Nature vs. Nurture On the great debate of Nature vs. Nurture I was once the firm believer that one’s identity was shaped through social variables (nurture). Upon further research on the topic my opinion has changed and I believe that biological and social variables both help to shape ones identity and personality. When we are born we all have male or female predispositions. Hormones are released which in turn increase those male or female behaviors (Nature) shaping our gender identity. There was study on a boy Bruce Reimer who had suffered genital mutilation while undergoing a circumcision procedure at 6 months of age. His parents then decided for Bruce to undergo “gender-reassignment” as they were told that gender was determined by environmental variables. Bruce now became Brenda and was raised as a female. While growing Brenda still exhibited male qualities, dismissing “female” toys, trying to use male restrooms, attempt to urinate standing up (despite the fact that Brenda did not have male anatomy). Her brother had even suggested the only difference between them was that Brenda had long hair, and he had short. Although Brenda’s parents had done everything to shape Brenda’s gender identity into female, Brenda still rejected the feminine identity. Brenda’s parents informed her of the gender- reassignment surgery, and at 14 years of age Brenda cut off all of her hair and started living life as “David”. David was able to restore his male identity and live his life out until he later committed suicide.

In the debate Nature vs nurture, David was already predisposition as male despite the parents trying to nurture his identity. A case that can be used to challenge the nature part of the debate was the one that we spoke about in class, the case of Oxana Malaya who is a feral child and was “raised” by dogs for an early portion of her life. On paper Oxana was born as a healthy female without any genetic defects. Although her genes made her predisposition as a female, her characteristics (development) was determined by her environment as she took on the same traits as her nurtures; canines. Oxana has since been removed from that environment and as an adult now it is said that she has the mental ability of a 6year old child. It is questioned that if Oxana was indeed raised by her parents she would have developed more normalized characteristics (nurture). The evidence is overwhelming in both aspects of the debate Nature vs. Nurture; this is why I feel that both social and biological variables play very important rolls in our development. Weather it is determining gender identity or shaping our personality I do not feel that one aspect outweighs the other.