The Nature Approach
There are two ways in which sociologists study human behavior. The Nature approach and the Nurture approach.
The Nature approach has many claims. One is; the whole universe is deterministic and follows unavoidable sequences of cause, leading to effect. What this generally means is that all the events in the world that occur are pre-determined. By what you ask? Nature (laws of physics, for example). Another claim of the Nature Approach is that man is like a puppet on strings of nature. If one wants to control man, all one has to do is find the strings. This can only be done if it is for the well being of man. Anything that man is driven to do is because of mechanics of nature; there is simply no such thing as free will. Above all, even human thought is caused and is mere epiphenomenon, which is a secondary and inconsequential effect of a main event. Any thought in which man has, are not their own thoughts, but just a part of nature.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is the Nurture approach. For centuries, conventional wisdom has held that parental nurturing will definitively shape a human’s personality and behavior. According to believers of the Nurture approach, it's the assumption that what makes human beings turn out the way they do, aside from their genes, the environmental part of human development, is the experiences they have in society, and in particular the experiences they have with the people they encounter.
The origins of the nurture approach are stemmed from the studies of Copernicus and Galileo. Galileo was an Italian astronomer, natural philosopher, and one of the central architects of modern science. In his Two Chief World Systems, he set forth the idea that the sun was the center of the universe, rather than the earth. Forced to recant and forbidden to teach or talk about his views, Galileo is said to have muttered in the stillness of his room, 'Still it turns' in reference to the rotation of the earth around the sun. Galileo decentered the earth and by extension all theology which holds that the earth and creatures upon it were a special act of creation.
Now, let's say we were examining an experiment performed on a set of identical twins. Twins are born with the same genetic makeup, which has been shaped by this world.
The nature versus nurture theory is a way to distinguish whether certain traits or characteristics of individuals are impacted more by biological means or environmental means. What the “nature” part signifies in the the theory is that we are more impacted by heredity and biological effects of our personality and what defines us as a person. What “nurture” signifies is that environmental factors have a more powerful impact on our lives and personality. As we mostly know, most things aren’t black and white, and so it’s hard ro determine which type of factors is more effective. Most people believe that it’s a blend of both nature and nurture that makes us who we are.
A sociologist should be able to observe and understand the realities of human behavior and the social settings in which it happens without being influenced emotionally or personally.
Since the beginnings of psychology the debate of nature verses nurture has been going on. Certain psychologists take the position of the nature perspective. They argue that people are born with predispositions towards certain personalities, traits and other characteristics that help shape them into the people that they become later in life. Meanwhile multiple other psychologists argue the nurture perspective. They believe that people are born as a blank slate and their experiences over the course of life help shape their personalities, traits, and other characteristics.
Nurture is a theory I had came across in my research to find out about Michelangelo. Nature vs. Nurture is the debate on how certain behaviors are developed within an individual. Nature explains why we do an act because of our genes; for example, someone is violent because their father/mother is “pre-wired” to be violent and they inherited that trait. Nurture would be experience(s) faced by an individual that affects their behavior ; for example, a child growing up in a household where the father beat the child. Many debate on when Nature vs Nurture starts. Some say that nurture starts as soon as conception, while others say that nurture starts when the child is born. For the sake of this paper, we will be going with the former. Fetal alcohol syndrome can only occur when a mother drinks alcohol (Nofas 1). Since it can’t be passed down by genetics, the occurrence of fetal alcohol syndrome can only be obtained through “nurture”, or as soon as the baby is
Where would humans be without nature? Scientifically, no creature could have ever existed without nature; earth could not have even existed without it. Despite this, people treat the environment in varying ways – some abuse it, while others respect and cherish it. William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies points out these assorted reactions to wildlife. Through the British boys’ characterization, Golding illustrates that humans instinctively react to nature in one of three ways: avoiding nature, harmoniously living with nature, or tyrannically trying to control nature.
Some perspectives assume that in our behaviour exists genetic basis that we inherit and they are the result of our conduct and actions. On the other hand, the nurture believes that the behaviour is learnt by experiences and are divided between social and physical influences. According to Psychodynamic perspective believes in nature and nurture by the fact that psychodynamic believes that our behaviour is in the brain structure and hormones but at the same time is related to past experiences. for example, a child diagnosed aggressive within school, his mother replies that the child 's father had the same aggressive behaviour and troubles with the police however, the child never met his father therefore, the child inherited his father 's behaviour. Behaviourist perspective argues that everything comes from experiences and rewards. for example, a mother who is teaching his daughter to be tidy through her behaviour and reward his daughter depends on her
I believe that a child’s growth is developmental, and each child needs a secure caring and motivating atmosphere in which to grow and developed emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. I believe nature and nurture are the two aspects that influence in child development. Nature and nurture are different in several ways, but they both play an important role in child development. I believe that the environment that a person grows up in has the most influence on child development because children reflect what they are taught and what they learn from the people around them.
