Gender Identity Paper Essay Example for Free

Gender Identity Paper Essay The determination 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 are born male or female, but the way they identify themselves may be the opposite, which is not uncommon and has occurred since the beginning of time. In culture males are known to be the stronger, more aggressive sex, while females are the fairer, more nurturing sex. Usually, by the age of four, individuals have identified their gender identities aside from what gender they were born as physically. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the biological factors of gender identity (nature), environmental factors (nurture), and the role between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions all affect the determination of one’s gender identity. Gender identification begins to develop while the fetus is in the beginning stages of development. Between weeks six and twelve of gestation is when the fetus begins developing reproductive organs and that is when the fetus takes on the role of male or female. Hormones are produced in both the nervous system and the endocrine system and are transported through the blood stream. Specifically, hormones are chemicals that combine and respond to certain cell receptors. Hormones like testosterone and androgen are mainly found in the male gender while estrogen is mainly found in the female gender. Testosterone is a contributing factor to behaviors like aggression. â€Å"Gender identity, an individual’s self-awareness of maleness or femaleness, and gender role, are programmed for the child within his mother’s womb,† (Institute of Medicine, 2006). Evidence has shown that the female gender is likely to excel in verbal skills and muscular coordination when their production of estrogen is high rather than when it is low. For men, they are stronger and more aggressive when their testosterone levels are high and they are able to perform better in actions that require physical performance. The nature side of the theory relies on prenatal hormones that modify the brain and peripheral tissue and the development of male or female external genitalia. Although a person may have a certain physical gender, their gender role is the adoption of masculine or feminine behavioral traits that are appropriate for that specific sex. Gender identity differs from the gender role because it is an individual’s personal sense of sex, which is not necessarily their physical gender. There are multiple stages from childhood to adulthood when hormones are present that are identifiable of a specific gender. The pituitary gland (or hypophysis) secretes many hormones during puberty including adrenocorticotropic hormones, growth hormones, gonadotrophins, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormones. Gonadotrophins, which include luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormones, stimulate sex hormone production in the ovaries or testes and also lead to egg and sperm maturity. Prolactin stimulates milk production and adrenocorticotropic hormones stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete steroid hormones like cortisol. All of these hormones play a major role in sexual development and an individual’s determination of gender identity. Environmental factors of gender identity arise as soon as the individual is born. Everything from a female child wearing a pink dress to a male child having a sports themed blanket can play a role in their gender identity. Sociologists believe that by the age of five years old, females show a preference for dolls, arts and crafts, and playing dress up while males prefer cars, blocks, tools, and outdoor play. â€Å"The environment has a direct relation to personality traits, because characteristic adaptations are always involved in expression,† (Nature over Nurture, 2000). At a young age, children who are taught that traits and activities are appropriate or inappropriate for them to perform because of their gender tend to absorb those teachings and are influenced by them later in life. For example, young girls who are raised believing boys are innately better at sports than girls, may disclaim their interest in sports and go on to believe they are not good at them without pract icing them to their full potential. Both males and females have proven to be great athletes but if at a young age, a girl is told she will never be as good as a boy she may never give sports and athleticism a chance. Young children learn by observations, if a young girl witnesses her mother performing the acts of a man then she will repeat those acts and believe that is what is appropriate for her. The same goes for the male gender, if a little boy observes his father doing something that a woman is more likely to do like sewing or interior decorating then that is what the little boy will believe is expected of him upon adulthood. â€Å"For instance, the way in which one educates children, how children in institutions such as orphanages are raised, and the kinds of day-care are considered optimal have all been influenced by one’s understanding of the interaction of biology and environment regarding gender identity,† (Kowalski Westen, 2005). The previous statement is very true because children observe many things that one may never think would make any difference but in reality they do. Nature factors include everything from what kind of parents raise the child, what roles they perform, the culture, and even the color of paint on the child’s walls all make a difference in the child’s personal gender identity. I believe that between nature and nurture and their influence on gender identity, nature has a greater influence. For example, if a perfectly healthy little girl with no hormone disorders is raised with a single father and only brothers with no immediate influence of females, she is more likely to become a tomboy and take on the gender identity that resembles that of her father’s or brothers’. The same reference goes for a boy raised with a single mother and only sisters with no immediate influence of a male figure in his life. Matthew Wolfe-Meyer makes a valid point when saying, â€Å"nature and its contestation is a dominant strategy†¦ unfortunately nurture fails to receive similar scrutiny and culture is more often used as an explanatory device than deeply interrogated for its logistics.† Often times when a child is going through puberty and takes on the role of the opposite gender, many people jump to the hypothesis that there may be something wrong with their hormones or a chemical imbalance but before jumping to that conclusion, they should look at their home life, how was the child raised, what was their environment like and from there they will find many answers. All children naturally comply with the demands of their internal sense of gender without effort. If the child becomes confused with their gender then they often refer to behaviors of adults near them and they learn what actions are appropriate for them relatively quick. Environmental factors bear a critical amount of effectiveness in gender identity but because environmental factors are ever changing, it proves that the nurture theory is a substantial factor. Currently, psychologists and researchers do not know the exact causes of gender identity and individuals taking on the opposite roles. But there are many factors that support both sides of the nature versus nurture argument. The male and female genders each have differences in many areas both physical and emotional but neither is â€Å"better† than the other. By the age of four years old each child already has an idea of who they are and what gender they belong to. Gender confusion is normal but most children are able to look at parents or acting influences in their lives and see what the appropriate actions are for their gender. Nature versus nurture has and will continue to be a strong argument. References: McCrae, R. R., Costa, P. r., Ostendorf, F., Angleitner, A., HÃ…â„¢ebà ­Ã„ kovà ¡, M., Avia, M. D., Smith, P. B. (2000). Nature over nurture: Temperament, personality, and life span development. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 78(1), 173-186. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.1.173 Matthew Wolf-Meyer. (2007). Complexities: Beyond nature and nurture. Anthropologica, 49(2), 325-327. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214174663?accountid=35812 Money, J. (1971). Differentiation of gender identity and gender role. Psychiatric Annals, 1(4), 32-37,42-43,8-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/894195162?accountid=35812 (2006). Institute of medicine (us) committee on assessing interactions among social, behavioral, and genetic factors in health. Washington DC: National Academies Press (US). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19934/

