Essay about Factors That Influence Gender Identity

Identity is most simply defined as a persons own sense of self; their personal sense of who they are. Identity development is intrinsically linked with adolescence because, according to Santrock citing Marcia Carpendale, ...for the first time, physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development advance to the point at which the individual can sort through and synthesize childhood identities and identifications to construct a viable path toward adult maturity. We often see the results of this sorting process in behaviors of adolescents such as adopting and shedding different personas including speech patterns, clothing styles and peer groups. Although these transitions often seem drastic and swift, adolescents are utilizing their†¦show more content†¦Although identity is highly personal and we conceive of it being built from internal processes like temperament and personality, societal factors such as family and gender also contribute significantly to its formation. James M arcia confronts familial influence in his second Status of Identity, identity foreclosure. In this status Marcia describes a commitment that an adolescent has integrated into their identity yet they have had no identity crisis, therefore have not explored alternate or even conflicting options before making the commitment. A commitment like this is almost always attributable to familial influence. For example, perhaps fifteen year old Cady identifies as a protestant Christian. Her identification is conveyed by her personal thoughts and discussions with others about Christ being her savior, as well as her behavior patterns of attending church frequently and implementing Christian doctrine into her daily behaviors (turning the other cheek when wronged etc.). However, Cadys parents are both protestant Christians as well and have attempted to actively instill their beliefs and practices within their daughter. Cady has never considered her Christianity or any other aspects of faith, her f amily is Christian and they do what Christians do, thatShow MoreRelatedGender Identity1270 Words   |  6 PagesGender Identity Introduction This paper will discuss issues dealing with the roles of biological factors, (nature), and environmental influences, (nurture), on sexual differentiation and gender identity. The author, Troy Stutsman, will evaluate and give a determination as to which has the greater influence on gender identity: nature or nurture. Also discussed will be the current arguments about sexual identity and how evidence from biopsychology which may help to resolve the argument. What isRead MoreThere Comes A Time In Life Where We Finally Reach A Point1683 Words   |  7 Pagesfor each gender that they are expecting. A feminine floral pink baby shower for a girl or a blue, masculine one for a boy. As much as we want to say that things are better now and the roles seem to be more open, it is still very present that people, especially parents, tend to want their kids to take on a certain personality or interests that correlates to how they see gender roles and where their gender attitude lies because that is the way society taught up to think. The term gender and sex tendRead MoreGender Identity1341 Words   |  6 PagesGender Identity Autumn Messina PSY/340 January 24, 2011 Melynda Marchi Gender Identity The development of our gender identity is influenced by both the biological nature of a person and society, but the biology is the foundation of our gender identity. In the following paragraphs I will be discussing the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the determination of gender identity, the roles of biological factors nature and environmentalRead MoreGender Identity Paper1475 Words   |  6 Pagesdetermination of gender identity is much deeper than whether a person is born a male or a female. The exact identifier that separates gender identity is currently unknown but researchers believe that genetics, hormones, reproductive organs, biological, and environmental factors all play a role in distinguishing a person’s gender identity. A person’s physical gender and their sense of gender are formed at two different times in two different parts of the body. A person’s gender is whether they areRead MoreGender And Ge nder Identity And Development1303 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the years. However, gender identity and development is something that has been both misunderstood and misconstrued by people for quite some time. The differences between â€Å"gender† and â€Å"sex† is quite vast. According to John Carl: Gender is defined as the personal traits and position in society connected with being male or female. For instance, wearing high heels is associated with the female gender, while wearing combat boots is associated with the male gender. Gender is different from sex becauseRead MoreSociety s Effect On Society1419 Words   |  6 PagesPeople dream and long for the day where they can fulfill the â€Å"American† dream where they settle down with someone of the opposite gender, fall in love, get married, and eventually try for a baby. People wait for nine-months of long and hard obstacles to finally meet their baby boy or baby girl. One cannot help but have a certain mindset already placed for each gender that they are expecting. Many people are going to want to the choice to identify with what they are comfortable with due to the factRead MorePersonal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Response on Sexuality Identity University of Phoenix Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Our sexual identity starts at birth and evolves as we continue to age. Several factors can influence an individual’s sexual identity. Like several things in one’s life, sexual identity develops as we go through different stages of life. The things that could influence the development of our sexual identity are environmental factors, value systems, gender identity, relationships, and love. Read MoreGender Stereotypes And Gender Roles Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesassigned at birth. We refer to these as gender roles. Gender roles begin to be imposed as early as birth. The nursery in the hospital assigns either a blue name plate for a boy or a pink name plate for a girl. These roles are continuously reinforced by family. Children learn at an early age that boys and girls are different. Children observe gender roles and in many cases these roles are eventually accepted as an unquestionable truth. This creates gender stereotyping which is defined by The Office Read MoreSocio Cultural influences on sexuality809 Words   |  4 Pagesexamining influences on sexuality one has to look at many different factors. One of those factors that has an influence on sexuality is the culture or society that person is from and their expectations of sexual behavior. Gender identity, their roles, and stereotypes associated with a person’s gender also play a part. Finally the psychological impacts of these expectations and how commercial sex influences expectations and perceptions of sexuality should be explored. Gender Identity and Gender Roles Read MoreNature vs Nurture: Genes vs Environment Essay1285 Words   |  6 Pagesparticular gender that we happen to be a member of.† This quote by Andrew Cohen explains partially how gender identity develops, through the conditioning of our environments. The most influential factor of gender development, however, is still a very controversial issue. An analysis of the gender identification process reveals two main arguments in what factor most greatly contributes to gender development: biology differences (nature) or the environment (nurture). The first main factor that is said