Gender Identity
Sex may be biological and although we may be born male or female, culturally that is not only what defines our gender roles, agree or disagree, there are many cultural influences that affect today’s gender roles. We are at a point culturally were traditional definitions are often a moot point, in my home and the homes of my children traditional roles are followed, but in many homes today that is not the case, cultural influences have often taken over for traditional values what may have been the standard once is no longer.
Include the roles of biological factors, nature and environmental influences, nurture on sexual differentiation and gender identity. Nature is responsible for the growth of a person from the sperm and egg level until the natural development into a normal adult. The genetic makeup of a human being is responsible for their sex, skin color, color of their eyes and hair as well as distinguishing features which are inherited from their parents. Nature can only assist in the growth of a fetus into a normal well-developed adult who may have inherited some special talents.
Thus it can be concluded that nature uses the genetic coding to help in physical development and does impart some positive or negative traits to an individual’s natural development. However, it is nurture which can be used to improve he positive traits and diminish the negative traits in a child. It is indeed important to recognize that nature in the form of inherited traits does exist but a person’s overall behavior is influenced a great deal by the nurture or “upbringing” and the environmental factors involved in this upbringing. Several recent studies carried out on infant and child behavior have shown that there is significant evidence to support the fact that nurture strongly influences human development especially in the early years” (Collins 2000). In traditional society most parents encourage their kids to take part in extracurricular activities like learning music, dance or sports in accordance with the child’s talents and interests. The talents have been given by nature but they can only be developed into skills through the hard work of nurture.
Based on your evaluation, determine which has the greater influence on gender identity: nature or nurture. Undoubtedly, nurture plays a very big role in early human development. Nurture in some way or another aids in speeding up an individual’s capacity to study and learn new things. There is the common saying that “practice makes perfect,” so an individual can improve knowledge by practicing to adapt to all the situations in these circumstances or environment (Sports or academia). The part which nurture plays in human development has been demonstrated by psychologists in experiments in which stepping practice was administered to a cohort of inference for just a few minutes many times in a day. It was later that these children were able to walk several days earlier than infants who had not been given stepping practice” (Zucker2000). Influence has its effect on any outcome. Discuss the current arguments about sexual identity and how evidence from biopsychology may help resolve the argument.
It is obvious that nature is responsible for producing healthy and well-developed babies, but it is also nurture that plays an important role in the early stages of human development also. ”Research has concluded beyond doubt that early human development is quicker and more focused due to nurture as it builds up on the talents provided by nature. Nature may be responsible for the normal development of the fetus into a normal and healthy infant, but it cannot entirely develop that fetus into an intelligent, knowledgeable or athletic adult. (Collins 2000) This is possible only through the exposure and influence that nurture gives a person. Therefore, it would be a true statement to say that nature has some degree of influence, nurture also strongly influences early and further human development. To determine where the greater influence comes from is based on one’s own morals, beliefs and own personal influences. The argument on wheatear someone is born gay or influenced is an argument that has been going on for ages and will continue, is it nature or nurture?
Are great athletes born or made, there has to be genetic influence, but, that natural ability has to be nurtured, the same argument can be made for something as meaningless as , they may be born beautiful but, the care of one’s self has to be taught.
Resources
- www. apa. org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation. aspx
- Lalumiere, M,. Blanchard, R,. Zucker, K,. (2000) Sexual orientation and handedness in men and women: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. 126. 575-592.
- Collins W. A. , Maccoby, E. E. , Steinberg, L. , Hetherington, M. E. , Bornstein, M. H. (2000). The case for nature and nurture. Am. Psychol. 55:218-232.