Alcoholism and The Human Body Essay -- Addiction to Alcohol

Alcoholism a struggle in life where around the world many people must deal with every day. What is addiction and how does it affect the body? Although defined in many ways, it is believed by some that addiction is a disease of the brain that can cause a dependence upon or a continuing, compelling need to use a habit-forming substance despite harmful consequences and may also be characterized by the increasing need for more of the substance or activity in order to obtain the same effect. Many changes take place within a body that consumes high doses of alcohol which can sometimes have long lasting, permanent, or even detrimental effects. Many research studies on the topic of alcoholism continue to be performed as a means to benefit society as a whole and to give help for those individuals and families who are in desperate need. In order for the proper assistance to be developed for those with a need for treatment there is much that needs to be understood about the disease of alco holism; at its most basic level, the cellular level. This is quite a task to be sure since we are all human beings and with much the same physiology, however, because of the subtle yet various differences in each of our body’s chemistry, as well as our social environments, this can make treatment that one person receives very different from the treatment of another. Therefore, determining the best possible treatments can be a challenge which is where research plays a very important part. The following choices of articles call attention to a few different kinds of detailed research and their discoveries made about alcoholism and its affect on the human body. It is this kind of information which allows physicians to come up with the best possible t... ...96. American Psychological Association, 1089-2680/10/$12.00. doi: 10.1037/a0021526. Kiefer, F., & Mann, K. (2005). New achievements and pharmacotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of alcohol dependence. European Journal of Pharmacology, 526(1-3), 163–171. Schwabe, L., Dickinson, A., & Wolf, O. T. (2011). Stress, habits, and drug addiction: A psychoneuroendocrinological perspective. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 19(1), 53–63. American Psychological Association, 1064-1297/11/$12.00. doi: 10.1037/a0022212 . Tomberg, C. (2010). Alcohol pathophysiology: Circuits and molecular mechanisms. Journal of Psychophysiology, 24(4), 215–230. doi: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000035. Tomberg, C. (2010). Categories of alcohol consumers: Definitions and criteria of alcohol addiction. Journal of Psychophysiology, 24(4), 213–214. doi: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000034.

