Nature Nuture debate

Nativism

Many of our physical characteristics are inherited. In addition, certain personality traits appear to be linked to genetics, so people with specific genetic conditions may have an associated personality type. For example William's syndrome is associated with very high levels of sociability. Many Downs people are expectionally loving. This had led many scientists to argue that hard wired to behave in certain ways.

Nativists take an extreme position with regards to genetics. They argue that the social characteristcs of people have arisen through evolution. Logically this leads to highly challenging political positions such as the belief that women are hard-wired to domestic labour and child rearing while men are sexually agressive. Such arguments have been used to justify both the opression of women and extreme racist opinions.

Nature Theories

These theories are less extreme than nativisim, but the view that human behaviour is prompted by biology rather than society is still significant. Such ideas appear in daily life through common expressions such as "boys will be boys." The academic argument originates alongside theories of evolution, and the position is that people are governed by instincts, which are fixed patterns of behaviour that are inherited and influence human actions. There is evidence drawn from psychologists which…