Nature and Nurture: Coexistence - Research Paper Example

?Nature and Nurture: Coexistence 0 Introduction For many centuries, the determination of gender roles has often been linked to the continued saga between “nature” and “nurture,” of which many researchers postulate that either of the two wins over the other, or that both are key determinants in the formation of one’s concept of gender identity. The World Health Organization (2012) defines gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” The emphasis on the word “social” and “society” would mean that the determination of one’s gender is based on the roles and behavior that the society considered as appropriate. A person’s classification of gender (either man or woman) is critically linked to one’s biological make-up. This makes the whole scenario intellectually challenging in terms of the relationship between the “nature and nurture” issue and gender identity. This paper discusses the interaction between hormones (the nature part) and behavior, and how these two determine gender identity. This also attempts to compare “nature” and “nurture” in terms of its greater influence on one’s gender identity, and discusses current arguments regarding sexual identity and the basic concept of biopsychology. 2.0 Gender Identity: Biological Perspective Decades of long debate have been established over this question. According to Jean Mercer (2012) in her article “That Old Nature-Nurture Question,” there is no truth as to the existence of either nature or nurture alone in the determination of one’s gender identity because the two “cannot exist separately from each other.” John Money (1994) agreed that gender identity is not the product of the genetic make-up or environment per se but on the interplay of the two components during “developmental differentiation” (pp. 71-79). However, there is a slight variation when it comes to the extent to which each of the two affects how a person identifies his or her gender. In the field of Physiological Psychology or Biopsychology, however, genetics and hormones can affect a person’s gender identity according to some researchers. The phenomenon on homosexuality can be taken as an example. As defined by Exodus Global Alliance (2012), homosexuality means that a person is physically and emotionally attracted to someone belonging to the same sex. By gender roles, a man is for a woman, and vice-versa. Anything unusual to this is a violation of the society’s imposed gender role. Ryan Johnson (2012) cited biological scientists’ claims that homosexuality can be explained on a biological perspective. The endocrine, specifically the hormones, plays a very important role in this phenomenon. When it comes to hormones, Valerie Grant (2005) in Psychology of Behaviour Identity said “serum testosterone” can be linked to both male and female’s “trait dominance.” According to her, the amount of testosterone between males and females is largely different; the males’ source comes directly from their testes while females have sourced their testosterone from “peripheral tissues” (Grant, 2005, p. 2). In other words, male dominance can be attributed to its biological foundation, and the expression of submissiveness can be attributed to low levels of testosterone -- a condition that is seen among women. Catell (as cited in Grant, 2005) wrote that males scored higher than girls when it comes to dominance as shown in being “assertive, independent, confident, and stubborn.” These findings made him believe that there is a considerable relationship between a dominant behavior and the amount of testosterone which differs between the sexes. Grant (2005) believes that a specific gender role (say, dominance) is not socially defined but is explainable in terms of physiological psychology. In the case of women, testosterone level has also an effect when it comes to the way they act or perceive a situation. Purifoy and Koofsman (1979, as cited in Grant, 2005) found out that women who worked outside of their homes have increased testosterone level compared to those who stayed inside their houses. This specific trait can also be associated with being ‘masculine.’ Baucom et al. (1985, as cited in Grant, 2005) also added that women’s gender role or identity is related to their level of testosterone. Women who have high levels of testosterone see themselves as “self-directed, action-oriented, and resourceful” and those with a low level of testosterone displayed the opposite behaviors (as cited in Grant, 2005). 3.0 Nature and Nurture As opposed to the above-mentioned views, Lippa (2009) said that gender identity is something that is created by the society and not biological in nature (p. 69). The tendency of the people to box themselves into roles that the society accepts to be has caused people to pattern their own gender identity on the basis of these roles. The patriarchal society allows men to dominate and be unemotional, which in turn, prohibits men to show emotions during unlikely times as this is considered feminine. Women, on the other hand, are known to be emotional, nurturing, loving, weak, and soft-- classical stereotypes of sexes. However, Lippa (2009) believes “masculinity” and “femininity” are not biologically determined, rather it is socially constructed. Nevid (2009) believes that the determination of gender identity is still a result of the interplay between genetics (nature) and social and cultural environment (nurture) (p. 324). Gottesman and Hanson (as cited in Nevid, 2009) stated that “biology and experience work together” to survive living in the environment. 4.0 Sexual Identity Aside from the identification of gender identity, the interplay of nature and nurture also resulted to a person’s sexual identity. Yarhouse and Tan (2004) define sexual identity as “one’s self-designation” based on his or her “biological sex, gender, orientation, behavior and values” (p. 3). Yarhouse and Burkett (2003) also added that a person’s sexual identity is composed of three components: “sense of gender, sexual preference, and behaviors or intentions in line of their sexual attraction.” This is dependent on the person’s choice based on what he or she perceives to be appropriate for him/her. One’s preference of a partner, which is known as sexual orientation, is a part of the complex definition of sexual identity. Other researchers also considered the brain as affecting one’s sense of self. However, the experiences that a person went through also constitute to the person’s sexual identity. Thus, there is interplay between nature and nurture. According to Horowitz and Newcomb (as cited in Yarhouse & Tan, 2004), heterosexuals, bisexuals, and homosexuals might have unpleasant experiences in the past, which caused them to adopt an identity that is considered “ill-fitting.” Hysterectomy, or the deliberate removal of the uterus, also confronts the issue on gender identity. Whatever it is that the society tells, mothers are still considered empowered because sexual organs do not alone define a person’s gender rather by the social roles they play in the society. 5.0 Conclusion It is not actually the mere comparison between nature and nurture that will solidify our understanding of gender and sexual identity. It is our understanding of how these two coexist that creates a very good direction towards gender identity. Several issues confronting gender identity include the deliberate removal of the uterus among mothers which is not affecting their roles as women. Lastly, the issue on gender identity mainly referring to testosterone is one of the key points of Biopsychology in terms of its explanation to human behavior. In this field, Biopsychology won in its strong foundations regarding the effect of high levels of testosterone to male thereby showing the trait of dominance and aggressiveness. However, as what this essay tries to point out, the field of physiological psychology can partly explain human’s gender identity, but cannot, and will not always be able to explain the mysteries behind the so-called gender identity. This is always synthesized and integrated with environmental and cultural aspects, thus, nature and nurture. Works Cited Exodus Global Alliance. (2012, July 24). What is homosexuality? Retrieved from http://www.exodusglobalalliance.org/whatishomosexualityp93.php- Grant, V. J. (2005). Psychology of gender identity. J. W. Lee (Ed.). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Johnson, R. D. (2012, July 24). Homosexuality: Nature or nurture. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality.html Lippa, R. A. (2009). Gender, nature, and nurture (2nd ed.). NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Publishers. Mercer, J. (2012, July 24). Child myths: Straight talk about child development. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/ blog/child-myths/201005/old-nature-nurture-question Money, J. (1994). The concept of gender identity disorder in childhood and adolescence after 39 years. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 20 (3). Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00926239408403428 Nevid, J. S. (2009). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. World Health Organization. (2012). What do we mean by “sex” and “gender”? Retrieved from http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/ Yarhouse, M. A., & Burkett, L. (2003). Sexual identity: A guide to living in the time between the times. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Yarhouse, M. A., & Tan, E. S. N. (2004). Sexual identity synthesis: Attributions, meaning making, and the search for congruence. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Read More