Nature vs. Nurture Debate

Whenever I think about the nature vs. nurture debate it always frustrates me because it's hard for me to pick a side. I think that the person you become has to do with both nature AND nurture.... a combination of both. There is hard scientific evidence that male and female brains work differently and that's just how it is and how someone is born. But I do also strongly believe that nurture or socialization have a lot to do with it. Our book says that, "No individuals are immune from the reactions of others around them which influence and modify their behavior at all phases of the life course." So even if parents raise a child one way, a boy could go to school and be laughed at for liking barbies or girly things by his peers. When he sees his peers react like that, he's going to feel like he's not acting the way he's supposed to. I think no matter how you socialize someone gender roles are inevitable. This is because of socialization because society has always viewed men and woman differently. Women used to be able to vote and always stayed at home with the family and men were considered the tough ones who were allowed to speak up. If you think about it, our society has come a long way from those long ago gender roles that were in place. Women can vote, play sports, and do everything a man can. So maybe as more time goes on there will be less gender roles, but I do think they are inevitable.

I think people are born with certain personality traits in them. Two twins usually have very opposite interest or personalities, even if they were nurtured the same. But there's also a distinct difference in the way people act if they were born in a rich family instead of a poor one. There's a difference between someone who was raised with 7 siblings and someone who was an only child. Many also send their kids to private school because they believe they are "socializing" them better or "nurturing" them better than the kids who just go to public school. Some people can't understand homosexuality because their whole life they were told it was wrong while some people completely accept it because their whole life they were told it was okay. Nurture has a big role in shaping your thoughts, but I can still never decide which side I'm on in the Nature vs. Nurture debate, because I know there's been evidence out there that proves the male and female brain are scientifically different.