Download Social Isolation

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?
Every human being is a product of
a. Biology
b. Society
c. Personal experiences
In other words we are a product of heredity
(NATURE) and environment (NURTURE).
The debate
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SOCIOBIOLOGY: the systematic study of how
biology affects social behavior.
Sociobiologists assert that nature, in the form
of our genetic makeup, is a major factor in
shaping human behavior.
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Zoologist who pioneered sociobiology.
Believed that genetic inheritance underlies
many forms of social behavior:
◦ War and peace
◦ Envy and concern for others
◦ Competition and cooperation
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Sociologists focus on how humans design
their own culture and transmit it from
generation to generation through
socialization.
Most sociologists disagree with the notion
that biological principles can be used to
explain all human behavior.
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Except for simple reflexes, there is hardly a
human behavior that is not influenced
socially.
Social environment probably has a greater
effect than heredity on the way we develop
and the way we act.
Isolation and Nonhuman Primates:
The Harlow Experiment
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Harry and Margaret Harlow
attempted to demonstrate the effects
of social isolation on rhesus
monkeys.
They took infant monkeys from their
mothers and isolated them in
separate cages.
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Each cage contained two “mother”
substitutes:
◦ One made with wire and a feeding bottle
◦ One made of cloth with no feeding bottle
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The infant monkeys instinctively clung to the
cloth mother seeking warmth, affection and
physical comfort.
They only went to the wire monkey for
feeding.
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HARLOW EXPERIMENT
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RESULTS
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This shows the detrimental effects of
isolation on nonhuman primates.
Without social contact, the monkeys did not
learn how to relate to other monkeys.
Because humans rely more heavily on social
learning than monkeys, the process of
socialization is even more important for us.