The nature versus nurture debate encompasses many hot button topics that have led to disagreements on both sides. Included within this debate is a topic that until recently has been regarded as forbidden subject matter—what is the main influence on gender development? Biologists and other organic researchers have contended that hereditary qualities and hormones foreordain nearly everything about gender and sexual orientation, while psychologists and sociologist claim environmental factors are responsible. Keep in mind, three factors are responsible for gender development that includes biology, natural selection, and the environment. While each of these approaches has made their contribution to gender development, caution should be practiced
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The authors to argue the position of biology being the primary factor of a child’s development are Laura Smith and Charles Elliott (2011) who wrote Child Psychology & Development for Dummies, Simon Baron-Cohen (2003) who wrote The Essential Difference: The Truth about the Male & Female Brain, and Annie Fausto-Sterling (1985) who wrote Myths of Gender: Biological Theories about Men and Women. Smith and Elliott (2011) essentially state that genotype and phenotype explain a child’s behavior into adulthood. Similar to how the predisposition of alcoholism can be passed down from one generation to the next, these authors argue that genetics and temperament have a similar link that explains one’s behavior later in life in terms of becoming male, female, or LGBT (i.e., LGBT-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual) (Smith & Elliott, 2011). For instance, the authors list three types of temperaments related to genetics that include “easy, difficult,” and slow warm ups (Smith & Elliott, 2011, p. 21-22). Baron-Cohen (2003) further elaborates stating that these three temperaments combined with genetic sequencing of DNA (i.e., chromosomes #23 and #24—male XY and female XX) and hormones (i.e., Testosterone for males and estrogen/progesterone for females) determine brain functioning and sex-typical behavior for gender-typing an individual as male or female. However, if a person has no gonads to represent the chromosomes of gender, then they may be suffering from “Turner’s Syndrome” (Choi, 2001, p. 280). Otherwise in normal individuals, Barron-Cohen (2003) claims that these two first factors would establish whether an individual will be male (i.e., systematic thinking/male interests or hobbies) or female (i.e., emphatic thinking/female interests or
The authors to argue the position of biology being the primary factor of a child’s development are Laura Smith and Charles Elliott (2011) who wrote Child Psychology & Development for Dummies, Simon Baron-Cohen (2003) who wrote The Essential Difference: The Truth about the Male & Female Brain, and Annie Fausto-Sterling (1985) who wrote Myths of Gender: Biological Theories about Men and Women. Smith and Elliott (2011) essentially state that genotype and phenotype explain a child’s behavior into adulthood. Similar to how the predisposition of alcoholism can be passed down from one generation to the next, these authors argue that genetics and temperament have a similar link that explains one’s behavior later in life in terms of becoming male, female, or LGBT (i.e., LGBT-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual) (Smith & Elliott, 2011). For instance, the authors list three types of temperaments related to genetics that include “easy, difficult,” and slow warm ups (Smith & Elliott, 2011, p. 21-22). Baron-Cohen (2003) further elaborates stating that these three temperaments combined with genetic sequencing of DNA (i.e., chromosomes #23 and #24—male XY and female XX) and hormones (i.e., Testosterone for males and estrogen/progesterone for females) determine brain functioning and sex-typical behavior for gender-typing an individual as male or female. However, if a person has no gonads to represent the chromosomes of gender, then they may be suffering from “Turner’s Syndrome” (Choi, 2001, p. 280). Otherwise in normal individuals, Barron-Cohen (2003) claims that these two first factors would establish whether an individual will be male (i.e., systematic thinking/male interests or hobbies) or female (i.e., emphatic thinking/female interests or