There are two fundamentally different explanations of how and why gender develops. Most people will argue that the gender identity of a child is determined by their upbringing, surrounding environment, and the way they were treated during childhood. On the other hand, gender arises at the time of conception and is determined by sex chromosomes. The oldest arguments in psychology, Nature and Nurture debate will always be questioned and explored. Each of these sides has been greatly researched and both have good points. This makes it hard to decide whether a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity is either mainly nature or nurture. Ultimately, I think it is both nature and nurture that contribute to one’s sexual orientation.
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It refers to your childhood and how you were brought up. Even though people may feel strongly that sexual orientation is due to nurture, they still believe that nature has at least an inkling to do with it as well. Gender stereotypes greatly influence our thoughts and interactions as well as gender roles. These are culturally defined behaviors, attitudes, traits, emotions, mannerisms, appearances, and occupations that are appropriate for each sex. Most people think that if you LOOK like a girl, you should ACT like a girl and if you LOOK like a boy, you should ACT like a boy, but its not that simple. Parents have a huge impact on the sexual orientation of an individual because parents are the first people to communicate with children due to spending most of their lives in the care of their parents. They learn behaviors, opinions, traits, thoughts, and so much more simply from their parents. Typically, children will imitate the behaviors of their same-sex parent. For instance, if the mother is baking a cake or folding laundry, then her daughter sees that that’s what women do, and will often try to imitate them. Parents treat boys and girls differently starting at birth and are said to have different characteristics. Jacklin, 1984 came to a conclusion that when parents gave toys to their children, boys received toys that encouraged invention and manipulation …show more content…
Obviously, we come out of the womb as an identifiable sex, but how we are raised has something to do with our gender identity as well. Twin studies are often used to isolate effects of nature and nurture because they have the same genes, but can technically be raised in completely different environments. Although not ideal, twins can be separated at birth and be completely different due to their upbringing. In the end, there is still the confusing question of whether or not we were born this way (like Lady Gaga would say) or do we behave solely shaped by our upbringing and life experiences. We can all agree that we have traits that are encoded by our genes, but can still shape who we want to be. Not only do I believe that biological factors influence sexual orientation, but environmental and social factors do as
In today’s society, it can be argued that the choice of being male or female is up to others more than you. A child’s appearance, beliefs and emotions are controlled until they have completely understood what they were “born to be.” In the article Learning to Be Gendered, Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell- Ginet speaks out on how we are influenced to differentiate ourselves through gender. It starts with our parents, creating our appearances, names and behaviors and distinguishing them into a male or female thing. Eventually, we grow to continue this action on our own by watching our peers. From personal experience, a child cannot freely choose the gender that suits them best unless our society approves.
Homosexuality is a product of biology because according to research, the hormones of the females are stronger. Dr. Hamer states that sexual orientation, male homosexuality is genetically influenced. This is passed down through their mothers to the hormone of their offspring. Sexual identity is wired into the genes, which discounts the concept that homosexuality and transgender sexuality are a choice. Since sexual differentiation occurs within the womb, as a result of hormonal influences, it has been hypothesized that homosexuality may result from differential hormone balance in the wombs of those who eventually exhibit a homosexual orientation. According to a study, the question is whether homosexual practice changes the brain or whether the brain results in homosexual practice. According to Dr. Hamer, male homosexuality might be linked to a set of five DNA sequences located on the Xq28 region of the X chromosome. Therefore, if homosexual orientAtion were completely genetic, one would expect that it would not change over the course of one's life.
While sex refers the biological characteristics that make up a person, their gender is determined by the behaviors and attitudes considered “proper” by society according to their sex.
Most scientists and psychologists believe that homosexuality is caused by a gene determined at birth much like your hair, skin, and eye color are determined, meaning homosexuality is not a choice and is no more a choice than choosing your skin color. Studies known as adoption studies show that sexual preference is genetic by adopting a young infant child and placing them in either a homosexual or h...
Throughout today’s society, almost every aspect of someone’s day is based whether or not he or she fits into the “norm” that has been created. Specifically, masculine and feminine norms have a great impact that force people to question “am I a true man or woman?” After doing substantial research on the basis of masculine or feminine norms, it is clear that society focuses on the males being the dominant figures. If males are not fulfilling the masculine role, and females aren’t playing their role, then their gender identity becomes foggy, according to their personal judgment, as well as society’s.
...ally factors are responsible for sexual orientation. There are so many variations within society that could affect at person's sexuality, that it is impossible to make any assertions at this point. Therefore the nature and nurture debate is still open.
Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Isn’t that a stereotype we deal with from the time we escape the womb? Gender is part of our social structure, just as race and class are. When applied to Camara Phyllis Jones ' article, "The Gardener 's Tale," men are the red flowers and women are the pink. From the moment of birth, men and women are put into different pots. (UK essays,2015). For decades Psychologist have been conducting experiments to determine what has an effect on a person’s gender identity. Their conclusions show that biological influences, environmental influences, social learning theory and gender schema theory all have some type of effect on gender identity. There are many sides to Nature vs. Nurture, specifically when it comes to gender identity. However, both sides discussed here agree that nature and
In reality, gender is not based on one’s genetic make-up or their reproductive organs. Expanding on this, an individual does not have any control over their assigned gender, but everyone has a gender identity, which is one’s internal sense of being male or female. From a sociocultural perspective, gender roles have the greatest influence on gender as a social construction. Gender roles are the attitudes, behaviors, rights, and responsibilities that particular cultural groups associate with each sex. In regards to gender, the social construction theory acknowledges the connection the topic has with power and meaning, and states that social interaction, or “language” controls how these things are portrayed to individuals. Similarly, sexuality is socially constructed in a sense that, one’s sexual orientation depends on what they are taught to be “socially acceptable”. For example, a person who is raised by homophobic parents would most likely be taught that every aspect of homosexuality is wrong, and therefore they would be influenced to be heterosexual. While many would like to believe that people are born with their sexual orientation, that is far from the truth. All in all, when looking at the big picture, it is clear that race, gender,
Though many researchers will agree that homosexuality is not genetic, still, others beg to differ. HRC.org published an article entitled “Guide to Coming Out,” the article states ‘sexuality and gender identity are not choices any more than being left-handed or having brown eyes or being heterosexual are choices…The choice is in deciding how to live your life.’ With society always shoving their view into the minds of Americans second of everyday, it is not that hard to see where the confusion arises.
From the moment people born, there are certain basic functions that will be with them throughout their lives. The abilities to eat, breathe, sleep, or to have the capacity to learn are a natural occurrence for most people. There are, however, traits that are specific to each individual. They are traits that set them apart from everyone else. The traits such as eye color, ones dominate hand, or susceptibility to a specific disease are a few traits that aren’t easily changed. However, there are some that are controversially questioned as to whether or not one is born with the trait or if it is a learned behavior. One of the biggest of these controversies is the question of whether sexual orientation is a choice or something that is beyond the individual’s influence. Although the evidence is commonly disregarded because of personal beliefs or opinions, sexual orientation is not a choice.
http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm Ellis, L. 1987 Psychological Bulletin. Neurohormonal Functioning and Sexual Orientation: A Theory of Homosexuality-Heterosexuality. 101(2): 233-258. Gallup, G 1977 Homosexuals in America. Gallup Opinion 147
Although this is mostly correct, there are some variations to the rule in which a person will differ from the assigned chromosomes and have physiological differences that will affect gender identity development. Eliza Dragowski, an assistant professor of psychology, writes in a report titled Childhood Gender Identity. Disorder? Developmental, Cultural, and Diagnostic Concerns, "The second path points to anatomical brain differences.
Although men and women have significant biological differences, the question whether gender-specific labels stems from these biological differences or are gender constructed remains a polarised nature versus nurture debate. Whether it is through the process of socialisation or genetic make-up, “gender identity” is given from a person’s birth, determining how a person culturally interacts and the expectations society places on them. Along with a “gender identity” comes a whole set of “norms”, “values” and so-called “gender characteristics”, which are supposed to define the differences between a male and a female. According to the World Health Organisation (n.d.), the term “sex” is often used to define the biological and physiological differences between a male and female. The World Health Organisation (n.d.) also state that the term “gender” refers to the social and cultural differences which are “socially constructed” and characterised by appropriate gender behavioural traits. Although scientists currently believe that since pre-historic times, men and women have been regarded as the “hunters and gathers”, laying the foundation for the “division of the sexes”, this long-term cast-iron notion has been recently challenged. For example, Pringle (1998) makes the point that American archaeologists, Professor Olga Soffee, Professor David Hyland and James Adovasio, proposed that hunting wasn’t about hurling spears, while the women watched on, but was a technique called “Net hunting” and was a communal activity which also involved the labour of children and women. Moreover, through anthropological research, Soffer discovered that women were critical for survival and “dug starchy roots and collected other plant carbohydrates essential to ...
While the terms “gender” and “sex” are often used interchangeably, the two words have significantly different definitions. One could argue that sex refers to biological essentialism and the idea that we are who we are because of our genetic material. On the other hand, gender is associated with the social constructionist theory, which argues that the way we are is dependent on our race, class, and sexuality. Because each person is different in their race, class, and sexuality, their gender becomes socially constructed. To argue that gender is not socially constructed would be to say that all people, for example, that are biologically female have the same goals. However, this cannot be true because within the sphere of being female, that individual person varies from the next in their race, class, and/or sexuality, each of which affect their goals and perspectives differently from their sister, friend, and neighbor. One’s gender identity refers to his or her perception of self as a male or female, as well as being masculine or feminine. Because masculinity and femininity are fluid, rather than static, they are dependent on the perspective of the beholder. A person’s perspective is often influenced by their surroundings as well as values with which they were raised, both of which are never identical between two people. Race, class, and sexuality are the underlying factors that influence perspectives and values, thus differentiating the understanding and portrayal of gender identity from one person to another.
“We have been very conditioned by the cultures that we come from and are usually very identified with the particular gender that we happen to be a member of.” This quote by Andrew Cohen explains partially how gender identity develops, through the conditioning of our environments. The most influential factor of gender development, however, is still a very controversial issue. An analysis of the gender identification process reveals two main arguments in what factor most greatly contributes to gender development: biology differences (nature) or the environment (nurture).