Development of Sexual Orientation - Research Paper Example

? DEVELOPMENT OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION Introduction Factors that control the development of sexual orientation inhuman beings remain a mystery until the present time. The long-standing controversy of nurture and nature has been expanded to scrutinized diverse human sexual orientation. Scientists, biologists, evolutionist and socio-biologists define sexual orientation as a person’s tendency to get attracted to individuals of similar sex (homosexuals), opposite sexual partners (heterosexual), or both sex partners (bisexuals). The reasons as to why different people develop certain sexual orientations are a topic of enormous controversy as different scholars, and critical thinkers have diverse views and insights into the topic. The main influences of nature (genes and biology) and nurture (the surrounding where an individual develops) and certain orientations are the main issues in the psychological world. This paper will investigate the main factors behind the development of varying sexual orientations, developmental differences between men and women, and the key factors for persistence of varying sexual orientations in humans throughout the evolutionary history. Discussion Evidence indicates that different factors account for development of different sexual orientations for various people, (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005). Diamante and McAnulty asserts that “Even though, various studies have investigated the potential hereditary (genes), developmental, hormones and socio-cultural factors influence the development of sexual orientation” p. 33, no generalizations have developed to allow scientists and theorists to construe that sexual orientation development is attributable to any certain factor(s). A large numbers of scientist suggest that both “nature and nurture play a dynamic function; a large percentage of the population experience little evidence and choice concerning their sexual identity and orientation” (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005 p. 40). In sexual orientation debate, different individual narratives and evidence have validity for the person, but cannot be simplified broadly. Sexual orientation is largely influenced by genes and unsystematic environmental aspects, based on results from the global extensive twins study, (Omoto & Kurtzman, 2006). Sexual orientation is attributable to biological factors. The biological account has extensively gained recognition amongst the scientific society even though; it is merely anchored on speculations. Scientists argue “Development of sexual orientation is attributable to factors that take place during sexual identity of differentiation” p. 52. The prenatal subjection hormones such as androgens and the impacts on human brain development perform a crucial function development of sexual orientation in humans. The question of whether biology exclusively offer the room for neutral circuitry in which sexual orientation is engraved, whether biological aspects directly cord the brain to support certain orientation, or whether biological aspects indirectly affect sexual orientations, currently dominate the scientific community. According to LeVay, development of sexual orientation is purely a biological aspect. For instance, LeVay, in his work Gay, Straight and the rationale behind scientific orientation explains sexual orientation from a biological standpoint. In his work, LeVay explained the origin of sex research, explained social construction theory and addressed diverse social and political matter facing gay people and the impacts he realized emanating from biological researches. His article concentrated most exclusively on highlighting biological studies up to today on development of sexual orientation, (LeVay, 2011). Simon presents, investigates, assesses and mainly tries to combine his work for 90s until present (taking more interests on modern researches) on sex hormones, differences in brain development, differences in psychology, genetic factors and birth organization (the effect of older brother). He construes that “the prenatal impacts of sexual hormones, mainly enhanced or helped by genetic aspects” (LeVay, 2011, p. 12), are the most crucial aspects for determining or extensively affecting, sexual orientation development. Sexual orientation is a product of environmental factors. For instance, psychoanalytic such as Sigmund Freud suggests, “People are born with tendencies of bisexuality and that both homosexuals and heterosexuals emerged from initial childhood experiences and interactions with their caregivers, neighbors and parents” (Murphy, 2007, p. 38). In other words, it emerged from the castration complex, which allegedly emanated from a male child realizing his female caregiver or mother lacked a penis, or failure to terminate sexual desire with a strangulation or authoritarian mother, (Murphy, 2007). Similarly, in any case, the initial idea of Freud that have not succeed under empirical investigation, led to the notion that homosexual behaviors could be curable through treatment. Freud believes that “same sex is allegedly no benefit, and it is not something to feel embarrassed of it is not a sin, oppression and is not identifiable as ill health; rather it is a disparity of sexual function resulting from a unique disruption of development of sexual orientation” p. 45. Some of increasingly influential people of traditional and present eras are homosexuals, most of the powerful men such as Plato and others. Therefore, it will be an extensive injustice to consider homosexuality as a crime and felony. Sexual orientation is a product of culture and the process of socialization. Behaviorists suggest that orientation of sexual behavior is the result of culture and societal socialization pattern. According to their theories, if a man is subjected to a homosexual mentor, he may grow up as a gay, and the vice versa is true for a girl. The diversification of this ideology has it that homosexuality and heterosexuality both emanated from the community and cultural expectations. Regrettably, “behaviorist theory does not exclusively describe intensively ho social aspects could shape the propagation and existence of humanity” (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005, p. 49). Sexual orientation developed for Phobic reactions to the opposite sex members. Some theorist such as Sandor Rado refuted the bisexuality theory by Freud, and suggested “people are born heterosexual beings and change to homosexuality and other sexual orientations because of Phobic reactions to the opposite sex members,” (Murphy, 2007, p. 54). Sexual orientation development is highly linked to childhood developmental stages such as oedipal stage. Pathological family theories about relationships influencing children between the age of 4 and 5 (also known as the oedipal stage) argued that sexual orientation development is influenced during earlier developmental age known as pre-oedipal stage, making homosexuality increasingly pathological. Such psychoanalytical hypotheses were imperfect because “theorist centered their generalizations on evidence gathered from homosexual individuals they already knew” (LeVay, 2011, p. 20). This implied that the investigator’s own sexual identity and personal views and prejudices towards a certain sexual orientation slanted their researches and thus their generalizations. In addition, because victims were under psychoanalytic therapy, they were mainly having challenges in adjusting; adapting and coping with their sexual