Comparing John Locke's And Jean-Jacques Rousseau

My Understanding about Nature-Nurture As I read John Locke’s and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s theories I became more and more intrigued with their points of view. I have to admit that I agreed more with one than the other but nevertheless both had valid points and interesting ways of seeing human development. John “Locke argues that observations of children will show that...ideas are not present from the beginning and that they are learned” (Crain, 2011 p. 7). He goes on to say that “it is more accurate to think of the child’s mind as a blank slate, and whatever comes into the mind comes from the environment” (Crain, 2011 p. 7). What I understand Locke is saying is that a child does not learn on their own the tools and skills they need to succeed. They need a guide, a mentor to help them along the way. It did not seem to me that he was saying we needed to drill rules and guidelines but rather be an example to children and to guide not by rules but with our actions. Growing up in a Hispanic culture, with a single mom, in a new country which language and culture I did not know; I needed a lot of help from others. At that stage in my life I feel I needed a lot of nurturing from people around me because I wanted to feel safe and learn the essential survival skills I needed to survive and be successful in my new life. My …show more content…
I have expectations of the way my children should behave, I try to model the tools they need to succeed in life, and I have enculturated my beliefs, values and culture in them. Nevertheless, I am aware that there will be moments in their life when their nurture upbringing will be tested and I believe that through those tests they will become the person they are meant to be because it will be through those experiences that they will build character and