GENDER FAIR LANGUAGE

WHAT IS SEXISM IN LANGUAGE?  Language which disparages and

marginalizes women (or persons of another
 It is the use of language which devalues
gender)
members of one sex, almost invariably
women, and thus fosters gender inequality. CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE
 It discriminates against women by rendering Girl Adult female
them invisible or trivializing them at the
same time that it perpetuates notions of Ladies Women
male supremacy. Salesgirls Saleswomen
Young girls Teenage women
WHY THE CONCERN OF MERE WORDS?

 Language articulate consciousness  Language that fosters unequal gender

relations
It not only orders our thought but
from infancy, we learn to use language to CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE
give utterance to our basic needs and Man and wife Husband and wife
feelings.
Men and girls Men and women; boys
 Language reflects culture and girls
It encodes and transmits cultural President Bush and President Bush and
Mrs. Arroyo President Arroyo;
meaning and values in our society
President Bush and
 Language affects socialization President Macapagal-
Arroyo
Children learning a language absorb
the cultural assumptions and biases
underlying language use and see these as an
index to their society’s values and beliefs.

WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF SEXIST LANGUAGE?

 Language that excludes women

CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE

Man, person, individual Human being, human

Working men Workers, wage earners

Man on the street Average person,
ordinary person, the
common person

 Language that trivializes women or

diminishes their stature

CURRENT USAGE ALTERNATIVE

Actress Actor
Authoress Author
Usherette Usher
 GENDER SENSITIVE LANGUAGE GENDER ISSUES

LANGUAGE  Politics

 The system of words or signs that people use  Domestic violence

to express thoughts and feeling to each
other  Same sex marriage
 Any one of the systems of human language  Superiority Males
that are used and understood by a particular
group of people  Quality of Education for Males only

1. Big effect  RA 7877 Anti-Sexual Harassment

2. Deep effect

3. Early effect

4. Broad effect

5. Weighty effect

GENDER AND LANGUAGE

 Basic mode of communication

 “Language is the blood of the soul into which
thoughts run and out of which they grow” –
Oliver Wendell Holmes
 Language shapes and reflects the way we
think of and relates toward people.
 It can reinforce gender stereotypes and
inequalities in social relation.
 It can affirm and reclaim one’s self –respect
and personal agency, challenges biases, and
empower people.
 Does not merely reflect the way think: it also
shapes our thinking.
 Two problems that arise are ambiguity and
stereotyping
 Hence the need to adjust our language when
our ideas evolve

