Girls Gone Wild!

Forget food, water, and oxygen! Nature and nurture are much more important! They aid in survival for all animals, mainly humans. Studies have shown that children who are neglected while they are babies develop much slower than children who receive proper care throughout their early years. Child neglect causes retardation and stunts brain development. In an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Danielle, a feral child, was found in an abandoned house and she did not have the ability to communicate with the policemen who found her. After being nurtured by her foster family, Danielle has been slowly but surely gaining the ability to function in the real world. Nature and nurture are important because today's society has transformed from diverse to "survival of the fittest." If a person does not have the ability to communicate, he/she will have a very hard time fitting in society because they do not have the proper socialization basics that a majority of people receive at young ages. In the articles given in class, one can learn that people are the biggest influence that humans depend on for growth. Family, friends, and co-workers give people an identity, and the types of environments people surround themselves with affect the way their children act. Because I was raised in an upper-middle class family, I have been extremely disciplined by my parents. They set high expectations for me, and I would never do anything that would make people think less of me because I want to maintain a good reputation. I have to act a certain way around my grandparents. For example, when my grandpa asks me how I'm doing, I am expected to respond with "I'm fine thanks, how are you?" under all circumstances. I follow these guidelines subconsciously because as an obedient person, I avoid trouble when possible.