What is Nature Versus Nurture?

Also called the genetic/environmental controversy, it questions if the behavior of people is due to their Nature (genetics) or their Nurture (environment or upbringing). There are extremist for both sides, but most will argue that a person’s behavior is due to a little of both. This website analyzes and attempts to give validity to the nurture side by showing evidence that gender roles are at least somewhat a product of socialization.

Gender is commonly mistaken for sex, but means quite a different thing.Gender does not refer to the genitalia or hormones that an individual possesses at birth. Gender is the socially constructed roles which men and women are expected to follow and enact. It is also important to keep in mind that these roles vary across culture (DiTomaso 1). Gender can never be clearly defined because although society has attributed certain traits as masculine or feminine (i.e. women are empathetic and caring, men are domineering and assertive) there is a certain degree of androgyny in all of us. In other words, someone born with female organs can still have some of the socially defined male traits, and vice versa. Gender has a lot to do with the things we learn, and are taught by our peers parents and society. It is a feeling inside as well as one we project. In many cases men and women are born and feel they should be women and turn to a transvestite or gay lifestyle preferring a gender society would deem opposite to the one their body is ascribed to. As Raphael Carter put it, there are two genders, there are several, and there are very many. You’re born with your gender, you learn it early in life, and it can change as you get older. Gender is visible to everyone, but you never know what gender someone is until you ask.

The school of thought that suggests that Nature is responsible for the sex of an individual, but Nurture is mostly responsible for the gender of an individual. In other words, very few people deny that the process by which male and female babies are turned into "masculine" and "feminine" adults is heavily social (Renzetti and Curran 5).
 
 

Personal Statement:

Throughout the course of this website, I hope to bring to the attention of all readers that we, as a society and as parents, are all guilty of enforcing our traditional views of gender roles onto our children. I cannot deny that genetics do play a role in separating the actions and behaviors of males and females, but feel that it is only to an extent. The roles assigned to masculine and feminine are made so defined and set in stone by our beliefs, and in turn, our teachings. Despite any amount of research however, we can only prove that nature and nurture do both exist. We will never know which is truly responsible for our genders later in life because in all honest, one will never truly exist without the other for true research to take place.
 
 

Created by Shannon York

Last Updated December 13, 2000

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A note about the author.