orientations- the researchers thus exempted well-adjusted homosexual individuals. Theologians and religious activists believe that sexual orientation is a personal choice of lifestyle, and not something triggered by environment, development of genes. They assert that homosexuality is solely in attitudes and behavior of people. In addition, “where sexual orientation conversion techniques prospers, the individual is labeled homosexual when he is a heterosexual” (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005, p. 56). It additionally, happens that various efforts to alter sexual orientation make people suppress their heterosexual requirements and feelings, mainly denying them the capacity to react sexually at all. Studies indicate disparities in development of sexual orientation between men and women. Recent researches show that males’ sexual arousal indicated patters that ultimately trace sexual orientation for instance; gay men devastatingly became sexually provoked by men images and heterosexual men by female images. A different study of women sexual arouse gave increasingly different results. “Contrary to men, lesbians and heterosexual females tend to be sexually provoked by both men and women erotica” p. 78, and, therefore, show bisexual patterns of arousal. These results significantly present a critical variation between male and female brains and represent a vital evidence for comprehending disparities in sexual orientation development between males and females, ((Diamant & McAnulty, 2005). Some studies focus on genes and environment as the main influences behind sexual orientation and conclude that genetic factors influence sexual orientation differently in both males and females. In various sexuality fields, “studies on female patterns of sexual arousal show that women’s patterns are lower than men’s patterns and may not be highly connected to women’s sexual orientations”, (Omoto & Kurtzman, 2006, p 58). For instance, a Northwestern research firmly confirms the above idea. The researchers assessed the emotional and physiological arousal intensities in hetero and homosexual males and females as they viewed an erotic movie. They were exposed to three different erotic movies one featuring only men, another one featuring only women and the last one featuring both males and female partners. The findings revealed that men reacted persistently with their orientations. Contrary, hetero and homosexual females demonstrated bisexual psychological patterns and genital provocations. In other words, “females were both aroused by male and female stimuli, although they prefer heterosexual orientation than lesbianism” p. 64. A combination of the above evidence demonstrates that female sexuality varies from male sexuality, and focus on the requirement for investigators to create an organization and development model for women sexuality unique form men’s model of sexuality. Similarly, because female patterns of sexual arousal are barely predictable, scholars assert that female and male brains and minds are extremely varied, (Omoto & Kurtzman, 2006). According to developmental theorists, increased evidence concerning the disparities between genes regulation during embryonic as well as initial childhood development period mainly result to men and women brains to emerge in ways that lead them experience diverse sexual natures and lead to varied sexual orientations, (Murphy, 2007). The study of sexual orientations in animals such as high primates gives some evolutionary insights to development of sexual orientation in the human race. Nearly all animal classes have “individuals who mate with same sex members’ p. 49. Primatologists argue that homosexuals frequently occur among primates (human ancestor) such as monkeys and chimpanzees. Similarly, zoologists conducted various observational investigations using sex behaviors of primates and adults and found out that a large numbers of participants in the investigation showed similar homosexual behaviors and attitudes at the age of 17. Similarly, “12% of males and between 3 and 7% of females in the research showed exclusively homosexual traits between 17 and 54 years” p. 56. These researches reveal that sexual orientation might have originated from primate and spread to the human race. Similarly, both humans and other higher animals experience similar sexual arousal and attraction hence similar sexual orientations. The discussion raises a question of what factors account for persistence of differential sexual orientation through the history of evolution. Experts agree that hereditary factors, hormonal changes and socio-cultural factors influence persistence of differential sexual orientations. For instance, “gay and lesbian individuals are likely to transfer their homosexual genes to their offspring (older brother effect)” ((Diamant & McAnulty, 2005, p. 85). Similarly, children born and raised by homosexual families or in homosexual environment (social and cultural environment) tend to adopt homosexual behaviors and arousal patterns hence homosexual orientation, (LeVay, 2011). Conclusion The topic of sexual orientation among the human race is a controversial debate that calls for critical minds, attention and empirical evidence. Diverse scholars, theorist and scientists are trying to agree on a similar definition of the element but with diverse challenges. This is because; with modern developments, behaviorists agree that various factors are influencing sexual orientations of people and additional sexual orientations such as transexuality are developing. From the discussion sexual orientation, development is attributable to various factors such as genetic or hereditary aspects, environment, biology, cultural practices, socialization process, personal preferences and choice, behavior and developmental stages such as oedipal stage of development. Similarly, there exist some disparities between men and women in the development of orientation. This is attributable to genes, emotional and psychological arousal differences between men and women. Additionally, developmental differences and hormonal regulation differences between men and women could account for the disparity in development of orientation. Similarly, hereditary factors, hormonal changes and socio-cultural factors influence persistence of differential sexual orientations. Sexual orientation in humanity is not a new concept because the study of sexual orientations in animals such as high primates offers essential evolutionary insights to development of sexual orientation in the human race. I believe that sexual orientation development will remain an issue of concern and investigation for a longer period. Similarly, biological knowledge will stand out to be fundamental evidence favored by evolution because it provides some useful quality that is essential to the abrupt human being ascendancy among higher animals (primates). Otherwise, sexual orientation development is an extensively complex and additional study is required. References Diamant, L., & McAnulty, R. D. (2005). The Psychology of sexual orientation, behavior, and identity: A handbook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. LeVay, S. (2011). Gay, straight, and the reason why: The science of sexual orientation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Murphy, T. F. (2007). Gay science: The ethics of sexual orientation research. New York: Columbia University Press. Omoto, A. M., & Kurtzman, H. S. (2006). Sexual orientation and mental health: Examining identity and development in lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Read More