Nature Vs Nurture Debate

In order for an individual to be properly integrated into society, they must be socialised. “The process of social interaction that teaches the child the intellectual, physical and social skills needed to function as a member of society is called socialisation” (Tischler, 2010: 75). Socialisation enables a child to learn the norms and values of society in which they are born into As a result of this, the child develops their own personality, behaviour patterns and ways of thinking. In this essay I will critically discuss the concept of socialisation, providing valid sociological arguments for and against various theories such as the “Nature vs Nurture” debate, G. H. Mead's theory of social behaviourism and why socialisation is an important

Infants have to be taught basic life functions such as learning how to stand up, talk, eat and to think, all of which are an essential part of a child’s early socialisation process in order to progress further in life. For example, a child cannot progress to school if it is unable to walk or talk. The following example demonstrates just how serious extreme isolation and deprivation of children in early childhood can be. Some unusual events and research indicate that human infants need more than just food and shelter if they are to function effectively as social creatures (Tischler, 2010: 79). An example of such a case of extreme childhood isolation was a girl named Genie in 1970. She was enclosed in a small bedroom and harnessed to an infant’s potty seat throughout her entire life. She was unable to move anything apart from her fingers and hands, feet and toes, hour after hour, day after day, month after month, year after year (Rhymer, 1993, cited in Henry Tischler, 2010: p.79). After the case came to the attention of authorities, she was badly malnourished, unable to speak or stand upright correctly. Although after being looked after and cared for, there were still serious problems with her language development that could not be corrected (Curtiss,