The Nature of Development Essay - 2289 Words

There are millions of them. Not a single one is the same, no matter how similar they may look. Of course, I am talking about people. Many factors influence the way humans work. They are shaped by parents, peers, and biology. From their mannerisms, to the way their chin points, nurture and nature affect every aspect of human life. There is a debate brewing in the psychological, sociological and scientific communities over which of these two have the higher influence. While most of the members of these communities acknowledge the fact that both nature and nurture affect development, some believe that only one solely determines certain aspects of life, such as gender. Dr. John Money is one of these people; he believes that gender identity is†¦show more content†¦Understanding the John/Joan experiment is essential to understanding the positions taken in the nature versus nurture debate. It is the story of the boy who was born Bruce Reimer, became Brenda, and then went back to h is masculinity as David. In the summer of 1965, Ron and Janet Reimer, residents of Winnipeg, Canada, gave birth to two healthy, twin boys (CBC News par. 1). However, when they were only seven months old, the boys had trouble urinating (Colapinto 10). After visiting the doctor, the Reimers learned that their boys, Bruce and Brian, had a condition called phimosis, a swelling of the foreskin, which blocked the urinary meatus, the exit of the urethra, when urination was attempted. (Colapinto 10). Luckily, circumcision easily corrects phimosis; however, when Bruce was being circumcised, something went wrong (CBC News par. 4). â€Å"‘What do you mean there has been an accident,’† are the words that came from Janet Reimer’s mouth (Colapinto 14). The doctors then explained that they had, unnecessarily, used a laser to perform the operation, but something went wrong and they had burned the child’s penis (CBC News par 4). They spent months searching for sol utions, but to no avail (Colapinto 18). Ron and Janet Reimer had been watching TV, and they happened to be tuned to a program where a scientist who worked with intersexes and hermaphrodites was speaking (Colapinto 18). This was their first exposure to Dr. John Money. He was focusing on hisShow MoreRelatedThe Nature of Adolescent Development673 Words   |  3 Pagesan educator, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the nature of the adolescent’s that may be under your control. In order for this to be effective, you should understand the individual’s background, interests and abilities, and what mental and physical development stage they are in. During this period the individual experiences several changes in relation to their physical and emotional abilities. 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