Republic of the Philippines

SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education
ACCESS, EJC Montilla, Tacurong City

Reflection on Gender

and Development

(Social Dimension)

Submitted by:

Ayagan, Angelica

Becislao, Edilie

Panzo, Lyza Mae

Ambalatan, Jehan

Submitted to:

Jazer O. Castańeda
 Gender and Development

For several years sexism divides individuals, in terms of roles at home and at
the society in which they belong. And in many ways, domestic violence, sexual abuse,
sexual harassment, rape, and other serious problems are perpetrated because men
think that they are tough, strong, powerful, dominant, and in control of their relationship
with women. These concepts are studied in Social Dimensions of education because
many problems in contemporary societies are rooted from the supremacy of men over
women.

GAD marked a shift in thinking about the need to understand how women and
men are socially constructed and how ‘those constructions are powerfully reinforced by
the social activities that both define and are defined by them.’ GAD focuses primarily on
the gendered division of labor and gender as a relation of power embedded in
institutions. Consequently, two major frameworks ‘Gender roles’ and ‘social relations
analysis’ are used in this approach. 'Gender roles' focuses on the social construction of
identities within the household; it also reveals the expectations from ‘maleness and
femaleness’ in their relative access to resources. 'Social relations analysis' exposes the
social dimensions of hierarchical power relations embedded in social institutions, as well
as its determining influence on ‘the relative position of men and women in society’.
Theories of Gender and Development

 Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory or also known as Cultural Transmission Theory is the
acquisition of gender identity and behavior is shape by parent, teacher and other
adult. As a child they are naturally dependent to someone who has seniority over
them, thinking that seniors have more experience, concrete knowledge and the one
who is morally upright compare to them. As an instinct child imitate treats that they
particularly seen by the seniors.

As a role of adults, they must have the proper way on how to approach things
in front of the child they have to show the best example so that appropriate gender
role will adapt by the child, because 70 percent of child’s deployment is carried
throughout the adulthood of the child.

 Cognitive developmental theory

The Cognitive developmental theory focuses upon the thought processes

underlying learning. The approach that gives importance to cognition when
understanding and explaining behavior. This theory gives importance to the internal
states of the person as well as the environmental event, however it is the thinking and
perception that is the key factor. The theory proposes the interaction of mental schema
and social experience in directing gender role behavior. The cognitive approach focuses
upon the child's "understanding". A child's understanding refers to the way he/she
perceives and tackles a phenomenon. Information about gender is organized into sets
of beliefs about the sexes example, Gender schema is a mental framework that
organizes and guides a child understands of information relevant to gender. Example:
information about which toys are for girls and which toys are for boys forms schema that
guides behavior. Example: If a child has seen women being respected in his family, he
will perceive women as a respectable being, and if he has seen women being battered
and maltreated he will perceive them as some low grade creature.
 Children understand gender just as they understand anything else. Children have
experiences with people of both genders, they think about their experiences, having
made sort of mental notes of what males and females do, and adopt behaviors
performed by people of their own sex. Children do their own gender typing themselves.
They make classifications of themselves and of others as male or female, and organize
their behaviors around that classification. This is reflected in their use of language,
clothes, toys etc. According to Kohlberg, acquisition of gender roles results from gender
constancy example, a child's understanding and awareness that his/ her sex is
permanent, constant, and will never change.

 Gender schema theory

"A schema is a mentally organized network of gender- related Information that

influences behavior" (Papalia et al. 2001). Gender schema is a mental framework that
organizes and guides a child's understanding of information relevant to gender. For
example information about which toys are for girls and which toys are for boys form
schema that guides behavior. According to gender schema theory, children first develop
a simplified concept of male female distinctions and later on apply it universally. First of
all children learn what sex they are. Then they develop a concept of what it means to be
male or female in their culture, and on the basis of the development of this concept they
begin to take on gender roles.

A child in this theory is engage in a concrete thinking that what gender they
should be and what should the gender be like. This is the reflection of the child’s
development through the years of exposing in the environment in which he or she is
belong. The observation that the child take over the development may or may not be
imitate by him consequently, it is base on the child’s concept of thinking.
Gender stereotyping

The longtime stereotype gender role is woman, should be at home cooking,

cleaning and caring for children while the man is at work making money to support the
family. Gender role plays an important role in shaping the way we think about others in
society. Typically, the characterization of women as being weak has prevailed in many
different way aspect of womens lives. Gender stereotype has perspective on ways
gender stereotype might be eliminated through the transnational legal process in order
to ensure women equality and the full exercise of their human rights.

Traditionally, women’s role as mother, wives, and dependents, limited women

from having an individual identity in the male dominated world. From the beginning of
time, gender plays a big role on how ones act and how one is looked upon society.
From a young age children thought to be either feminine or masculine. For centuries in
many countries, it has been installed in individuals mind that they have to live by certain
stereotype. Sometimes gender stereotype set impossible standard for men and women
that leads to unhappiness, loneliness and possibly violence towards themselves.
Stereotype affects the relationship between men and women. However stereotype
dictates the behavior of boys that leads to violence. The gender stereotype and overall
stereotyping continues to not only shape but also influence the behavior of all people
regardless of the environmental setup.

Gender and equality

Gender equality also known as sexual equality, is the state of equality of access
to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation
and decision making and the state of valuing different behavior, aspirations and needs
equally regardless of gender.

