to be known as wives, with their identities forever linked to being married to their husbands.

The use of male job titles or terms ending in man to refer to functions that may be given to both genders. For instance,
The titles businessman and chairman assume that all businessmen or chairmen are men and that certain jobs may not be
for women, which is not true.

Trivialization of women

Bringing attention to the gender of a person, if that person is a woman. The use of lady, girl, or woman along with the
noun brings attention to the gender of the person rather than to the job or function. Examples of these include girl athlete,
woman doctor, lady guard, and working wives. This notion also works for men who enter traditionally female jobs such as
male nurses, male nannies, or male secretaries.
The perception of women as immature. Women may be labeled as darling or baby by those who do not know them
making them appear childlike.

The objectification or likening to objects, of women. By being called honey, sweets, or chick, women become devalued
especially if they are in an environment that merits formality such as the workplace

.
Fostering unequal gender relations
Language that lacks parallelism fosters unequal gender relations. The use of man and wife assumes that men are still
men and women’s identities are subsumed and shifted into beings in relation to their husbands.

Gender Polarization of words in use of adjectives

The personal care brand Dove recently came out with an advertisement that used parallel adjectives to show the
difference in perception regarding men and women. Both men and women did the same activity, but were described
differently. In the ad, men who took the lead were considered the boss, while women who had the same initiative were
considered bossy. Men who worked overtime were seen as providers, while women who did the same were seen as
uncaring. This polarization of adjectives shows how perception does change, how one sees certain acts, depending on who
performs them.

Hidden assumptions
Hidden assumptions in sentences can also be forms of microaggression if the underlying perceptions are sexist and
degrading.For example,the statement,The father is babysitting his children,assumes that the father is not a caregiver,and
that any attempt at parenting is temporary as the mother is the main caregiver.A typical example of a situation involving
sexist language is shown in the following sample case.

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Sample case
Aron mentioned that his friends from his all-boys high school would often use the word bakla as an insult.They would
also use bakla to describe someone who lost at games or was weak at sports.He stopped doing this in college.He shared
that he already grew up,and stopped using terms like bakla as insults because he knows that doing so may hurt someone
who is actually gay.Perhaps,Aaron sees gender sensitivity in language as a sign of maturity.

Philippine Culture and Language

Filipino is mainly gender-neutral, without gendered characteristics or titles for men or women. Words that are gendered
came from another culture,which were adopted after 400 years of colonization.The values and the shaping of the education
system were influenced by Western powers and ideals.Filipinos portray a mix of identities,an infusion of both native and
foreign perspectives and values.

Identities and Naming Things

The previous chapter defined sex and gender,and explained how these points can help reflect one’s identity.Language
is used to define what is feminine,masculine,and outside feminine or masculine.It is a tool for understanding the world as
well as for naming and describing people and things.Language gives a person the power to define oneself and the external
world and one’s place in it.It provides a definition of others as well,and one’s relationship with them.Through language
people can reflect on their own gendered identities,and battle the definitions society imposes on them.
Naming things give them power.For example,sexual harassment was never seen as an issue as it was never given a
name.It was unwanted behavior in the workplace,but was seen as something that could not be contended with.Because it
was unnamed,it was ignored by those in power as if it did not exist.Recognizing harassment for what it is -by defining and
describing the act-helped women around the world put mechanisms that would address workplace
harassment.Similarly,women who experienced date rape had no term to describe what occurred to them,but naming their
experience helped them come to terms with their issue.
Sexist Language and Culture
A previous chapter noted that gender socialization is the process in which roles are learned.Language that admonishes
certain acts depending on one’s gender is a form of externalized social control.Common themes of a sexist language are
The commercialization and the trivialization of women.These sexist portrayals of women extend to the advertising industry,
entertainment industry,and the arts.The normalization of sexism makes violence against women and children acceptable or
tolerable.Using language for gender stereotyping can contribute to sexism by reinforcing the idea that certain words and
traits should only be associated with specific genders.
How people related to each other on a day to day basis reinforces behavior,both positive and negative.To call someone
stupid everyday could have an effect on his or her potential. In turn, language through its repetition of roles,stereotypes,and
adjectives affects how one person enacts his/her capabilities.Constantly mocking or joking about women/LGBT,sexualizing
them,and making them appear weak would indeed make them internalize these ideas.
That being said,language is not inherently exist.Being sexist depends on a specific culture.Similarly,the attitude of a
culture towards a certain gender may influence the words used,creating sexist language.Language is both a symptom and a
perpetrator of sexism,and is the very telling of how a society sees a certain gender.
Toward a Gender -fair Language
The use of gender fair language in educational institutions and the removal of sexist language as imperative to gender
responsiveness is currently being advocated.GABRIELA(Genaral Assembly Binding Women for
reforms,integrity,Equality,Leadership,and action).Women’s party national president and party-list representative Liza Maza
called for a ban of sexist language in all official communication and documents in the House of Representatives. The
creation of a comprehensive gender-fair language policy and the evaluation of the effectiveness of gender fair language
in institutions are indicators for a gender fair institution. These actions are small steps one can take in ensuring that
institutions are indeed gender fair.
Language then,is more than just the arrangement of words.Cultures and values come from language and vice versa.
Language is also a process that represents one’s views,beliefs,and experiences.It must be changed to reflect the changes
In the world as well as to be free from bias since words can affect how a person sees oneself and others around him or her.

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Reflection/ Response/ Action:
INSTRUCTION: Use a separate sheet provided at the annex section for your answer. For this activity write your answer on
annex A.
Activity 1:
1.What is sexist language?
2.How can language be used to discriminate?
3.Why is language important ?

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 Basilan State College
College of Health Sciences
Answer Sheet
Annex A
Unit 1
Name:_________________________ Date:_______________
Course,year & set:_______________ Subject:_____________
I-Activation of prior knowledge
Answer the following questions:

1.How do you speak to your female friends and how do you speak to your male
friends? Do you shift in tone or word choice?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

2. How do you describe feminine speech? What about masculine speech?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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Activity II: Reflection/Response/Action:

1. What is sexist language?

_________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. How can language be used to discriminate?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. Why is language important ?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________________ ____________________

Feedback to improve learning and teaching:

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What can you say about this module? What difficulties have you encountered? List
down below all the items which may seem hard to understand. Answer as honestly
as possible.Use a separate sheet provided at the annex section for your answer.

1. _____________________________________________________.
2. _____________________________________________________.
3. _____________________________________________________.
4. _____________________________________________________.
5. _____________________________________________________.

Note: Answer all the activities on a separate sheet provided at the annex section for your
answer. Place it on a long brown envelope with your name, course, year and set.

Congratulations!
You are now ready to proceed to the next lesson