Gender and nature/nurture

1. Gender and nature/nurture

2. Nature vs. nurture Gender development • The nature-nurture debate is a debate about the extent to which our behaviour is governed by the forces of biology and experiences/environment

3. Nature • The extreme nature view would suggest that gender-related behaviour is entirely controlled by hormonal and genetic factors - gender differences result from innate differences between female and male. This view assumes that women are biologically programmed to be nurturers and carers, while men are biologically programmed to be providers and protectors.

4. Nature - study • Now include a study from your notes or textbook to support this

5. Nature - evaluation • This view is deterministic, stating that our gender development is mostly influenced by our biology. • This means it ignores important factors such as our social development, which can be seen in the changing roles men and women have in society. • The extreme nature side of the debate is unable to fully explain our gender development.

6. Nature - evaluation • The nature position is supported by some strong evidence from lots of studies. The Batista boys show that even if brought up a girl, if the biology is male this will be stronger. • The Batista boys were born with female genitals but at puberty hormonal changes caused their gentials to change and they became boys and went on to live happily as men. • This shows that our biology has the greatest influence on our gender development.

7. Nurture • The extreme nurture view would suggest that gender related behaviour is entirely determined by social and cultural factors – our experiences and the environment in which we live. Gender differences result from the different experiences that females and males have as they develop (learning from family, peers, society)

8. Nurture • Find an example study to include here, think social learning theory

9. Nurture - evaluation • Social learning theory shows how with a mixture of our environment and our mediating cognitive factors we have some choice in our gender development. • For example we can choose who our role models are and if we wish to model our own behaviour on them • This means it recognises the role the individual plays in their own gender development.

10. Nurture - evaluation • The nurture debate is also reductionist as it ignores the role our biology takes in our gender development. • For example attempts to bring Brian/Brenda up as a girl failed as his biology was stronger than the social environment that he was brought up in. • The nurture debate is too narrow a view to explain all our gender development.