Gender equality is the equality between men and women entails the concepts
that all human being, both men and women are free to develop their personal abilities
and makes choices without the limitations set by stereotype, rigid gender roles and
prejudice. Gender equality means that the different behavior, aspiration and needs of
men and women are considered values, favored equally. It does not mean that women
and men have to become the same, but their rights, responsibility and opportunities will
not depend on whether they are been male and female. Gender equality means fairness
of treatment that is different but which is considered as equivalent in terms of rights,
benefits, obligations, and opportunities.

Gender and equality is considered to be an important moral principle that should

be followed by all member of society. It is possible to apply the principle of each of the
theories to the issue of gender equality in order to identify the theory that provides the
satisfaction awareness to the issue of gender equality.

Gender and Inequality

Gender inequality or also known as gender stratification, is the unequal

distribution of a society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males.
When the issue is approached, it is evident that the majority of the women are the
oppressed as in turn the men being the oppressor. This idea of the oppressed vs. the
oppressor is evident throughout history; even in religious terms, some can date back to
God’s creation.

Women experience gender inequality in different environments, stereotypes, and

occupations. For example, women are stereotyped to be only a stay at home wife and
to be in an environment where they are responsible for cleaning the house, cooking
dinner, and taking care of the children. Nowadays, there are more women known to
have jobs and not a stay at home wife, but yet they are still responsible, or show some
responsibility for cleaning the house, cooking dinner, and taking care of the children. As
for occupations among women, they experience the limitations of the occupations
available. Women also experience less pay or earnings, and the devaluation of their
work by society.

Gender inequality leads to discrimination. Nowadays, we live in a society where

discrimination is not new to us anymore. Anyone can easily give their opinions and
ideas about that. Because of our differences we are being discriminated. Why not just
respect others? In fact, nothing will be lost. Learning to live together is one of the four
pillars of learning. So why discriminating others? Where we can simply embrace the
differences and uniqueness of each other. Remember, every individual has its own
characteristics that make him human person. If we just only have the what we call
sense of understanding then surely, discrimination can be avoided. Love and respect
are both necessary in order for us to have a harmonious relationship among others.

Our world has always been faced with the problem of discrimination. It is one of
the most discussed topics nowadays and throughout history. In all countries there is
most likely at least one type of discrimination that affects different groups of people. The
definition of discrimination is the denial of opportunity or equal rights for a specific group
of people that may be differentiated by things such as their religion, color of skin, or
gender. Discrimination can be confused with other terms such as prejudice and
stereotype. The world we live in has been struggling with this sensitive subject for as
long as we have recorded. Stereotypes are images held in our minds in regards to
certain racial or cultural groups, without consideration of whether the images held are
true or false. Prejudice and discrimination do not just occur racially, but it is found
among gender, religion, culture, and geographical background. Remember that
prejudice is a result of attitude and discrimination is a result of action.

Many people believe discrimination has made big steps forward, but has it really?
If it has, why do people still get turned down, receive hate mail, or get ridiculed simply
because they differ from each other. I guess these are questions we must ask
ourselves. I guess you could also ask yourself if you have ever called anybody a name,
looked at them different or judged them when you did not even know them or
understand them. You may be thinking "That is not discrimination," but, in fact, it is.

Gender and Power

Gender relations are power relations often what it means to be a woman is

to be powerless (quiet, obedient, accommodating). A real man by contrast is powerful
outspoken in control, able to impose his will, particularly in relation to women. These
gender roles tend to perpetuate the power inequalities that they are based on. For
example, the fact that many men and women think it’s not natural for women to speak
up in public often poses a key barrier to women’s access to decision-making. Power
equals masculinity also helps explain why powerful people often demonstrate
dominance in gendered ways. Power dynamics in families and households interact with
those in the public sphere in shaping development outcomes challenged power
relations between men and women in households, and often led to conflict in families.
This, paradoxically, brought about a resurgence of social control over women.

Gender shapes power inequalities based on other divisions, such as class and
ethnicity, and vice versa. Gender shapes institutions and how they affect the
distribution of power. Most political and economic institutions, historically dominated by
men are tailored to (elite) men’s experience. They idealize masculine forms of behavior
and rely on men’s power over women. Therefore these institutions tend to lock in two
types of power, men’s power over women, and the power of the most masculine men
over everyone take political parties. They are key gatekeepers for women’s political
participation, but their male-dominated cultures often make them inaccessible to
women. Gender shapes how we understand what “power” is in the first place. The
widely accepted definition of power is getting someone else to do what you want them
to do. Arguably this reflects a specifically male experience of the world a place inhabited
by hostile others with whom to survive you are forced to forge some kind of social
relationship. Women, particularly in their socially assigned roles of wife and mother,
may more often understand themselves as being in continuity with the people around
them rather than in opposition. They often aim to build capacity in others rather than to
dominate. This would suggest an alternative idea of power the capacity to transform and
empower you and others. Among to other things this alternative perspective highlights
that women can sometimes have special forms of influence on decision-making
because of their specific social status.
Gender and Education

Education is an important factor in person’s life, we can bring change through

education. Education is very influential where individual can learn enough knowledge
about gender equality.

For almost four decade, gender equality in education has been one of the
key global concern and as a result various organization in national and international
level along with government. Limited programs focusing on achieving gender equality,
women’s empowerment and improving women’s access to education. Through
education we can achieve empowerment and influence cultural practices that are
gender sensitive.

It is view that schooling is to lessen human suffering as the alleviation of

oppression and human suffering is the key aspect of the purpose of education. School
must become a space where student have opportunities for questioning, debating,
seeing new perspectives, forming new identities and relations without feeling threatened
or weak.