LT4 - David Reimer Flashcards
How many cases of male re-assignment did Money look at?
45
Why did Money focus on Bruce’s case study?
He lost his penis during circumcision (ablated) and he has a twin brother.
What did his family do after the gender reassignment?
They treated him like a girl. i.e. Wears dresses, grew his hair and encouraged to play with dolls
What happened during puberty?
He was given oestrogen to encourage female puberty.
How did money and the Reimer family find eachother?
A volunteer sample because the Reimer family actually sought Money out.
What did Money say about Brenda’s female gender identity?
She behaved in a feminine way e.g. She was said to be neater than her other brother.
What did Money say Brenda preferred?
To do girl things and copied her mothers behaviour rather than her fathers e.g. Cleaning & tidying
What did Money conclude?
We are born gender neutral. He concluded that because Brenda was successfully raised as a girl and that nurture was stronger than nature in shaping gender identity. With surgery and hormonal therapy it is possible to bring up a baby with grossly defective penis more effectively as a girl than as a boy
How was ‘Brenda’ described by others according to Diamond and Sigmundson?
As tomboyish and displayed masculine traits playing with & fighting in the playground. She also urinated standing up as a male would even though she didn’t have a penis.
What happened when Brenda was 14?
Her parents told her the truth about her gender and had many behavioural and emotional difficulties. She never felt happy as a girl, hated wearing dresses and playing with dolls
What happened when she was 15?
She was allowed to live as a boy ‘David’ and later had phalloplasty to create a penis.
What did Diamond and Sigmundson conclude?
Money’s conclusions were wrong. In reality the case supports the counter-argument that nature is stronger than nurture in determining gender identity.
* Biological gender in terms of genes and hormones is more important in determining the child’s sex role than upbringing or environment.
What is the aim of Money’s study on David Reimer?
To test the idea that children are born gender neutral (no fixed gender for the first 2 years).
