LESSON 2 - Gender and Sexuality Across Time
Objectives:
1. Discuss the historical roots of our understanding of gender and sexuality; and
2. Show appreciation of how this understanding evolved through time, affected various aspects of
human life.
Definitions of Terms:
• Patriarchy - social system where men primarily holds power in the political and private spheres.
• Feminism — continuing series of social movements that aim to challenge the patriarchal society that
creates these oppressive political structures, beliefs, and practices against women.
Society has progressed so much in a way that information and knowledge is available to everyone.
This gives us opportunity to examine our social and political conditions in more detail than when
information was scarce and limited to only few individuals.
Historical accounts show that across time, humans conception of gender and sexuality has also
changed.
Archeological artifacts reveal that in the distant past, during the dawn of civilizations, human societies
have high regard for women.
The concept of divine feminine (sacredness of the woman to conceive children) has prevailed due to the
ability and thus, women were treated equally with men.
However, humans' discovery of paternity (Fatherhood/ role of father in conception), presumably during
the Agricultural Era. Societies have viewed women and men therefrom.
For the longest thereafter, societies have privileged men other genders, mainly because of the
preferential given to them in the productive sphere.
The gender disparity was intensified during the Industrial Era where factors were built and men were
preferred because they did not have to bear children for nine months and because of their perceived
physical strength.
How did really the conceptualization of gender and sexuality changed?
This lesson tackles movements in history which shows how men, women, and people of other genders
are viewed in human societies.
PATRIARCHY
Patriarchy is a system based on the control and oppression of women wherein they are perceived to be
the weaker sex. It is a structure that upholds male supremacy in the law, at home, in the workplace and
in society.
Patriarchy comes from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means "the rule of the father'. It is a social
system where men primarily holds power in the political and the private spheres.
This means that in the social system, society is organized and maintained in a way that men rule over
women and their children. In the social, legal, and political and economic spheres, men are expected to
lead while women are expected to obey and are relegated to house chores, bearing children and
childcare.
A Patrilineal society often follows a patriarchal society, this means only men can inherit property and
the family name. Women were left with no inheritance and are expected to marry a man who can
support her economically.
Patriarchy came about according to Friedrich Engels a German philosopher and sociologist, when people
started having private property instead of communal living.
The development in agriculture and domestications of animals led to creating product surplus
which allows people to have private property. As a way to control the excess wealth generated by these
advancements, male dominance was asserted over women so only the male heir can inherit family
wealth.
HISTORICAL VIEWS ON GENDER
GREEK
Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek philosophers viewed women as the inferior sex and are properties of
men whose only job is to obey their husbands, bear children, and take care of the household. They were
forbidden to learn philosophy, politics, and science.
EGYPT
Herodotus, a Greek historian, observed that Egyptian women enjoyed higher social status than Greek
women because they can inherit property and engage in trade and politics.
However, Greek influence quickly spread in Egypt through the conquests of Alexander the Great
across Asia and Africa.
CHINA
Confucianism has stringent written rules that dictate how women should conduct themselves.
The written documents "Three obedience and four virtues" and "Precepts of women" states that
women should obey their father, when married she is to her husband and when widowed she is to obey
her son.
Gender biases in ancient patriarchal societies were very strict, heavily enforced, and often
violent. Not being able to go to school, not being able to express opinion because you are a woman.
Women have come a long way since the ancient times through the feminist movement, however,
Patriarchy has taken on subtle forms of oppression that often go unnoticed such as:
1. Sexism — prejudice, discrimination based on sex
2. Gender pay gap
3. Underrepresentation in politics, military, executive positions
4. Rape on women and the stigma making women ashamed to report crime
5. Very conservative expectations on women on how they behave
6. Unrealistic depictions of women in fiction, often very sexualized
7. Women do more housework and childcare
8. Men are trained to be leaders while women were trained to do household chores.
Women Empowerment
Women's liberation movement, women movement or feminism is a continuing series of social
movements that aim to challenge the patriarchal society that creates these oppressive political
structures, beliefs and practices against women.
Feminism demands equality. Here are few salient that feminism demands.
1. Women suffrage
2. Equality in politics and society
3. Reproductive rights
4. Domestic violence — marital rape and physical abuse
5. Sexual harassment and sexual violence
6. Right to divorce husband, right to make pregnancy decisions, equitable wages and equal employment.
