Introduction
Psychologist began the work of studying gender identity in the late 1950s when they established the first gender research project and developed a lot of theories of gender identify.Originally, gender identity was a medical term used to explain the process of reassigning sex to the public. Nowadays, the term gender identity is quite different from sexual identity. It is now used to indicate self- identification as male or female. Long before the dawn of the 20th century, person’s sex was determined entirely by the appearance of the genitalia or sex organs. Some people are surprised by their biological sex and their gender identity correspondences. (Lorber, 1994)
Main body
All transgender people including transsexual and many intersexed persons have complications in which they can explicitly determine their gender and adopt gender role based on sex. This makes such individual’s behavior to be quite inconsistent with their gender identity. Gender dysphorai is closely connected to phenotypic nature with hormones. Trans sexualizing is considered to be a neuron–developmental condition of the brain.
This results from the several sexually dimorphic nuclei found in the hypothalamus region of the brain. The central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is a sexually dimorphic limbic nucleus. It is sexually differentiated in the human brain in the early adulthood. From research work in which forty two human brains were studied, it was found that the structure of this particular part of the nucleus was concordant with the psychological identifications of male and female. The bed nucleus of atria terminalis is an important part sexually dimorphic neural circuit, and that it is involved in the development of gender identity. (Hines, 2002)
Further studies indicated that sexual differetiation of the mammalian brain starts during the fetal development. This is time during which many genetic activities attached to hormone production are very high. The sexual differentiation continues even after child birth.
From this point of view, it is hypothesized that hormones have significantly influenced the developmental behavior both in human beings and other mammals. Some postulations show that hormonal effects occur at several critical periods of development of the sexual differentiation of the brain during which gender identity is established. These periods include the fetal period, then time around birth and post- natal period.
Several factors contribute to the alteration of hormonal environment at this critical moment of early development such as genetic influences, medication environmental influence, stress or trauma to the mother during pregnancy. Gender identity normally continues along lines which are consistent with the individuals’ phenotype. However a small number of new born experience their gender as being dissimilar with their phenotype. In such cases, it is very hard to predict with certainty the outcome of the social behavior of the adults due influence of hormonal changes during growth and development. (Dessens, 2005)
The biological influences on gender identity includes sexual differentiation; which encompasses the physiological processes where by the male nature become more or the female nature is more established. The differences established by these physiological processes ultimately interact with social –learning influences to bring about firm person’s gender identity. Geneticists determine the embryo’s genes carried on the Y and X –chromosomes. The three patterns of genetic transmission including dominant, recessive and sex- linked inheritance helps to find out embryo’s chromosomal sex in the X-chromosome. The X- chromosomes carry more valuable genetic materials essential, for life and better health than the Y-chromosome. (Dessens, 2005)
The early believe that gender identification depended on the socio-environmental influences such individual learning and choice is not totally true. The experimental result reveals that transient action of sex steroids such as testosterone during prenatal life is crucial for the development of sexual behavior in adulthoods.
Conclusion
Gender identity being a personal conception of one-self as either male or female is more influenced by the environmental factors. The environment in which we are borne in the maternal womb first determines our appreciation on gender identity. The outward manifestation of our personality reflects our gender identity, which is just a label given by the society, because of our behavior and appearance. Mostly our behavior is gain from the parent or guardians, friend and relative whom we associate with.
These people form part of the environment in which we live in. they mould our behavior and appearance as they nurture us from the moment we are born. They make us think that I am either a male or female, and then we identify ourselves as such. After convincing our mind to identify ourselves with a particular gender, they also teach us the roles we need to undertake including good and bad acts, work for males and work for females, what to put on and what we should not, simply i.e. does and don’t.
Environmental influence greatly affects biological influences. Genetic materials are prone to changes from the environment. Hormones which are produced and controlled by these genetic materials are affected by great heat and extremes of temperature changes.
References
Dessens, A.B., F.M. Slijper, and Drop, S. (2005): Gender dysphoria and gender change in Chromosomal females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34(4): p. 389-97.
Hines M (2002): Sexual Differentiation of Human Brain and Behavior; Hormones, Brain and Behavior: Elsevier Science Vol. 4, pg (425-461).
Lorber, J; (1994) Paradoxes of Gender: Yale University Press.