Nature versus nurture is an argument in psychology over whether a person’s innate qualities and behaviors are caused from their environment or if they’re born with it. Vygotsky places more emphasis on the social factors that contribute to cognitive development, in other words he is in favor of the nurture argument. He believes that everyone learns from their culture, environment, and social interactions. He talks about a few of his theories like the zone of proximal development, and a more knowledgeable other. He also expresses his thoughts on developmental tools and the importance of language to cognitive development. All of these factors together support his idea that children’s behavior is learned.
Conversely, there are genetics that each gender will possess, this is the nature of the equation in determining an individual’s behavior, therefore, the nurture would equate to environment and how the individual traits are nurtured, e.g.; a female raised as the middle child in a family of 5 male siblings is far more likely to have more masculine traits nurtured; such as being a risk taker more so than her peers. At the same time, this female with be impacted by peers, this environment will nurture her classically feminine traits. Accordingly, it is vital to equate the both nature and nurture as they work in tandem on a molecular level; influencing complex brain function and maintaining plasticity of the brain. Furthermore, each individual may have earned certain traits, it is the lessons that we learn that impact the growth or suppression of these inherent traits, fostering the unique makeup of unique traits and experiences, that
As humans, we have the ability to adapt to our environment and surroundings. We have all tried to hide our true personality in order to be accepted, and have imitated other people. A person’s personality changes as they are exposed to different situations. Since the person changed, one will find a new way to deal with different situations. After, they might influence their friends to change as well. However, the changes could be on the good side or the bad side. This is how nurture changes us over time. Nurture is the environment that we live in and is the dominant factor of one’s personality. Through the changes from nurture, we change our views on different situations and behaviours from family influence, peer pressure, and culture.
Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the “big picture” which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns.
Someone can physically look like their parents, siblings or even ancestors from the third generation. When a baby is born, it is common to learn in a natural way. No one teaches a baby how to crawl or how to react when he and she is hungry. However, talents, qualities and personalities are developed through experiences. The environment in which people grew up can have a lasting effect or influence on the way they talk, behave and respond to things around. According to Steven Pinker, Behavioral genetics has shown that temperament emerges early in life and remains fairly constant throughout the life span, that much of the variation among people within a culture comes from differences in genes, and that in some cases particular genes can be tied to aspects of cognition, language, and personality (2). Researchers believe that the origin of behaviors occur in genes in the DNA or even animal instincts which this concept is known as nature of human behavior. Other researchers believe that people are they were they are because they are taught to do so. This concept is well known as nurture in human behavior. In society, there will always be the doubt between Do we born in this way or do we behave according to life experiences? I strongly believe that nurture plays an important role in the upbringing of a child and the decisions that one makes in the future. Firstly, humans learn from their environment and other’s behaviors. Secondly, culture is a huge remark in people’s life. Finally,
Undoubtedly, humans are unique and intricate creatures and their development is a complex process. It is this process that leads people to question, is a child’s development influenced by genetics or their environment? This long debate has been at the forefront of psychology for countless decades now and is better known as “Nature versus Nurture”. The continuous controversy over whether or not children develop their psychological attributes based on genetics (nature) or the way in which they have been raised (nurture) has occupied the minds of psychologists for years. Through thorough reading of experiments, studies, and discussions however, it is easy to be convinced that nurture does play a far more important in the development of a human than nature.
Nature by itself can affect a child’s development. If the child is born with a disease or mental illness, they may develop at a slower pace. For example, if a child is born with Asperger’s syndrome, the child will have a difficult time with social skills and understanding emotions. Nurture deals with the environment. If a child was raised in a hostile environment, that child is more likely to be hostile when they get older. Environment may play a larger role in most cases due to everyday lifestyle, from the city you live in to the way you are raised. If one was raised in a healthy house hold, someone who lived in a toxic household may behave differently.
McDevitt, T and Ormrod, J (2010) Nature and Nurture, Education.com [online] Available from www.education.com Accessed on 4th April 2014