SY103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: The Bell Curve, Feral Child, Twin Study
Document Summary
: bridge between the environment and genes or may operate on its own to shape who we are (miller, 2012: 47) Studies in epigenetics suggest that genetic material may change in response to our social environment. Neither social nor biological determinism fully explains human behaviour. Conclusion: humans are both free-willed and driven by biology and culture. Studies of feral children suggest that our biological makeup sets time limits on our abilities to acquire language and make connections to others. Without language, we not only cannot connect with others, but we have no means of developing self-awareness. The bell curve (herrnstein and murray, 1994) Self-fulfilling prophecy: an expectation that leads to behaviour that causes the expectation to become a reality . The problem - shift from individual differences to one focused on group differences. Focus on the development of a self or awareness about one"s personal and social identity. Self concept is socially created through interaction with others.
