Nature Vs. Nurture....

Nature vs. Nurture is a broad debate that stems from different theories for explaining human behavior. Some people believe that a person's genetics and primitive instincts shape the behaviors, preferences, illnesses, etc. of modern man. Others believe that human interaction is learned from early socialization and upbringing by certain types of people or cultures.

My view? I agree with some key points from both of these groups. Depending on the behavior in question, the dominating factor could be either/or. For example: the podcast, and our reading, referenced gender roles of human beings. This is a broad topic, however I believe that nature AND nurture both weigh a hefty influence on gender roles. Much of the segregation between gender roles IS based on biological factors, e.g. men generally are more physically powerful than women; however an equal amount of this segregation is created by society and upbringing. A great example is the experiment performed by June Statham on page 95 of our text book. She attempted to research whether it was possible to raise children with no sexist views on gender roles in society. The researcher as well as many of the parents involved found this difficult, as there is so much gender-biased pressure in the world that it was difficult to combat (such as toy stores full of "boy" war/fighting toys and "girl" domestic playthings). I feel that much of our gender defining behavior is learned. There is no where in our genetic code that programs women to be better at cooking and cleaning than men, or that men should be able to do complex math problems and perform manual labor.

Another example concerning Nature vs. Nurture debate involves anti-social behavior, such as crime. This is another topic where I feel both theories come into play. Some of the problems these people face may involve mental illness, chemical imbalance, etc.. However, some of it may also have to do with values and morals instilled upon them during early socialization of childhood. Similar to our class's "Sociological Imagination Forum" topic of School Performance, what exactly determines the poor grades of certain children from certain backgrounds? Certainly genetics lay the path for achievable intelligence, but the parenting and upbringing that these children experience determines what these children will value as important when they are adults.

Depending on the topic in question, there could be determining factors from both Nature and Nurture. I think it would be incorrect to say that any given topic of human behavior can be explained entirely by one influence alone. To sum up my thoughts, I quote from our textbook: "....because human beings can make conscious choices, neither biology nor culture wholly determines human behavior." (Giddens et al. 59)

Works Cited

Giddens, Anthony et al. Introduction to Sociology. 7th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, Inc., 2009. Print.