Meaning of Society

• Overview: Society, derived from the Latin word "socius," refers to the complex patterns
of interaction and relationships among individuals rather than just a group of people. It
encompasses norms, values, and institutions that shape social behavior and community
life.
• Definition:
o Society is a web of social relationships (Robert MacIver).
o It is not merely a group but a system of relationships between individuals (Wright
Mills).
• Norms of Interaction:
o Essential for societal functioning.
o Includes kinships, nationality, and shared values.
o Diversity exists within a framework of commonality.
• Social Relationships:
o Inter-dependence: Individuals rely on each other for fulfillment.
o Cooperation: Fundamental for the existence of society.
• Sociological Perspectives:
o Individual and Social Theories:
▪ Social Contract: Agreement establishing moral and political rules.
▪ Organic Theory: Society as a living organism requiring resources as it
grows.
o Group Mind Theory: Collective conscience shapes shared behavioral norms
(Gabriel Tarde, Emile Durkheim).
• Types of Society:
o Hunting and Gathering:
▪ Reliance on hunting and gathering for survival.
▪ Small, nomadic groups with defined family structures.
o Agrarian Society:
▪ Focused on agriculture and crop maintenance.
▪ Larger societies with multiethnic compositions and division of labor.
o Industrial Society:
▪ Involves machinery and large-scale production.
▪ Significant technological changes affecting social structures.
o Information Society:
▪ Production and consumption facilitated by electronic information
technology.
▪ Increased reliance on data analysis and navigation systems.
o Super Smart Society:
▪ Utilizes digital technology to solve social issues and enhance wealth.
▪ Incorporates advanced technologies like AI and robotics in daily
functions.

Types of Society
 • Overview: Societies evolve through various stages based on their economic activities
and technological advancements. The types of society include Hunting and Gathering,
Agrarian, Industrial, Information, and Super Smart societies, each characterized by
distinct social structures and modes of production.
• Hunting and Gathering:
o Relies on hunting wild animals and gathering food for survival.
o Small in size and nomadic in nature.
o Family and kinship are primary institutions.
o Equal division of labor among members.
• Agrarian Society:
o Focused on agriculture and crop cultivation.
o Characterized by large-scale farming and multiethnic communities.
o Developed significant division of labor and specialized roles (government,
religion, business).
o Larger societies with urban centers.
• Industrial Society:
o Involves mass production using labor and machinery.
o Initiates vast social changes due to technology.
o Features larger populations and extensive division of labor.
o Decreasing importance of family ties; increasing emphasis on science and
education.
• Information Society:
o Centers around electronic information technology for production and
consumption.
o Individuals utilize navigation systems and analyze data.
o Automation plays a key role, with robots producing goods under human
supervision.
• Super Smart Society:
o Maximizes digital technology to solve social issues and enhance wealth.
o Includes advanced technologies like automatic driving and AI assistance.
o Emphasizes automation in manufacturing processes.

Gender Sensitivity and Empowerment

• Overview: Gender sensitivity involves recognizing gender issues and understanding the
different perceptions and interests of individuals based on their gender roles.
Empowerment is a crucial process that enables individuals to take control and overcome
obstacles, promoting equality of opportunity for all genders.
• Equality of Opportunity:
o Ensures equal chances for everyone, particularly in access to resources and
opportunities.
o Aims to eliminate structural discrimination against any individual or social group,
especially women.
• Gender Awareness:
o Involves developing knowledge and skills related to gender issues.
 o Focuses on changing perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards gender
equality.
o Education initiatives aim to integrate gender perspectives into decision-making
processes.
• Empowerment Process:
o Defined as the process through which individuals gain control over their lives and
circumstances.
o Essential for overcoming barriers and achieving personal and societal
development.
• Development Process from a Gender Perspective:
o Development aims to improve the welfare of all people, ensuring fair distribution
of benefits.
o Emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of disadvantaged and
vulnerable groups.
• Historical Context:
o Ancient Greece viewed males as dominant and females as property; women's
roles were limited to childbearing.
o The 20th century saw increased acceptance of discussions around sexuality and
gender roles.
• Approaches in Gender and Development:
o Women in Development (WID):
▪ Emerged in the 1970s, focusing on eliminating women's disadvantages
through education and equal opportunity programs.
o Women and Development (WAD):
▪ Critiques WID by emphasizing the need to address existing inequalities
rather than just integrating women into development efforts.
▪ Recognizes women's unique contributions and responsibilities within
society.
• Gender and Development (GAD):
o A perspective that analyzes the unequal status of women and men in society.
o Focuses on how societal roles and expectations affect both genders, applying
gender analysis to enhance economic efficiency and collaboration.

