Nature vs. Nurture: Understanding Gender Identity

We Are Who Nature Makes Us

It seems undeniable that as a species, we are as much the result of a long process of biological evolution as we are of cultural development. Although the relationship between nature and nurture is understood in different ways, both aspects form part of who we are.

Sex and Gender: Biological and Social Constructs

When we are born, we come into the world as either male or female, which is called sex. This refers to the biological characteristic of being one or the other. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, actions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that a particular culture associates with being men or women or being masculine and feminine.

Biological Explanations of Gender Differences

Biological explanations draw on the assumption that sexual dimorphism predicts gender dimorphism. Evolutionary theory assumes that gender differences are biologically based and can be explained by the sexual selection theory. Sexual selection theory posits that characteristics that make individuals in a species more attractive to the opposite sex, and therefore more likely to enjoy reproductive success, are selected for. It also suggests that differences in abilities between males and females are hardwired. How do we become male or female? Becoming biologically male depends on the masculinizing influence of hormones, specifically androgens.

Brain Organization Theory

The brain organization theory suggests that those hormones produce sex differences in male and female brains (Jordan-Young, 2010), organizing the brain in a gendered way, producing ‘sex-typical’ patterns of behavior, interests, cognitive styles, and sexual desires. Therefore, brain organization theory naturalizes the fact that men and women are ‘born different’ and boys and girls develop different abilities, thought processes, and behaviors based on this biologically determined differentiation.

Critique of Biological Determinism

Critical examination of sex differences in psychology doesn’t seem sufficient to explain the gender differences that we see in human behavior and abilities. This suggests that culture and learned behaviors may play a role in predicting gendered behavior, and therefore the interaction between gender and biology is more complex than brain organization theory may suggest. For instance, the strongest predictor of aggressive behavior is not male or femaleness, but negative parenting and impoverished socio-economic environments (Berkout et al., 2011).

Social Cognitive Approaches to Gender

Social cognitive approaches explore gender as something we perceive and learn about through the interaction of cognitive and social processes. Gender is understood as acquired through socialization, tuition, and observational learning.

The Bussey and Bandura Model

The Bussey and Bandura model states that children are taught, and they observe and imitate with attentional and retention processes and motoric reproduction. For example, a child eating from a spoon learns from his mother. This model suggests that we learn from others, and therefore our behavior and way of thinking are not hardwired.

Learning Through Observation: Gerull and Rapee

Gerull and Rapee (2002) also showed how toddlers learn behaviors from others. For example, when presented with toys like snakes and spiders, a mother showing fear to one or the other can influence the child’s reaction.

Cultural Transmission of Gender Roles

Cultural transmission is a learned behavior or tradition that is passed on through the generations. For example, how boys or girls usually dress in different ways.

Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development

Vygotsky’s theory also held the belief that the development of mental functioning is contextualized and rooted in society and culture. He believed that a child is born into a social world and learns by interacting with adults and peers who have more expertise. Language, as a cultural tool, mediates between the child and the social world, and consequently, meaning constructed through social interaction becomes embedded in an individual’s thought processes.