Chapter 2:
Gender and Sexuality Across Time
Presenter:
James Raphael Arondain Arnillo
BSEd English 2A
Lesson 1:
Historical
Views on
Gender
Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able
to:
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 aspect of
human life.
Definition 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
patriarchy society that creates these
oppressive political structures, beliefs, and
practices against women.
Introduction:
• Society has progresses so much in a way that
information and knowledge is available to everyone.
This gives us an opportunity to examine our social and
political conditions in more than when information was
scarce and limited to only a few individuals.
• Historical accounts show that across time, human
conception of gender and sexuality has also changed.
Archaeological artifacts reveal that in the distant past,
during the dawn of civilization, human societies have
high regard for women. The concept of the divine
feminine(the sacredness of the woman to her ability to
conceive children) has prevailed and thus, women are
treated equally with men.
• This make societies egalitarian.
However, humans’ discovery of
paternity, presumably during the
Agricultural era, when societies
began to establish communities
and tame rear cattle and stocks,
have also changed how societies
viewed women and men there
from. For the longest time
thereafter, societies have privileged
men over other genders, mainly
because of the preferential given
to them in the productive sphere.
Women who have been revered to
their ability to conceive have been
viewed as solely capable only of
reproductive affairs.
The gender disparity was
intensified by 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. This lesson
tackles movements in history
which shows how men,
women, and people of other
genders are viewed in
human societies.
Patriarchy is from the Greek word Patriarkhes
which means "the rule of the father". It is a social
system where men primarily holds power in the
Pa
political and the private spheres. This means that
in this social system, society is organized and
tria
maintained in a way that men rule over women
and their children. In the social, legal, political, and
economic spheres, men are expected to lead
rch
while women are expected to obey and are
relegated to house chores, bearing children,and
child care. A patrilineal society often follows a
y
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.
In fact, women were not allowed to go to
schools, or even vote, because they are
viewed as a weaker sex and should not
concern themselves in learning science or
politics. Women had to fight for the right to
vote, to go to school, to go to work, and even
participate in politics.Patriarchy is viewed by
most sociologists as a social construct and
not as a biological phenomenon. This is
because history proves that in the prehistoric
hunter-gatherer tribes and civilization, they
prioritized equality of all members, male
and female. History suggests an egalitarian
system rather than a patriarchal system. Men
and women contribute to society, and they
enjoy the same social status.
Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher
and sociologist, argues that patriarchy
came about when people started having
private property instead of a communal
living. The development in agriculture and
domestication 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
EARLY SOCIETIES
Prehistoric: In some hunter-gatherer communities, gender
roles were more fluid and less restrictive. Both men and
women contributed to food gathering and childcare.
Agricultural societies: The rise of agriculture led to more rigid
gender roles, often with men associated with physical labor
and public life, while women were confined to domestic duties
and childrearing. Patriarchal structures became common.
MEDIEVAL
SOCIETIES
Christian Europe: The Church emphasized female
subordination and limited women's roles to domesticity and
religious devotion. Some exceptions existed, such as women
holding positions of abbess in monasteries.
Islamic societies: Women had more rights and autonomy than
in Christian Europe, including property ownership and
inheritance. However, they were still subject to male authority
and restrictions on public participation.
Early modern societies:
EARLY MODERN
SOCIETIES
Renaissance: Increased emphasis on individuality and education
led to some opportunities for women, particularly in upper classes,
to engage in intellectual pursuits and writing. However, traditional
gender roles largely persisted.
Reformation: Protestant ideologies generally reinforced traditional
gender roles and female domesticity.
COLONIAL AND
ENLIGHTMENT PERIOD
Colonization: European colonization introduced new
gender norms and hierarchies in colonized societies,
often displacing existing systems and reinforcing
patriarchal structures.
Enlightenment: The Enlightenment thinkers primarily
focused on men's rights and citizenship, but some, like
Mary Wollstonecraft, challenged prevailing gender
norms and advocated for women's education and
equality.
19TH AND 20TH
CENTURY
Industrial Revolution: Women entered the workforce
in large numbers, but faced discrimination and lower
wages. Feminist movements began to gain
momentum, demanding equal rights and suffrage.
20th century: The fight for women's suffrage achieved
success in many countries. Continued feminist
movements addressed various issues like workplace
discrimination, reproductive rights, and domestic
violence.
CONTEMPORARY
VIEWS
21st century: Gender roles are more fluid
and diverse than ever before. LGBTQ+
rights movements challenge traditional
binary notions of gender. However, gender
inequalities and discrimination still persist
across various levels.
Thank You!