Your development and Environmental Influences

The personal development as a child had an impact of my social perception as an adult that provided me with a sense of awareness of culture. The family unit experienced at childhood provided a platform that interacted with siblings and a mother and father. The positive and negative relationships between siblings produced a challenging environment for social learning. The atmosphere was unbalance that could also be defined as fractured during the most intense interaction with family members. The relationships between my mother and father provided a stern perception of leadership and organization within the family unit (Winnicott, 2003). The perceived leadership and organization model my parents incorporated showcased my mother very unsocialable and connecting to her children. This in part relationship created an uneasy atmosphere that limited the social connectivity with outside members of the family. An ongoing challenge for development was to take what was not given as child into adulthood. The relationship with my mother was focusing on the bread and butter of survival. Those areas of focus were keeping food on the table and a place to call home – that did not include a social connection with her children. In doing so, the skills needed to learn how to connect and interpret behavioral trends were not development as a child. The language opportunity that normally begins during childhood didn’t offer much of advancement. Mainly, the reason for the limited language skills was due to my mother being raised in a small town that had limited resources or highly educated people. Therefore, the need to expand on learning strong language was not encourage or sought after to better the existence of her children. The relationship with my father was limited as well as to develop critical social identity development that he was hardly around. The limited interaction provided a sense of loss to self identity and the self concept due to no real foundation developed with my father. The relationship was not a consisted bridge between my mother and father because there was no parallel universe of social building towards their children. Instead, my father felt that my mother should lead and make the decisions of connecting with the children to present a hard approach at all times. My father would take the occasionally approach to put his foot down but were more interested in other matters that centered on his existence. The family unit experience was a major deficient in the social identity development needed for the growth of an individual. The interactions between family members instill the psycho-social-culture environment that translates adulthood. The limited social building relationships as a child provided my teenage years quite difficult due to trying to understanding the definition of the human being. The combination of the relationships between my families provided an incorrect prism of the actual world that was corrected as an older age approached. The fundamental basis of social rendering is the understanding of how our family structure is one out of many ingredients to defining who we really are as individuals. In addition, the family unit is important only on the basis for providing an identity to how adults and children interact that are genetic related. This biological relationship poses an in-depth psycho-social-culture awareness to making sure the trends, styles; perceptions are embedded in one’s mind. Moreover, the benefit of the family unit impression on a child is an opportunity to redefine one’s individual perception on other people as well as experiences (Winnicott, 2003). The developmental psychology stage is crucial to allowing the child to grow as an adult with the basis of the family unit influence, however, the experiences later on in life provides a chance to create a new reality. The stages of individual’s development that opens up a perception windfall to present a newer understanding to interpersonal skills – that encourages the needed growth for long-term achievement. The benefit of understanding the roles that our family units play in the beginning actually empowers us to being able to restructure later years of maturity. In reaching the plateau of achievement for social growth is the number of experiences that human beings encounter that has additional impact as the family unit. The overall focus of what our mother and father did not do is not as important as compared to allowing newer experiences to redirect our mindset. The core vision to be focused on is the ability to learn the lessons that our family unit as a child presented and provide a deeper psychology terminology that doesn’t limits the journey (Winnicott, 2003). The most influential groups that assisted in the growth of social developmental growth is the church, community organizations, school parenting groups of development, and toastmasters. The organizations provided an opportunity to grow as child, teenager, and later on as an adult that empowered my mindset. The benefits of associating with the organizations provided a sense of what is most important to human growth – that learning something new that is different than something is a good thing. The overall perception also allowed a chance to redefine what was shown and taught as a child to create a different observation. The experiences as an adult introduced new and exciting individuals that opened up a wonderful projection to what was true and not a false pretense. Furthermore, the connection of meeting new people and experiencing new episodes of life provided a wealth of new understanding. The final analysis is that the key is having the willingness to learning a new perspective of social interaction that nurtures one’s human growth.

International Convergence Of Accounting Standards

The effort of moving towards international convergence of accounting standards has risen since the end of World War II, resulting to the revolution of financial reporting. â€Å"IFRS for example are accounting standards issued by the IASB, an independent organisation based in London, UK† (Ball, 2006). IASB is primarily established to promulgate IFRS and are responsible to set rules that can be equivalently implemented by public companies internationally. Uniform accounting standards are simply demanded in order to produce a comparable accounting information as many big companies begin to enlarge their territory beyond their home country. Therefore, many professionals believe that a transparent and understandable financial reporting could be produced by using uniform standards. However, the competency of uniform standards alone in producing uniform financial reporting is arguable due to significant factors. The existence of varieties in capitalism by individual countries have r estricted the ability of uniform standards in regulating local financial reporting. Plus, the distinction in institutional influences make it harder for uniform standards to work efficiently in various political conditions and to agree with different types of regional legal structures. Besides, cultures and religions also play an important role in accounting industry as they have the power to shape national economies. Therefore, regardless of many benefits that uniform standards could bring, there areShow MoreRelatedThe Convergence of Two Accounting Systems and the International Financial Reporting Standards1318 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction The convergence of two accounting systems, the US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards, is not a new concept. 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