Gender Indentity

Gender Identity

Rokeia Barnes-Spencer

PSY/265

September 25, 2011

What exactly distinguishes gender identity? This has been a question at the forefront of scientific discussion for many years and even though there is evidence that supports nurturing and evidence that supports nature, there are still questions as to which has the most influence on gender identity.

When children are conceived it is biologically determined shortly after conception which genetic sex the child will be, male or female. The determined sex usually starts to form anywhere between 5 to 6 weeks after conception. Normal genital formation will result in a baby boy or baby girl that will have a fully functional reproductive system along with sensory perceptions and orgasmic capabilities (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, 2005).

There have long been questions as to how a child is raised from the time of infancy as to how the child will grow and identify with their gender. Some children are raised as boys are manly and girls are feminine while other children are raised with both characteristics being acceptable. Some scientists believe that nurturing a child a certain way will pre-determine what gender they will identify with while other scientists believe that nature, or biology, has the only say on which gender is the correct gender (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, 2005).

There are certain instances where even nature is undecided on the specific gender of a child and both male and female genitalia develop in one child due to chemical and hormonal imbalances. Instances such as these are considered rare and are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Certain individuals that possess internal organs of one sex but external genitalia of another sex are considered intersexual and some individuals, known as hermaphrodites, have both testicular tissue and ovarian tissue and seem to be both male and female (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, 2005).

Because of...