1.  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?

2. Every human being is a product of a. Biology b. Society c. Personal experiences In other words we are a product of heredity (NATURE) and environment (NURTURE). The debate

3.  SOCIOBIOLOGY: the systematic study of how biology affects social behavior.  Sociobiologists assert that nature, in the form of our genetic makeup, is a major factor in shaping human behavior.

4.  Zoologist who pioneered sociobiology.  Believed that genetic inheritance underlies many forms of social behavior: ◦ War and peace ◦ Envy and concern for others ◦ Competition and cooperation

5.  Sociologists focus on how humans design their own culture and transmit it from generation to generation through socialization.  Most sociologists disagree with the notion that biological principles can be used to explain all human behavior.

6.  Except for simple reflexes, there is hardly a human behavior that is not influenced socially.  Social environment probably has a greater effect than heredity on the way we develop and the way we act.

7. Isolation and Nonhuman Primates: The Harlow Experiment

8.  Harry and Margaret Harlow attempted to demonstrate the effects of social isolation on rhesus monkeys.  They took infant monkeys from their mothers and isolated them in separate cages.

9.  Each cage contained two “mother” substitutes: ◦ One made with wire and a feeding bottle ◦ One made of cloth with no feeding bottle

10.  The infant monkeys instinctively clung to the cloth mother seeking warmth, affection and physical comfort.  They only went to the wire monkey for feeding.

11.  HARLOW EXPERIMENT HARLOW EXPERIMENT  RESULTS RESULTS

12.  This shows the detrimental effects of isolation on nonhuman primates.  Without social contact, the monkeys did not learn how to relate to other monkeys.  Because humans rely more heavily on social learning than monkeys, the process of socialization is even more important for us.