Self-Analysis Post (UPDATE)

Here is an ADDITION to my previous "Self-Analysis Post" that was posted earlier:

My development of knowledge has expanded over the past month while creating this blog. In the first couple of posts, I introduced nature vs. nurture. Although I already knew what this concept was, I still learned from writing about it. For example, in my nature post, I did not know that the presence of certain genes cause an individual to have diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Before, I thought that everyone will eventually get Alzheimer’s because of old age. However, this can be reversed by the environment’s effects. Reading and doing puzzles frequently can reverse the predisposition to memory loss.

In a debate with two opposing sides, it is important for bias not to be present. In my blog, I introduced both sides and developed an argument based on evidence, not general assumptions. Facts that are relevant to my topic are introduced to support my claims. For example, in my “Evidence Supporting Nurture” post, I examined the effects of supportive parenting on substance abuse. I described how even though a child is predisposed to substance abuse due to a gene, parents can help reverse that by simply being supportive parents.

I also explored various topics such as my own traits, love, fear, homosexuality and blank slate, some of which were suggested by classmates who were curious about the topic. While researching some of these topics, I found further evidence for nurture. For instance, in my “Love” post I state that the foods children eat at a young age and at adulthood are different. You may have hated salad as a child but love it now.

Although I have investigated several topics, I have not covered EVERYTHING because there are numerous possible issues. Humans have a handful of traits (humor, shyness, sensitivity, ambition, outgoing, etc.), and it would be never-ending, or so it may seem, to examine each and every one of these human characteristics. The category of “human personality traits” is too broad to explore in detail. The topics that I have covered are either controversial or just interesting to explore.

Cartoon - Homosexuality

Just a little cartoon to depict the controversial topic of homosexuality. In this cartoon, the person claims that he was born this way.

What made me laugh (although I am aware that this is a serious topic) somewhat was the second part of the cartoon. A rainbow of colors spreads out when the mother delivers her baby. This is just exaggerating the assertion that homosexuality is genetic.

(If you have difficulty seeing the image, then click here)

Implications Post

The answer to the question, “Is this behavior caused by genetics or environment?” is usually “both.” Strong genetic factors do not mean that environment cannot affect the behavior, and strong environmental factors do not mean genetics cannot intervene.

Now you’re probably thinking, “Why the debate?” Well, the nature vs. nurture debate became so contentious in the first place because people were curious and did not know an answer as to how people came to be, personality-wise. It is difficult to say that either nature or nurture shape who we are because both essentially do. However, there are strong proponents of each side who believe that nature or nurture has a stronger influence.

The simple acceptance of the statement that “nature gives us inborn abilities and traits” and nurture “takes these genetic abilities and shapes them as we learn and mature” appears to be the end of the debate. However, it does not stop there. Scientists are still researching to determine exactly how much of human behavior is attributed to genes and how much to environment. It is difficult to say whether or not this debate will ever end because as each day progresses, there will be more discoveries to be made, furthering the debate.

One technological advance furthering the debate is DNA testing. This opens the eyes of many in the nature-nurture debate because evidence reveals connections between a gene and behavior. When a violent gene is coupled with a bad environment, a child may be raised to become aggressive and violent. Supporters of nature attribute this behavior to genetics, since it first initiates the behavior.

The pendulum swings from side to side depending on the era of time. Earlier this century, it swung almost entirely to the nurture side as psychologists performed several studies favoring nurture. Now, since society is heavily technological, the pendulum swings toward the nature side. Like the nature of a pendulum, this debate will most likely keep swinging back and forth until the end of time.

Racism

This is a video on racism in relation to nature vs. nurture. Here are some quick points mentioned in the video:

• Younger children spend more time staring at different races from their own when presented with photographs
• Toddlers notice race more than gender
• Kids pick out friends based on skin color
  
• Kids’ brains categorize world and assume people that look like them are more similar to them
• Conversations about race are difficult for parents
• Why point race out if it doesn’t matter? (Everyone is equal) But science says in absence of communication, kids will make errors.
• Self-segregation at schools goes up as school diversity goes up

The information presented here is quite interesting. I did not realize how important race was at a young age. Come to think of it, did I think of race when I was younger? I probably did but was unaware of doing it. Younger children are still developing and do not know much about the world, and this is where curiosity kicks in. They are curious as to why people look different from them. The video also mentions that kids choose friends based on physical similarities. Now, people of all ages have friends that are completely different or strikingly similar.

The point about self-segregation at school reminded me of my past school years and the present (no doubt that it will happen in the future…it is inevitable). I remember in high school, people had their own cliques to hang out with: African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Whites and others. If an Asian was seen with a group of African Americans, it would be looked at as “weird.” However, there is nothing strange about this situation. Diversity is stressed in schools communities, so why don’t some people accept it? Does hanging with only people your own race make you feel comfortable and fit in? If so, then that is not right. As the old saying goes, “it’s not the outside that matters, it’s what inside.” For example, some people stereotype African Americans as those who usually commit crimes and therefore associate African Americans with “bad” activities. However, that is not always the case. People are programmed with these stereotypes from a young age and then learn to associate certain acts with certain people once they see it occur several times.

We are not born with the ability to sense that “African Americans commit crimes”, “Asians are smart” and “Hispanics are illegal immigrants.” We learn to associate these traits as time progresses in our early stages of development. So why are we so fascinated with race in the first place? Is it because our differences help define who we really are? Until now, I thought racism was all learned, but apparently it has its natural roots as well.