Sexual and Gender preference

[Marston]

I just got done reading a book about a boy who underwent a botched circumcision. His parents opted to castrate him and raise him as a girl after counseling with Psychologist John Money.  However the girl displayed male characteristics and eventually transformed himself back into a man. Do you believe sexual preference and gender preference are primarily determined by nature or nurture?

[TJ in Oregon]

I just got done reading a book about a boy who underwent a botched circumcision. His parents opted to castrate him and raise him as a girl after counseling with Psychologist John Money.  However the girl displayed male characteristics and eventually transformed himself back into a man. Do you believe sexual preference and gender preference are primarily determined by nature or nurture?

The David Reimer story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer

I think they are combination of both but more influenced by nature than nurture, particularly sexual preference (which I am assuming refers to attraction not having or having not committed any particular act). In think gender identity is also primarily nature but less so because more about gender identity in itself is socially constructed.

[Napoleon]

After a hilarious conversation about S&M yesterday, I will choose nature. A mix of both would be more accurate but I think nature is more dominant, no pun intended.

[courts]

After a hilarious conversation about S&M yesterday, I will choose nature. A mix of both would be more accurate but I think nature is more dominant, no pun intended.

Mint likes this thread.

[Free Palestine]

The problem with using David Reimer as a case in favor of gender being biological, is the fact that he wasn't reassigned until he was about two years old.  The first year and a half to three years or so -- I don't remember exactly -- is the most important to things such as gender socialization.

[Beet]

The problem with using David Reimer as a case in favor of gender being biological, is the fact that he wasn't reassigned until he was about two years old.  The first year and a half to three years or so -- I don't remember exactly -- is the most important to things such as gender socialization.

According to John Money, the acquisition of a native language is a human counterpart to imprinting and gender first establishment with the establishment of a native language (at about 18 months). Psychosexual undifferentiation exists only at birth and for several months thereafter. Other studies in how children of pre-speech age are handled and touched, tickled and spoken to in terms of their sexual identity put emphasis on purely tactile learning.

[Free Palestine]

The problem with using David Reimer as a case in favor of gender being biological, is the fact that he wasn't reassigned until he was about two years old.  The first year and a half to three years or so -- I don't remember exactly -- is the most important to things such as gender socialization.

According to John Money, the acquisition of a native language is a human counterpart to imprinting and gender first establishment with the establishment of a native language (at about 18 months). Psychosexual undifferentiation exists only at birth and for several months thereafter. Other studies in how children of pre-speech age are handled and touched, tickled and spoken to in terms of their sexual identity put emphasis on purely tactile learning.

I'm confused.  Are you agreeing with me?

[Beet]

The problem with using David Reimer as a case in favor of gender being biological, is the fact that he wasn't reassigned until he was about two years old.  The first year and a half to three years or so -- I don't remember exactly -- is the most important to things such as gender socialization.

According to John Money, the acquisition of a native language is a human counterpart to imprinting and gender first establishment with the establishment of a native language (at about 18 months). Psychosexual undifferentiation exists only at birth and for several months thereafter. Other studies in how children of pre-speech age are handled and touched, tickled and spoken to in terms of their sexual identity put emphasis on purely tactile learning.

I'm confused.  Are you agreeing with me?

Yes...

[Free Palestine]

The problem with using David Reimer as a case in favor of gender being biological, is the fact that he wasn't reassigned until he was about two years old.  The first year and a half to three years or so -- I don't remember exactly -- is the most important to things such as gender socialization.

According to John Money, the acquisition of a native language is a human counterpart to imprinting and gender first establishment with the establishment of a native language (at about 18 months). Psychosexual undifferentiation exists only at birth and for several months thereafter. Other studies in how children of pre-speech age are handled and touched, tickled and spoken to in terms of their sexual identity put emphasis on purely tactile learning.

I'm confused.  Are you agreeing with me?

Yes...

Well, that's new.

Anyways...

The problem with this nature vs nurture debate is that it would be unethical to prove.  You'd need to take a newborn and raise it in an entirely gender-neutral environment.