WJEC Sociology AS level
Topic 2 - What is the nature/nurture debate?
Nativism - Very extreme nature debate that believes that personality comes from genetics.
They believe certain traits appear to be linked with genetics, people with specific genetic
conditions may have an associated personality trait. Led scientists to argue people are
‘hard-wired’ to behave in certain ways.
- They argue that women are ‘hard-wired’ to do domestic labour and child rearing while
men are hard-wired to be sexually aggressive
- Used to justify both the oppression of women and racism
Nature theories - They believe that human behaviour is prompted by biology rather than
society. People are governed by instincts, fixed patterns of behaviour that are inherited and
influence human actions.
- Evidence from psychologists suggests that traits such as intelligence are highly
inherited by parents.
- This can be criticised by arguing that parents may raise their children in a way that
reflects their intelligence.
- Less extreme than Nativism
Biological imperatives - Things that animals do to survive and reproduce. All animals
have certain biological imperatives. Nature theories argue that humans are ruled by
biological imperatives and therefore have no free will over their behaviour.
- E.g. Humans must eat and sleep to survive, they have mates to reproduce.
Nurture theory - The view that society and culture override human biology, genetics and
instincts. They argue that social expectations lead to humans controlling their behaviour.
They argue that cultural imperatives override biology and that humans learn their culture
from others through socialisation
- They argue that we all eat but what we eat varies from culture to culture, criticising
the imperatives theory.
- Science may help explain some aspects of human behaviour and support nature
theories but it does not completely explain why humans act the way they do.
- Sociology supports the nurture theory
Feral children - They are the biggest support in the nurture theory. They are children who
have not received the appropriate socialisation. In some cases the children have gone
without socialisation for some or all of their childhood.
- Nature theories argue that these children should act normally because of biological
imperatives but this is not the case
- Many of these children are unable to speak properly, walk properly or function as a
human
- They often pick up on animal traits instead.
Topic 2 - What is the nature/nurture debate?
Nativism - Very extreme nature debate that believes that personality comes from genetics.
They believe certain traits appear to be linked with genetics, people with specific genetic
conditions may have an associated personality trait. Led scientists to argue people are
‘hard-wired’ to behave in certain ways.
- They argue that women are ‘hard-wired’ to do domestic labour and child rearing while
men are hard-wired to be sexually aggressive
- Used to justify both the oppression of women and racism
Nature theories - They believe that human behaviour is prompted by biology rather than
society. People are governed by instincts, fixed patterns of behaviour that are inherited and
influence human actions.
- Evidence from psychologists suggests that traits such as intelligence are highly
inherited by parents.
- This can be criticised by arguing that parents may raise their children in a way that
reflects their intelligence.
- Less extreme than Nativism
Biological imperatives - Things that animals do to survive and reproduce. All animals
have certain biological imperatives. Nature theories argue that humans are ruled by
biological imperatives and therefore have no free will over their behaviour.
- E.g. Humans must eat and sleep to survive, they have mates to reproduce.
Nurture theory - The view that society and culture override human biology, genetics and
instincts. They argue that social expectations lead to humans controlling their behaviour.
They argue that cultural imperatives override biology and that humans learn their culture
from others through socialisation
- They argue that we all eat but what we eat varies from culture to culture, criticising
the imperatives theory.
- Science may help explain some aspects of human behaviour and support nature
theories but it does not completely explain why humans act the way they do.
- Sociology supports the nurture theory
Feral children - They are the biggest support in the nurture theory. They are children who
have not received the appropriate socialisation. In some cases the children have gone
without socialisation for some or all of their childhood.
- Nature theories argue that these children should act normally because of biological
imperatives but this is not the case
- Many of these children are unable to speak properly, walk properly or function as a
human
- They often pick up on animal traits instead.
