Are we a blank state? It is a very difficult question to ask and it is a very controversial topic in the sense that there is many different perspectives and interpretations. However, I personally believe that although our genetics and biological inheritance play an essential role in laying out the fundamentals of our identity, our upbringing is significantly more important in shaping ourselves in the future. I believe that nature is simply the foundation or the roots of the tree and the branches and flower on the tree are created by nurture.
There are, however, arguments for both sides and some of the arguments for nature includes multiple case studies done on the human brain and how the changes can cause behavioral and mental changes. A study was even done by Milton Diamond, a biologist who discovered a part of the brain called SDN (sexually dimorphic nucleus) a very small part of the brain. He did a comparison on a males SDN to a females SDN. The study showed that a mans SDN is two times bigger than a woman. Another great example of how nature can impact more than nurture is Raine’s study on murderers. There was a physical difference in the brain of a mass murderer to a nonviolent person. However, I believe that having certain defects in the brain doesn’t necessarily always lead to being murderers and a violent person but does give us context into the changes that could be present which impact a person’s identity.
On the other hand, the arguments for nurture are significantly more impactful on a personal level for individuals. There are studies that show that the different treatment that is given to boys and girls is crucial to shaping their identities. “Parents spend longer comforting female children; they let boys play further away from them than girls.” Another way that I think nurture enforces gender identity is the stereotypes in the toy marketing industry and fashion industry. I’ve even grown up with this mentality and definitely agree that these stereotypes imposed on both genders have heavily impacted my personal gender identity of feeling female. I definitely think that stereotypes that are imposed on kids by their parents can cause the child to develop a mindset. Especially, looking at the professions and jobs that kids decide to take on for their futures, because of stereotypes we can see that the more masculine, physical jobs are usually taken up by males and feminine jobs are taken up by females.
In conclusion, I believe that nurture impacts our identity more than nurture because who we are is heavily impacted by our upbringing and how we are raised. Who we become essentially is who we choose to become through our raising.