1. Objectives:  Discuss ongoing debate over what most determines human behavior: “nature” (heredity) or “nurture” (social environment)  Discuss how studies of feral, isolated, and institutionalized children prove that social contact and interaction is essential for healthy human development  Explain statement, “It is society that makes people human”

2. Nature: Genetics; in born Nurture: Social environment (the entire human environment, including direct contact with others)

3. Which do you think has the most impact on a person, Nature or Nurture? Take 2 minutes… Read Heredity or Environment excerpt (pg. 64) individually, then discuss as a group

4. Feral children—assumed to have been raised by animals, in the wilderness, isolated from other human beings  many cannot speak and take on animal-like traits (ie: walking on all fours, lapping water, eating grass/raw meat, no reaction to cold or pain); difficult to develop  take on characteristics of their environment  Wild Boy from Aveyron

5. Isolated children—raised in an environment shut off from communication (see story of Isabelle at beginning of chapter)  Unlike most feral children, can progress through stages of development  Language is the key to human development. --without it, there can be no culture Institutionalized children—raised in an environment with little to no human interaction  studies by Skeels & Dye  Besides language, close relations with other humans is important in developing intelligence

6.  babies do not develop “naturally” into human adults  They may grow, but are little more than big animals if kept in isolation  Without language can’t experience or even grasp relations between people  through human contact people learn to be members of the human community  Socialization—the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group—the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and actions thought appropriate for them

7.  2 articles dealing with aspects of Socialization  sent to school email  read them  be prepared to discuss them in class on Monday.