Stockard and Johnson’s thesis clearly states that human nature is more significantly influenced biologically than cultural influence. By stating that “ biological influences appear to affect psychological traits by increasing the likelihood that certain behaviors such as aggression or nurturance will appear” (Stockard and Johnson, 190) makes one understands that a man is more likely to be aggressive while a woman can be more caring. However the author went into further detail stating, “hormones are neither necessary nor sufficient for these behaviors” shows that the author is not disagreeing with the influence of culture on behavior, but the biological aspect of it is inevitable.
Barrett however, wants the reader to understand that human act upon “symbols” (Barrett, 56). Symbols can be seen as an agreed-upon language, which allows human to function together. For example he states that, “ a day of the week …show more content…
Both goes about this by discoursing the ways human use culture influence to affect their social behavior. I think both authors did a good job of convincing the reader on this thesis because they both gave great examples of how humans use culture to determine our behavior and the way we conduct ourselves in society. An example would be when Barrett uses the case studies on the little girl who was locked in her room for 13 years with no human contact and how that impacted her ability to conduct herself due to the physical and mental disabilities from being quarantined for her entire life. This was a valuable example to support his thesis because it shows exactly what lack of enculturation can do to a human and how important it is in our society that sets us apart from other species. Even though we are biologically composed, the cultural norms are still crucial in meeting certain expectations in human
Barrett however, wants the reader to understand that human act upon “symbols” (Barrett, 56). Symbols can be seen as an agreed-upon language, which allows human to function together. For example he states that, “ a day of the week …show more content…
Both goes about this by discoursing the ways human use culture influence to affect their social behavior. I think both authors did a good job of convincing the reader on this thesis because they both gave great examples of how humans use culture to determine our behavior and the way we conduct ourselves in society. An example would be when Barrett uses the case studies on the little girl who was locked in her room for 13 years with no human contact and how that impacted her ability to conduct herself due to the physical and mental disabilities from being quarantined for her entire life. This was a valuable example to support his thesis because it shows exactly what lack of enculturation can do to a human and how important it is in our society that sets us apart from other species. Even though we are biologically composed, the cultural norms are still crucial in meeting certain expectations in human