Nature versus Nurture

The Debate Ground Rules…

The Debate Ground Rules Please sit with the ‘Camp’ that you signed up to - Nature or Nurture. I will ‘host’ therefore my word is final. No talking over each other. If a few people want to say something on a subject, we will resort to putting hands up to speak. Keep it clean and respectful.

Refer to Page 180 of your Text Book 1) If both these people lived in similar circumstances and environments then how do you explain their different health levels now? Can an interest in sail boarding or working in an office be directly caused by DNA alone? 2) Can you explain how reciprocal influence may work to explain the differences between these two people? In other words, how might choices at one life stage have influenced events which in turn impact on a persons physical health later on? 3) Finally, can you explain how far Chris and Ian have chosen their lives and how far nature and nurture have determined their lives?

Case Study: Jonathon Jonathon is 12. He has Down’s syndrome. When he was born, his mother gave up her well-paid job as a corporate banker to care for him. The family hired specialist nurses and support workers to help with Jonathon’s care, and Jonathon has regular appointments with doctors to monitor his progress. He lives with his mother and his sister Charlotte, who is 15. Jonathon’s mother and father were divorced five years ago, but his father sees him and his sister every weekend, and pays a very large amount of maintenance. Jonathon attends the local secondary school in the wealthy area he lives in. He is also a member of the local scout group, and a performing arts project for people with special needs. Because of his Down’s syndrome, Jonathon must take regular medication for his heart condition.

Break Time … Back in 10 Minutes please

Nurture People behave the way they do because they are determined by the things other people teach them, the things they observe around them, and because of the different situations they are put in.

Nature People behave the way they do because they are animals who act in accordance with their animal instincts and are determined by their biology.

Factors affecting Human Development Summary Access to Health ServicesGenetics EducationSense of ‘self’ IncomeInteraction with others Nutrition (pre & post- natal)Parenting Styles Housing

Summary Because someone is born into a low income environment, does NOT mean they will grow up to be poor & disadvantaged. It is important to understand that a person’s sense of ‘SELF’ influences their development and the CHOICES they make gives them more CONTROL over their environment. A person’s ability is strongly influenced by their GENOTYPE and the ENVIRONMENT.

Assignment Draft M1 Discuss the Nature – Nurture debate in relation to individual development You should make a guess as to how some factors might have interacted in a persons life to influence their development.

Plan for Next Week Next week I have booked computers in G Block so please go straight there for 2pm. We will use the 2 hours to draft the assignment ready to hand in to Mary on 25 th Novemeber.