Principles

1. Respect for the inherent dignity, worth and

rights of all people

2. Inclusiveness

3. Gender equality
 SOGIESC
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression,
Sex Characteristics
WHO?
SOGIESC is not only intended for LGBTQ+
people but for each individual. It covers a spectrum of
sexuality and orientation for each human being.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
 It refers to a person’s emotional, physical,
and sexual attraction to another individual.
A. Heterosexual
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically, and
sexually attracted to those of the
opposite sex.
B. Homosexual
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically and sexually
attracted to those of the same sex.
C. Bisexual
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically and sexually
attracted to the same or opposite
sex/gender.
D. Pansexual
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically, and
sexually attracted to anyone
regardless of their sex or gender
identity.
E. Asexual
o It refers to a person who is
emotionally, physically, and
sexually not attracted to anyone.
GENDER IDENTITY
 It refers to a person’s internal experience
and identification of gender, which may or
not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.
A. CISGENDER
o It refers to a person whose gender
reflects their sex assigned at birth.
B. GENDER QUEER
o It refers to a person who does not
identify themselves belonging to
conventional binary categories
(Male or Female).
C. TRANSGENDER (I am…)
o An umbrella term for people whose
gender identify and/or expression
differs from what is typically
associated with the same sex
assigned at birth.
GENDER EXPRESSION
 External manifestation of a person’s gender
identity, expressed through one’s name,
pronouns, clothing, voice and body
characteristics
A. MASCULINE
o A person who has qualities and
characteristics which are
traditionally associated with a man
B. FEMININE
o A person who has a qualities and
characteristics which are
traditionally associated with a
woman
C. ANDROGYNOUS
o A person whose qualities and
characteristics are a combination of
those traditionally associated with a
man and a woman
SEX CHARACTERISTICS
 Refers to a person’s inner and outer and
reproductive characteristics such as genitals,
chromosomal and hormonal structure, and
other characteristics emerging from puberty
A. Intersex
o A general term used for a variety of
conditions in which a person is born
with a reproductive and sexual
anatomy that doesn’t fit the definitions
of male and female
B. Male
o A person born with XY chromosomes
and has a male reproductive and sex
organs
C. Female
o A person born with XX chromosomes
and has a female reproductive and sex
organs
 SOCIETY  Defines norms and discipline
 Cultural elements:
ORIGIN OF SOCIETY
o Customs, laws, dress,
 Emerged in the fifteenth century architectural style, social
 Derived from the French “société”, in turn, standards, religious beliefs,
had its origin in the Latin “societas” a and traditions
“friendly association with others,” from  Transmit to culture:
“socius” meaning “companion, associate, a. Ethnocentrism
and comrade or business partner” o Based on the idea within
 One of the basic sociological term the group
b. Acculturation
In simple sense, society is a large o Adapting & borrowing new
grouping that shares the same geographical culture
territory, shares a common culture and c. Assimilation
social structure, and expected to abide by o New situations through
some laws. conformity
d. Immersion
 Society is the actual arrangement of social
o Involving in some activities
relations, while “culture” consists of belief,
& interest
art, morals, law, customs, and any other
2. Social structure
capabilities and habits acquired by all
 interdependent components that
members of particular society
interactively related as a whole
– Clifford Geertz and Edward
 the organized set of social
Burnett Taylor (1871)
institutions and patterns of
 Simply defined as a grouping of individuals,
institutionalized relationships that
which is characterized by common interest
together compose society
and may have distinctive culture and
 both a product of social
institutions
interaction and directly determines
 An organized group of people associated
it
together (regardless of gender for religious,
 not immediately visible to the
benevolent, cultural, scientific, political,
untrained observer, however, they
patriotic, or other purpose) to obtain a
are always present and affect all
common goal
dimensions of human experience in
 Human beings are inherently and essentially
society
social creature with the desire and need to
 operating on three levels within a
be close with (other and environment)
given society
TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF A SOCIETY a. Micro
o Small circle, working with
1. Culture
individuals
 manifest the common b. Mezzo
characteristics of the community o Working with small groups
that binds individuals together and families
 set of patterns of human activity c. Macro
within a community or social group o Large scale, actual working
and the symbolic structures that with agencies,
give such activity significance organizations, and
 Connects people with each other government
 Gives a sense of belonging, unity
 Builds communities
NATURE OF SOCIETY
1. Society consists of people
 Without people there can be no
society, no social relationship and no
social life at all.
2. Mutual awareness and mutual interaction
 Society is a group of people in
continuous interactions with each
other. A social interaction is made
possible because of mutual awareness.
 Society is understood as a network of
social relations. Thus, social
relationship implies mutual awareness.
3. Society depends on likeness
 The principle of likeness is essential for
society. It exists among those who
resemble one another in body and
mind to some extent. Just as the birds
of same feather flock together, men
have many things in common. It implies
consciousness of kind.
4. Society rests on differences too
 If men are exactly alike, their social
relationship would be very limited.
people differ from one another in their
looks, personality, ability, talent,
attitude, aptitude, interest, taste, faith
and so on. People pursue different
activities because of these differences.
5. Co- operational and division of labor
 Division of labor involves the
assignment to each unit or group a
specific share of a common task.
 For example: human body, organization
institution
6. Society function interdependently too
 Social relationship is characterized
interdependence of elements
society. Family is an example
interdependence of member for
smooth functioning.
 Today, not only individuals are
interdependent upon one another, but
communities, social group and nations
are also interdependent.
7. Society is dynamic
 Society is not static, but dynamic.
Changeability is inherent quality of
human beings. No society can even
remain constant for any length of time.
Changes may take place slowly and
gradually of suddenly and abrupt.
8. Social control
 Absolute freedom makes man’s life like
other animal beings. So, society has its
own ways of controlling the behaviour
of its member. For this, society has
formal and informal means of social
control.
 Customs, tradition, more folkways, are
the informal means of social control,
whereas law, police, constitution,
police and formal means of social
control.
 Norms
- a principle of right action
binding upon the members of a
group and serving to guide,
control or regulate proper and
acceptable behaviour
- acceptable way of living in a
certain place
Sumner’s three dimension of social
Norms
1. Folkways – concerned with minor
everyday conversation of behavior:
etiquette, tradition, etc.
2. Mores – based upon larger societal
level standards of morality
3. Laws – strongest set of norms;
formally codified, suctioned, etc.
by TYPES OF SOCIETY - Gerhar Lenski (sociologist)
of Different societies into four levels based on their
of level of technology, communication, and economy;
its
1. Hunters and gatherers
 2. Simple agricultural o Providing social status.

