The Boy Who Was a Girl
Author
Pauline Davey Zeece, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Synopsis
This activity features the case of David/Brenda Reimer as an exploration of what it means physically and emotionally to be a boy or a girl. Gender identity and gender differences are examined in light of the Reimer case study as well as the research of John Money and Milton Diamond.
REFERENCES
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2007). Evaluation of the Newborn with Developmental Anomalies of the External Genitalia: Position Paper. Retrieved December 28, 2007, from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;106/1/138
Cornell University Department of Plan Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Online Glossary. Retrieved September 25, 2009: www.plantpath.corell.edu/glossary/Defs_l.htm
Delamar, G. (1987). Mother Goose: From Nursery to Literature. Lincoln: University.com, Inc.
What is intersex? Intersex Society of North America. Retrieved September 27, 2012. From http://www.isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex.
Winnipeg Sun of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Monday May 10, 2004: http:www.cirp.org/news/winnipegsun05-10-04/
What makes a child a boy or a girl? Around 1820, Robert Southey published the following nursery rhyme as part of a larger poem entitled What Folks Are Made Of:
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
“Snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails;
That's what little boys are made of.”
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
“Sugar and spice and all things nice;
That's what little girls are made of.”
What do you think this English poet who lived at the turn of the nineteenth century was saying about gender differences and gender identity? When it comes to the children of today, how would you define gender differences and gender identity?
Identity as a male or a female is a crucial component of self-concept and a major source of self-esteem. Social scientists typically distinguish between sex differences, which are biological, and gender differences, which are cultural. As with every nature-nurture distinction, social scientists recognize that the interaction between sex and gender sometimes makes it difficult to separate these influences from one another. Thus, experts, teachers, and parents may disagree about the various effects that biology and environment have on gender development. The number of theories of gender differences reflects the vast variety of views on gender and gender differences.
Let us review a main aspect of each of five major theories about gender differences.
• Freudian theorists believe that gender differences are a result of unconscious, incestuous urges.
• Behaviorist theorists believe that gender differences are a result of social reinforcement.
• Cognitive theorists believe that gender differences may be attributed to immature categorization.
• Sociocultural theorists believe that gender differences are related to patterns found throughout the culture.
• Epigenetic theorists believe that gender differences are a result of the hereditary aspects of brain and body development.
Over the past 50 years, Erikson’s term, sexual identity, has been replaced by the term, gender identity. Gender identity refers to a person's self-definition as male or female and acceptance of the roles and behaviors that society associates with these biological categories. Gender identity often coincides with gender role and sexual orientation but not always.
In rare instances, a child is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not seem to fit the typical definitions of either a female or a male. These children are labeled as intersex. Intersex is a socially constructed category that reflects actual biological variation. This biological occurrence often constitutes a social emergency that impacts the future of the family and specifically, the future of the infant. The decision as to which gender to rear a baby born with ambiguous genitalia is based on a number of considerations, including fertility potential, capacity for normal sexual functioning, endocrine function, and testosterone imprinting (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2007).
What happens when a child born as a biological male experiences gender reassignment at birth? Will the influence of the child’s environment be sufficient to override biology? Will the child’s gender identity conform to the reassigned gender?
Consider the story of David Reimer and Dr. John Money that is presented in the video clip to see if it might help you to answer some of these questions.
Watch this video segment again more closely while considering the role of nature vs.nurture in the development of gender identity. Was the traditional view of genderidentity a nature or nurture stance? Where did Dr. Money’s view of gender identitydevelopment fall on the nature vs. nurture scale? Support your answers with details fromthe video.
Dr. Milton Diamond, a professor of anatomy and reproductive biology, refuted Money’s Theory of Gender Neutrality with his findings on gender differences in rat brains. With the cooperation of Reimer's supervising psychiatrist, Dr. Diamond located the adult Reimer and found that Dr. Money’s sex reassignment of Reimer had failed. This case, which Diamond named “John/Joan” to protect Reimer's privacy, has become one of the most cited cases in the literature of psychiatry, psychology, women’s studies, child development, and biology of gender.
Play the video to learn about Brenda Reimer’s reaction to her gender identity and about Dr. Money’s response to reports on Brenda’s progress.
Here are excerpts from David Reimer’s obituary as it was published in the Winnipeg Sun of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Monday, May 10, 2004.
A Winnipeg man who was born a boy but raised as a girl in a famous nurture-versus-nature experiment has died at the age of 38. David Reimer, who shared his story in the pages of a book and on the TV show Oprah, took his own life last Tuesday.
“He liked music. He liked jokes. He was a very funny guy,” said Janet, who spent Mother’s Day grieving the loss of her son. “He was so generous. He gave all he had.”
The funeral is today at 1 p.m. at Klassen Funeral Chapel.
Play the video to find out how David Reimer spent the last part of his life. As you watch the clip, think about the most important lessons that can be learned from his story.
1. Why did Dr. Money’s research team believe that the Reimer family could turn their baby boy into a baby girl?
2. Janet Reimer reported that while she knew that Brenda was very unhappy, Brenda was fitting in well as a girl among her peers.
3. David Reimer was significantly happier as a male.
4. What are some of the ways in which Dr. Money violated ethics in research and medicine? What are some important lessons to be learned from the David Reimer story?
Congratulations! You have completed this activity.Total Score: x out of x points (x%) You have received a provisional score for your essay answers, which have been submitted to your instructor.