Therefore there is reason to believe that genes may not affect gender development that much as there are a lot of people nowadays who are transgender. However, hormones can also have an effect on gender development. Case studies such as the Batista family show that hormones can have a huge effect on gender development as Imperato-Mcginley et al, found that four children in Dominica were born with female genitalia and were raised as girls, but they produced large amounts of testosterone at puberty and
This may conclude that males would ace motor skills while females excel analytical and intuitive thinking. Nature of Female Brains According to “How Male and Female Brains Differ”, disparities within the brain can be found even when a child is still inside the womb (26 weeks in pregnancy). In the female brain, researchers found, using imaging technology, when tested with sound waves only the left hemisphere was active within the male brain, but in the female brain both hemispheres were active. In result, females may display stronger language and motor skill over males. The production of estrogen also affects
This is seen when the clitoris on a female may look like a small penis because of the enlargement of the clitoris. CAH is caused by the exposure of androgens that are produced naturally through adrenal. Women who have a history of miscarriages use androgens to help
Cross cultural studies on gender role have helped psychologists understand whether gender is affected by the culture a person grows up in or if it is innate behaviours that occur in all humans. There have been several different cross cultural research some suggesting social factors as an explanation for gender roles and others concluding biological factors. For example the research conducted by Williams and Best. They explored gender stereotypes with 2800 university students in 30 different nations as participants. They were each given a 300 item adjective checklist and then asked to decide whether they though it was most associated with males or females.
The vaginal walls are what produce the lubrication for sexual intercourse, which without the lubrication can be painful. Females also experience the enlargement of breasts during the excitement phase. During the excitement phase, both males and females experience rosy flesh color, nipple erection, as well as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The plateau phase is the second part of the sexual response cycle. In females and males the level of arousal stabilizes.
Boys are more likely to engage in physical aggression but boys and girls are equally likely to engage in verbal aggression. (Daena V.and De Souza 2007 Aggressive Behaviors Biologically and Environmentally) Males also see aggression as a way to gain status. Boys will fight each other to prove themselves. They are more apt to hang out with troubled peers than girls are. I believe that boys tend to be more aggressive than females.
(Baron, 1998, p. 343) During this period of adolescence development sexual hormones are increased, the boys start to produce sperm and the girls begin their menstrual periods. The start of puberty in adolescence varies in girls. Brenda C. Coleman asserts that most girls begin to menstruate by the time they are thirteen; but for some this process does not start until considerably later, and for others it may begin as early as age seven or eight. (Coleman, 1997) Boys affirms Baron (1998) begins to produce sperm by the time they are fourteen or fifteen; but again for some the process may start either earlier or later. (Baron, 1998) These physical changes in development of the adolescence can have dramatic impacts on the mental development of the adolescence as well.
These Ambiguous conditions are said to be rare but, if you look at the statistics, “at least one in every two or three thousand births result in a question about the sex, add those numbers up and that equals thousands of cases per year in the United States alone (Dreger, 1993-2008).” Ann Fausto-Sterling is a professor of biology and gender studies. She developed the theory of the five sexes; males, females, merms, ferms, and herms. Males and Females are the obvious. Merms are considered Male psuedohermaphrodites; people who possess this condition have testes but hold some aspects of female genitalia externally. Ferms are defined as female psuedohermaphrodites.
One effect is increased levels of estrogen in the body, which leads to female-like breast tissue. So ironically, men take steroids to try to achieve the body that the media says that men should have, but instead
Some girls begin to lose their "voice" or "go underground" with their gifts and abilities as they absorb messages about what it means to be "feminine" in our culture. In response, girls tend to act in, which expresses itself in eating disorders, depression, teen pregnancy, and lowered academic achievement in core academic areas such as higher level math and science. On the other hand, adolescent boys, experiencing pressure to conform to "masculine" stereotypes, often "toughen up" and act aggressively in all facets of their lives. Boys receive messages that it is not all right to be nurturing and caring, to express their feelings. In response, boys tend to act out, which can express itself in disruptive or violent behavior.