Gender and Development

• Overview: Gender and Development (GAD) is a perspective that addresses the unequal
status of women and men in society, emphasizing the need for equality in development
processes. It focuses on how societal roles and expectations affect both genders and aims
to promote gender sensitivity and awareness.
• Women in Development (WID):
o Emerged in the 1970s.
o Focuses on eliminating women's disadvantages through education and equal
opportunity programs.
o Aims to break down stereotypical expectations of women.
• Women and Development (WAD):
o Offers a critical view of women's positions in society.
 o Emphasizes women's unique knowledge, work, and responsibilities.
o Advocates for recognizing women's distinct contributions to development.
• Gender Analysis:
o Examines how societal roles are assigned to men and women.
o Uncovers collaborative dynamics between genders.
o Presents findings in terms of economics and efficiency rather than gender bias.
• Philippine Commission on Women:
o Established on January 7, 1975, via Presidential Decree No. 633.
o Serves as an advisory body for policies promoting women's advancement.
o Mandated to ensure women's full integration into economic, social, and cultural
development.
• Development Process from a Gender Perspective:
o Development aims to improve overall well-being while ensuring equitable
distribution of benefits.
o Recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of disadvantaged and
vulnerable groups.
• Gender Sensitivity:
o Involves recognizing gender issues and different perceptions based on social
roles.
o Aims to develop awareness and skills related to gender equality in decision-
making processes.
• Four Premises of GAD:
1. GAD is not a conflict between sexes.
2. GAD does not oppose men.
3. Both genders can be victims of inequality, though women are often more affected.
4. Achieving gender equality requires participation from all genders.
• Historical Context:
o Ancient Greece viewed males as dominant and females as property.
o The 20th century saw increased acceptance of discussions around sexuality and
gender roles.
• Influences on Gender Roles:
o Peer interactions reinforce gender expectations.
o Media shapes perceptions of gender roles through various forms of entertainment
and information.

Sex and Gender

• Overview: Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as male or
female, while gender encompasses the roles, behaviors, and identities that society
attributes to these sexes. Understanding sex and gender involves examining biological
traits, societal expectations, and individual sexual orientations.
• Biological Characteristics:
o Refers to physical and physiological differences between males and females.
o Includes chromosomes, hormone levels, and reproductive/sexual anatomy.
• Primary and Secondary Sex Characteristics:
 o Primary Sex Characteristics: Changes preparing bodies for procreation (e.g.,
ovaries in females, testes in males).
o Secondary Sex Characteristics: Physical changes distinguishing males from
females (e.g., breast development in females, facial hair in males).
• Sex Roles:
o Functions assumed based on physiological or anatomical differences.
o Male roles often include sperm production; female roles include ovum
fertilization, gestation, and lactation.
o Influenced by cultural norms and historical context.
• Sexual Orientation:
o Refers to an individual's emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others.
▪ Homosexual: Attraction to the same sex (Lesbian: women attracted to
women; Gay: men attracted to men).
▪ Heterosexual: Attraction to the opposite sex.
▪ Bisexual: Attraction to both sexes.
▪ Pansexual: Attraction regardless of sex or gender identity.
▪ Transgender: Individuals who transition from one gender to another,
which may involve medical procedures.
• Cognitive Learning Theories:
o Kohlberg’s Stages of Gender Development:
▪ Stage 1: Gender Labelling (2-3 years): Children identify themselves and
others as boys or girls.
▪ Stage 2: Gender Stability (4-5 years): Recognition that gender is stable
over time.
▪ Stage 3: Gender Consistency (6-7 years): Understanding that gender
remains consistent across situations.
• Social Learning Theory:
o Proposed by Albert Bandura, emphasizing learning through observation and
modeling behaviors from the environment (e.g., BOBO doll experiment).
• Historical Context:
o Ancient Greece viewed males as dominant and females as property.
o The 20th century saw increased acceptance and interest in sexuality and gender
roles.
• Gender Role Influences:
o Shaped by cultural perceptions, media representations, and peer interactions.
o Social expectations dictate behaviors considered appropriate for each gender.