3. Advance agricultural Kinds of Family

4. Industrial 1. According to Membership

a. Conjugal or Nuclear Family
SOCIAL INTITUTIONS
• Husband, wife and children
 Any institutions in a society that works to b. Consanguine or Extended Family
socialize the groups of people in it • Married couple, their parents,
 Any people or groups that you have social siblings, grandparents, uncles,
interactions with aunts and cousins
2. According to Terms of Marriage
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INSTITUTION a. Polyandry
• One woman married to two or
 Institutions are purposive.
more men
 Relatively permanent in their content. b. Polygamy
• One man married to two or
 Institutions are structured. more women
c. Cenogamy
 Institutions are a unified structure.
• Two or more men mate with
 Institutions are necessarily value-laden. two or more women in group
marriage
MAJOR SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS 3. According to Line of Descent
A. Family a. Patrilineal
• recognized through the
 the smallest social institution with the
father’s line
unique function
b. Matrilineal
 Basic unit of Philippines society and the
• recognized through the
educational system
mother’s line
Characteristics of the Filipino Family c. Bilineal
• recognized through both the
o The family is closely knit and has strong father’s and mother’s line
family ties. 4. According to Place of Residence
o The Filipino family is usually extended a. Patrilocal
one and therefore, big. • married couple lives with the
parents of the husband
Functions of the Family b. Matrilocal
• married couple lives with the
o Reproduction of the race and rearing of
parents of the wife
the young.

o Cultural transmission or enculturation. c. Neolocal

o Socialization of the child.
o Providing affection and sense of
security. 5.
o Providing the environment for
personality development and growth of
self-concept in relation to others.
• married couple maintains a
separate household and live
by themselves
According to Authority
a. Patriarchal
• father is considered the head
and plays a dominant role
 b. Matriarchal 2. Legislative
• mother is considered the head o makes rules and laws
and makes the major decisions 3. Judicial
c. Equalitarian o interprets rules and laws
• both the mother and father
share in making decisions and
are equal in authority
B. Education
 A form of learning in which the
knowledge, skills and habits of group of
people are transferred from one
generation to the next through
teaching, training or research
C. Religion
 An institution that engages people to
express belief in a divine power.
 An organization of religious beliefs,
morality, ethics and world views that
relate humanity and aims to explain the
meaning and origin of life
D. Economy
 The institution that provides for the
production, distribution and
consumption of goods and services,
which people in every society need

Sectors of Economy

1. Primary Sector
o Draws a raw material from the
natural environment
2. Secondary Sector
o Transforms raw materials into
manufactured goods
3. Tertiary Sector
o The part of the economy that
involves services rather than
goods
E. Government
 An institution entrusted with making
and enforcing the rules of a society as
well as with regulating relations with
other societies. It can be city,
provincial, national or even
international

