Nature vs. Nurture

I have learned about the nature vs. nurture debate in many classroom settings, and I have had some time to think about my own views regarding this controversy. I believe that both nature and nurture play some role in the development of self, but that nurture's role is much larger. I also believe that nurture can often overpower nature, while the reverse is rarely true.

While listening to the podcast about this topic, I was taken back a bit by the speaker's opinion that people who view nurture as dominant are often people who are looking for social change. I am fairly conservative, and, after learning about the various sociological perspectives in this class, realize that I identify closely with the functionalist school of thought. Overall, I believe that society usually functions successfully, though there are definitely dysfunctional parts, and that trying to change the status quo is often futile. I can see how this view of society as a whole conflicts with a view of nurture as dominant, so it challenged me to try to figure out why I feel the way I do.

In my introspection, I found that when I think of nature vs. nurture, I think mainly of what influence my parents had on me and what influence I will have on my own children. In regards to changing society, I think that people will do what they want to do and what they think is best, regardless of whether they are told they are wrong or that a different way is better. I think that the nurture factor in society is a very specific and individualized concept. People usually raise their own children the way that they learned from their parents. Though some safety campaigns have been helpful, such as the "Back to Bed" campaign that advocates putting babies on their backs to sleep in order to reduce SIDS, most people still have attachments to what they know as best, and they are reluctant to change. Many things need to become a social norm before people will even consider changing what they know. An example of this is breastfeeding. Though it has been known for decades that breastfeeding is healthier for babies and for moms, breastfeeding is just now starting to become a social norm in America, and even then, it is only considered socially acceptable for very young babies in certain situations.

In conclusion, I do believe that nurture plays a more dominant role than nature, but that nurture is not something that can easily be changed in society.