Aspects of Society
• Overview: Society, derived from the Latin "socius," refers to the complex patterns of
interactions and relationships among individuals. Key aspects of society include family,
religion, economy, education, state, and media, which shape social norms and structures.
• Family:
o Fundamental unit of society.
o Biological inter-dependence between sexes.
o Provides emotional support and socialization.
• Religion:
o Offers moral guidance and community cohesion.
o Influences cultural practices and societal values.
o Can be a source of conflict or unity.
• Economy:
o Refers to the system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and
services.
o Shapes class structures and influences social mobility.
o Affects quality of life and access to resources.
• Education:
o Transmits knowledge, skills, and cultural values.
o Plays a role in social stratification and equality.
o Prepares individuals for participation in the workforce.
• State:
o Governing body that enforces laws and maintains order.
o Provides public services and infrastructure.
o Influences individual rights and freedoms.
• Media:
o Channels information dissemination and communication.
o Shapes public opinion and cultural narratives.
o Acts as a platform for social change and activism.
• Nature of Society:
o Likeness: Shared characteristics (kinship, nationality).
o Difference: Diversity within shared norms.
o Inter-dependence: Mutual reliance among members.
o Co-operation: Essential for societal existence.
• Types of Society:
o Hunting and Gathering: Small, nomadic groups relying on natural resources.
o Agrarian Society: Focused on agriculture; larger populations and division of
labor.
o Industrial Society: Involves machinery and large-scale production.
o Information Society: Driven by electronic technology for production and
consumption.
o Super Smart Society: Utilizes digital technology to solve social issues and
enhance wealth.
• Gender Socialization:
o Process of learning gender roles and expectations.
o Influences behavior, interests, and identity development.
o Significant during childhood through interaction with same-gender models.
• Theories of Gender Development:
o Psychodynamic: Freud's theories on Oedipus and Electra complexes.
o Psychosocial: Emphasizes social influences on gender identity.
o Cognitive Learning: Focuses on how children understand gender roles.
o Social Learning: Highlights the role of observation and imitation in learning
gender behaviors.
Theories of Gender Development
• Overview: Theories of gender development explore how individuals learn and internalize
cultural norms related to gender. These theories emphasize the role of socialization,
cognitive processes, and environmental influences in shaping gender identity and
behavior from childhood through adulthood.
• Psychodynamic Theory:
o Developed by Sigmund Freud.
o Focuses on psychosexual stages of development.
o Key concepts:
▪ Oedipus Complex: Boys desire their mother's attention.
▪ Electra Complex: Girls experience "penis envy" and desire for their
father.
• Psychosocial Theory:
o Emphasizes the influence of social interactions and relationships on gender
development.
o Highlights the importance of significant others in shaping gender roles.
• Cognitive Learning Theory:
o Proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg.
o Children develop gender identity through distinct stages:
▪ Stage 1: Gender Labelling (2-3 years): Identification of self and others
as boys or girls based on external features.
▪ Stage 2: Gender Stability (4-5 years): Understanding that gender is
stable over time (e.g., girls become mothers).
▪ Stage 3: Gender Consistency/Constancy (6-7 years): Realization that
gender remains consistent across situations (e.g., a boy can play with dolls
but is still a boy).
• Social Learning Theory:
o Introduced by Albert Bandura.
o Suggests behaviors are learned through observation and modeling.
o Key concepts:
▪ Bobo Doll Experiment: Demonstrated that children imitate aggressive
behavior observed in adults.
▪ Modeling: Behavior is acquired from various models, including peers,
media, and family members.
▪ Symbolic Model: Includes instructions and media representations.
▪ Exemplary Model: Involves live models such as heroes or family
members whose behaviors are emulated.
• Influences on Gender Socialization:
o Cultural Factors: Norms and expectations vary across cultures.
o Economic Factors: Economic roles can shape gender perceptions.
o Environmental Factors: Surroundings impact gender-related learning.
o Social Factors: Peer interactions reinforce gender norms.
o Religious Factors: Beliefs can dictate gender roles and expectations.
• Historical Context:
o Ancient Greece viewed males as dominant and females as property.
 o The 20th century saw increased interest in sexuality and gender roles.
• Approaches in Gender and Development:
o Women in Development (WID): Focuses on eliminating women's disadvantages
through education and equal opportunities.
o Women and Development (WAD): Examines the relationship between women
and broader development processes.