Branches of the Government

1. Executive
o enforces rules and laws
THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL THEORY OF SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
 The study of human society, its origins,
function, and problems.
 Focuses on relation among people, group,
classes, organization and culture
1. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALIST THEORY
 Theory assumes that all part of the
social structure (including group,
organization and institution), the
culture (values and beliefs), the social
process work together to make the
whole society run smoothly and
harmoniously
 Understand human behavior as part of
system that help keep society organized
and function
 Created by Emile Durkheim
 We have specific job and role that they
need to that for everything to work and
all these individual people that live in
the society work together
 Vital functions
 Every structure has a function that
meet a need in a society.
 All structures are work together to
maintain a social equilibrium
 Society is heading toward an
equilibrium
Structures that meet the needs of the
society
 Institutions & Social Facts
1. Education system
2. Laws
3. Business
4. Financial institutions
5. Mass media
6. Medicine
7. NGO
8. Military forces
9. Religion
Example:
Each of the social institutions
contributes important functions for society:
family provides context for reproducing,
nurturing and socializing children. Education
offers a way to transmit a society’s skills,
knowledge and culture to its youth. Politics
provides a way of governing members of
society. Economics provides for the
production, distribution, and consumption
of goods and services. And religion provides
moral guidance and an outlet for worship of
a higher power.
2. SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY
 George Herbert
o Theory compiled in 20th century
o He believed that the development
of the individual was a social
process, as were the meanings of
individual assigned to things
 People change based in their
interactions with objects, events, ideas
and other people.
 The meaning of a social reality is not
predetermined: its meaning is created
by the individual
Example:
Marriage or living together?
Predetermined meaning or not?
 People don’t respond to the world
around them but to the meaning they
collectively apply to it
 They assign meaning in order to decide
how to act. We gave meaning to things
based on our social interactions.
 The same thing can have a different
meaning for different people.
Meaning
- can change in our everyday life
(subject to change)
- made as a result of people
interacting together; thus =
symbolic interactionism
Action
- depend on meaning (different
perspectives)
 Takes a small-scale view of society (It
can explain social order and change).
Focuses on a small-scale perspective of
the interactions between individuals,
like when you hang out with a friend
 We can give meaning
 Example of symbol: WID, WAD & GAD APPROACHES
Engagement ring
HISTORY
- sign of love, happiness and
commitment  In the last four decades, three development
Tattoo paradigms (WID, WAD & GAD) have offered
- certain meaning (body is a explanations why women have not fully
temple) or having a significant benefitted from development, just as much
to you as men
Symbolic Interactionism  The origin of development
1940s
a. Human actions depend on the o World War II, women took over the
meaning of the object industries as men were sent to war
o After the war, soldiers returned and
b. We give meaning to things based
assumed work in the industries as
on social interactions &
supervisors and managers
experiences
 United Nation was created on October 24,
c. The meaning of symbols is not 1945 in Geneva, Switzerland to ensure
permanent & can change over international order and prevent another
time world war. It provides forum to resolve
international disputes.
3. CONFLICT THEORY  1945 – equality between women and men
 It contends that conflict is inevitable in started
any group or society. The conflict  UN use roadmap to guarantee the rights of
perspective claims that inequality and individual everywhere
injustice are the source of conflicts that
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights –
permeate society.
adopted in Paris, France on December 10,
Example: Capitalism 1948
 Article 2 of UDHR
“Everyone is entitled to all the rights, and
freedoms set forth in this declaration,
without distinction of any kind, such as race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or
other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth or other status.”

Women in Development (WID)

 Started in the 1970s

 1975 – International Women’s Year
 1976-1985 United Nations Decade on
Women
o All the major conferences were held in
Mexico City, Copenhagen and Nairobi
 Adopted by UN in 1975 and at the First
World Conference on Women held in Mexico
 Government were asked to create National
Machineries such as Ministries of Women to
promote and oversee national efforts to
advance women and WID units
  Aim: to integrate women into economic
development by focusing on women’s
productive work in two ways
1. Providing women money and other
resources for income-generating
activities
2. Developing appropriate technologies to
lighten women’s loads
 Belief that economic development can be
achieved through industrialization
 Focusing on women were developed, WID
project involved only women participants
and beneficiaries and eventually, the project
failed
Women and Development (WAD)
 Emerged in the second half of the 1970s –
launching of the women’s movement
 Argues that women have always been a part
of the development process but that their
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW)
work has been exploited to profit others in
the global North
 Advocated increasing women’s share in
resources, land, employment and income
 Perspective therefore was more concerned
about the relationship between women and
development rather than integration of
women into development
 Once the need for structural and
institutional reforms are installed at the local
and international levels
 Argues about WAD
 Focused on third world (Latin America, Asia,
and Africa)
Both WID and WAD were less successful in
improving the overall situation of women.
While both approaches promoted the
visibility of women in development, both
also failed to adequately consider the
inequalities between men and women cited
in handbook on the application of the
enhanced gender mainstreaming evaluation
Gender and Development (GAD)
 Originated in the early 1980s as a strategic
response to the limitation of WID and WAD
approaches to improve the status of women
 Development perspective anchored on
rights-based and people-centered
development
 This approach focused on social, economic,
political and cultural factors that determine
how differently women and men participate
in benefit, form, and control resource and
activities
 A development perspective that recognizes
the unequal status and situations of women
and men in society
 Recognizes women as agents of change
rather than mere recipients of development
and it emphasizes the need for women to
mobilize in order to achieve greater political
impact
 Focuses not on women (as WID and WAD
did) but on the social relation between men
and women
 The primary policy-making and coordinating
body on women and gender equality
concerns
 August 14, 2009
 Formerly known as the National Commission
on the Role of Filipino Women (PCRFW),
which was established on January 7, 1975
through Presidential Decree No. 633, as an
advisory body to the president and the
cabinet on policies and programs for the
advancement of women
 Its mandate was expanded by the enactment
of Republic Act 9710, otherwise known as
the Magna Carta of Women (MCW)