Human Nurture
Besides starting surprisingly early, nurture also plays a surprisingly powerful role in our development. One example is studying the differences in identical twins; they have the same DNA, genes and biology; the same nature but they are different. It is amazing to me that so much of what we take for granted as being human (part of our nature) is actually learned from our environment (nurture). The video above is about a girl named Genie that was locked in a bedroom alone for 12 years of her life is one small piece of evidence of the power of social experiences on individuals. Here is what Susan Curtiss wrote about her in her book Genie; A Psycholinguistic Study of a Modern-Day Wild Child.
Genie was pitiful. Hardly ever having worn clothing, she did not react to temperature, either heat or cold. Never having eaten solid food, Genie did not know how to chew and had great difficulty in swallowing. Having been strapped down and left sitting on a potty chair she could not stand erect, could not straighten her arms or legs, could not run hop, jump or climb. In fact she could only walk with difficulty shuffling her feet and swaying from side to side. Hardly ever having seen more than a space of ten feet in front of her she had become nearsighted to exactly that distance....Surprisingly, however, Genie was alert and curious. She maintained good eye contact and...She was intensely eager for human contact.
You can also check out this website for examples of feral children. This website, though sad, provides further evidence for the importance of human nurturing in socializing individuals to their full human potential. How have you been shaped by the experiences of your life?
I also think its very common that kids want to do what their parents do. I think it might be because they see how well their parents do and are doing well financially. I think that less people should think like that and do what they want to do. If its related to money, I think its much more important to be happy with your life and job, then to work at a place you hate just for the money. In my case, neither of my parents went to college so I think thats why I push myself so hard. I am the opposite of the job thing though.However my mom did influence me to want to work at a drug and alcohol rehab, she never worked in one,but was in one, which brought my family back together. I want to be able to do that for others=)
ReplyDeleteI agree we do what our parents think is acceptable. In relation to jobs that our parents do most of our parents would love for us to be in the same profession as them and may even encouarage it. Also when our parents tell us what is not acceptable and nurture us in that way. We don't do things wrong because, we dont want the consequence of our parents being mad at us
ReplyDeleteThis post amazes me..i watched the video and Genie couldn't possibly be more interesting. I think that it is so unusual how we all take for granted the things we know. Everyday I speak without thinking that somewhere, there are people like Genie who never even learned how to speak. Also, I never realized how many things I THOUGHT we knew from nature, but really came from being nurtured. This video and the article we read for homework are both incredible examples of how important it is to love and be loved!
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting how much of an influence parents & environments can have on kids. They grow up to be the way that their parents have taught them to be.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about this girl before but never really knew what it is about. It's so sad that someone was basically imprisoned in a room for a good chunk of their life. I can't imagine never seeing the outside world or experiencing LIFE.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen so far, I find it heartbreaking how some people can go through life not caring about how badly they treat their child. If I were her age and treated that way, I don't know what i would do. Being locked up in a room like that for quite some time is not the way a child should live, and I don't think parents who treat someone like that deserve a child. A child should be cared for and loved. It's not fair.
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