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DISCUSSION QUESTION:. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?. Nature vs. Nurture. Every human being is a product of a. Biology b. Society c. Personal experiences In other words we are a product of heredity (NATURE) and environment (NURTURE). The debate. NATURE DEBATE.
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DISCUSSION QUESTION: • WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?
Nature vs. Nurture Every human being is a product of a. Biology b. Society c. Personal experiences In other words we are a product of heredity (NATURE) and environment (NURTURE). The debate
NATURE DEBATE • SOCIOBIOLOGY: the systematic study of how biology affects social behavior. • Sociobiologists assert that nature, in the form of our genetic makeup, is a major factor in shaping human behavior.
EDWARD O. WILSON • Zoologist who pioneered sociobiology. • Believed that genetic inheritance underlies many forms of social behavior: • War and peace • Envy and concern for others • Competition and cooperation
NURTURE DEBATE • Sociologists focus on how humans design their own culture and transmit it from generation to generation through socialization. • Most sociologists disagree with the notion that biological principles can be used to explain all human behavior.
Except for simple reflexes, there is hardly a human behavior that is not influenced socially. • Social environment probably has a greater effect than heredity on the way we develop and the way we act.
Social Isolation Isolation and Nonhuman Primates: The Harlow Experiment
Harry and Margaret Harlow attempted to demonstrate the effects of social isolation on rhesus monkeys. • They took infant monkeys from their mothers and isolated them in separate cages.
Each cage contained two “mother” substitutes: • One made with wire and a feeding bottle • One made of cloth with no feeding bottle
RESULTS: • The infant monkeys instinctively clung to the cloth mother seeking warmth, affection and physical comfort. • They only went to the wire monkey for feeding.
HARLOW EXPERIMENT • RESULTS
SIGNIFICANCE: • This shows the detrimental effects of isolation on nonhuman primates. • Without social contact, the monkeys did not learn how to relate to other monkeys. • Because humans rely more heavily on social learning than monkeys, the process of socialization is even more important for us.