Writer's Block: Nature v. nurture

[spooky_miss]

[Error: unknown template qotd]

...ask me again when I've studied more psychology and read the couple of books I have on the subject :)

But even though I haven't studied much on the subject, I think my opinion at the moment is that it is more environment (nurture) rather than genetics (nature). I work as admin for a social work department, and time and time again you see the children of those who have previously had social services involvement being referred due to their parenting of their own children. I can also look at the parents of myself and my friends and sort of see why we've turned out why we have. Of course there are always exceptions (and it could be argued that maybe its something in the people's genes which make them bad parents, not just the bad parenting they've recieved themselves), but generally I'd say "blame the parents" every time, haha :)

The BBC's Child of Our Time project / programmes will be so interesting to find out how the children are being brought up, their family circumstances, affects them later in life.

A very interesting subject though, and I'm looking forward to reading more on it :)

Comments

Re: Huh

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

the environment is how you're brought up, any external influences, how you're nurtured, and genetics is how you are inside yourself without any external influences, your nature :)

[kandielei.livejournal.com]

i agree, although since doing psych i have realised that nature is still quite important. for instance some babies are just born naturally more anxious than others (like me!), they're just like that. but the parent can definitely shape how the baby will react to the world by how the parent reacts to the baby... if that wasn't too convoluted a sentence! if the parent reinforces the anxiety then the baby will probably become more anxious.

there's all these studies about anxiety and babies. also a theory about how people develop anxiety disorders that starts with a general biological vulnerability to anxiety.

[spooky-miss.livejournal.com]

yeah that makes sense :) I'm really looking forward to studying more psychology and finding out how much influence certain things have on who we are, I find it fascinating! :)

[kandielei.livejournal.com]

yeah i love it too :) i'll probably end up doing more psych eventually.