Nurture Wins
Nature/Nurture
The debate of nature vs. nurture has persisted with intensity over time. Some scholars contend that this debate can be traced back to the times of ancient Greece. In the debate, nature may be referred to as nativism, or innatism. The side of nature contends that a person's natural, in-born, or innate qualities have more of an influence over the person's life. Nurture refers to personal experience, context, and environment (physical and social) with respect to what has a greater influence over a person's character as well as the general outcome of his/her life. It is a debate that has engaged those in the social sciences, such as sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists, as well as debated by political scientists and philosophers. Nurture may also be referred to as behaviorism or empiricism in the context of this debate. It is the position of the paper that though both nature and nurture have affective influence over each individual, nurture is the factor that ultimately wields more power over determining the type of person someone will be as well as the overall course of that person's life.
More and more in the 21st century, experts with particular focus on the nature-nurture debate are arguing for an integrative approach and perspective regarding nature and nurture. Throughout the decades, the consensus over which aspect is more important has oscillated. Though Sameroff proposes and integrated approach rather than a debate, he contends that in the present moment, more professionals are in favor of nurture over nature, in line with the position of the paper.
Nurture, for example, the environment of the gene, the environment of the cell, and the environment of the organism, are incorporated into advanced analyses of the contribution of context at every level of analysis…A renewed emphasis on the importance of nurture is underway. Again, it is a dialectical result of the inability of appeals to human nature to explain fully developmental pathways…The nurture resurgence is...
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