Origin of Society
• Overview: The origin of society is rooted in the need for cooperation among individuals,
leading to the establishment of social structures and norms. Various theories explain how
societies form, evolve, and function, emphasizing the interdependence of individuals
within a community.
• Individual and Social Theories:
o Social Contract: Agreement establishing moral and political rules for behavior
among individuals living together.
o Organic Theory: Compares society to a living organism that requires resources
and land as its population grows.
• Group Mind Theory:
o Developed by Gabriel Tarde and Emile Durkheim.
o Introduces the concept of collective conscience, where individuals share an
understanding of behavioral norms.
• Types of Society:
o Hunting and Gathering:
▪ Relies on hunting wild animals and gathering food.
▪ Small, nomadic groups with family and kinship as primary institutions.
▪ Equal division of labor and mutual dependence.
o Agrarian Society:
▪ Focuses on agriculture and crop maintenance.
▪ Characterized by large-scale farming, multiethnic communities, and
significant division of labor.
o Industrial Society:
▪ Involves extensive use of labor and machinery for production.
▪ Features rapid social changes, larger populations, and diminishing
importance of family ties.
o Information Society:
▪ Centers around electronic information technology for production and
consumption.
▪ Includes navigation systems and automated processes.
o Super Smart Society:
▪ Utilizes digital technology to address social issues and enhance wealth.
▪ Incorporates advanced technologies like AI and robotics.
• Meaning of Society:
o Derived from "socius," meaning companionship or friendship.
o Defined as a complex pattern of interactions rather than just a group of people.
o Notable definitions include:
 ▪ Robert MacIver: "Society is a web of social relationships."
▪ Wright Mills: "Society is the system of relationships among individuals."
• Aspects of Society:
o Family, Religion, Economy, Education, State, Media
• Nature of Society:
o Likeness: Essential for societal formation through kinships and shared
nationality.
o Difference: Diversity exists alongside commonalities.
o Inter-dependence: Biological and social reliance between sexes.
o Cooperation: Fundamental for the existence of any society.

Gender Role and Socialization

• Overview: Gender role and socialization is the process through which individuals learn
the cultural norms, behaviors, and expectations associated with their gender. This
learning occurs through various agents and influences, shaping one's identity and societal
roles from childhood onward.
• Learned Behavior:
o Children acquire gender-related behaviors through observation and interaction.
o Influenced by cultural, economic, environmental, social, and religious factors.
• Influencing Factors:
o Cultural: Norms and values that dictate gender roles.
o Economic: Access to resources can shape gender expectations.
o Environmental: Surroundings influence perceptions of gender roles.
o Social: Interactions with peers and family reinforce gender norms.
o Religious: Beliefs can dictate specific gender roles and behaviors.
• Gender Socialization Process:
o Involves learning rules, norms, and expectations related to gender.
o Children identify toys, activities, and behaviors linked to their gender.
o Significant for social development; children pay attention to same-gender models.
• Agents of Socialization:
o Parents: Communicate expectations and introduce gender-specific activities.
o Teachers/School Administrators: Model and sometimes reinforce gender
stereotypes.
o Peers: Influence behavior through play and social interactions, often favoring
same-gender groups.
o Media: Portrayals in films, TV, and books convey gender roles and expectations.
• Theories of Gender Development:
o Psychodynamic (Freud): Different crises during phallic stage lead to gender
identity formation (Oedipus and Electra complexes).
o Cognitive Learning (Kohlberg): Stages of gender identity development:
▪ Stage 1: Gender Labelling (2-3 years)
▪ Stage 2: Gender Stability (4-5 years)
▪ Stage 3: Gender Consistency (6-7 years)
o Social Learning Theory (Bandura): Behaviors learned through observational
learning; modeling plays a key role (e.g., Bobo doll experiment).
• Historical Context:
o Ancient Greece: Male dominance; women viewed as property.
o 20th Century: Increased interest in sexuality and gender roles.
o Approaches in Gender and Development:
▪ Women in Development (WID): Focus on eliminating disadvantages
through education and equal opportunities.
▪ Women and Development (WAD): Emphasizes women's roles in
development processes.