Social Theory

Overview:
Understanding what motivates and shapes human social behavior is a fundamental issue that all social scientists must engage. Moreover, all social theories are premised on some assumption about human nature (or the lack of) and the role of nurture (environment). Therefore, for this assignment you must write a 6 page paper (double spaced) on nature vs. nurture (biology vs. culture) by developing a supported assessment of the role of nature and nurture in shaping human social behavior and society. This will require you to take a sociological view of the topic (not a psychological view) by exploring how shared biology and/or shared culture shapes social behavior, social arrangements, and society outcomes. Your focus must be on society not the individual.
Your paper should accomplish the following:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the main views of human nature found in social thought.
2. Identify and discuss the strengths and limitations of each major view of human nature.
3. Build an argument that defends nature (i.e., shared biology) over nurture (i.e., shared culture) in dictating social behaviors and societal outcomes. Your stance needs to offer a well-reasoned “why” that is supported with concrete examples (no fiction) that are not rooted in individual or psychological reasoning. Here you are saying which one is “more” important, not that only one is important.
4. Develop and argument that demonstrates how taking elements of the nature argument and mixing them with elements of the nurture argument can be together to better understand social behavior, society, and societal outcomes.
5. Offer insight into how learning about nature and nurture from a sociological perspective has impacted your understanding human social behavior and social outcomes.
Accomplishing the above will require you to understand the premises and assumptions of all three major views of human nature as well as the nurture argument. This means putting in the time to learn from the lectures, readings, and videos provided to you. You should also ask questions!
Directions:
Use the outline below to write a paper that accomplished the five goals above. You can cite readings, lectures, and videos where appropriate, but it is possible to write the paper without direct quotes. You should focus on identifying relevant (concrete) examples to support your logic, arguments, and reasoning. That is, you need to offer a “why” that is supported while engaging in critical thinking. Students will be required to follow the outline below and include headings for every sections. Finally, students will need to thoroughly edit the paper. Poor grammar, run-on sentences, poorly worded arguments, etc. will impact your grade. If you have issues with writing you will need to use Tutor.com located at the top of all Brightspace pages. All papers must be submitted as Word documents that can be submitted to Turnitin.com.
Required Paper Outline
DO NOT INCLUDE A TITLE PAGE (Your name on the first line is fine).
I. Introduction (1-1 ½ pages): Identify and discuss the 3 major views of human nature derived from the Enlightenment thinkers and religion.
A. A focused discussion on the core assertions of all three views about “how humans are in their natural state” should be the primary focus. Offering brief examples to support the premise will help frame your paper for the remaining sections.
II. Strengths and Weaknesses (1 ½ -2 pages):
A. Using a concrete social example, identify one strength and one weakness of each of the 3 views of human nature in terms of their ability to explain human social behavior and social outcomes. For this section, keep in mind you are not critiquing the views of human nature as a philosophy about how people “should be;” you are critiquing each view’s claim about how people actually “are” in their “natural” state. Thus, you are trying to identify strengths associated with saying humans are a certain way and weaknesses with saying they are a certain way. You should do so in relation to how they help or hurt sociologists’ ability to understand human social behavior and society.
Hint: You may only need one concrete example per view since a good example can simultaneously highlight a strength and a weakness.
III. Nature (Biology) vs. Nurture (Culture):
A. Using a concrete social example, discuss why you believe “nature” (universal being) or “nurture” (blank slate) is more important for explaining social behavior and emergent properties (1-1 ½ pages). It is fine to think that both are important (which will be the focus of the next section), but for now I want you to choose one over the other and make a case for why. You must include at least one concrete example to support your arguments. Your example should not be on the individual level or deal with psychology, it should be rooted in society or a group.
Note: The internet is your friend. There are unlimited news stories and lots of historical records that you can search and use as concrete examples. Find something historical and think about how shared biology or shared culture might help explain the event or how people (in general) behaved in the event. Think sociologically!
IV. Understanding Social Reality: Choose one of the following paths (2-3 pages):
A. Using a different example, develop an argument and explain why it is necessary to account for both nature and nurture when studying human social behavior, society (i.e., social structure), and society outcomes. You should have an example for each: one example for social behavior, one example for social structure, and one example for societal outcomes. Thus, each example needs to help support the argument that both nature (biology) and nurture (culture) play a role when explaining social behavior and aspects of social reality. Do not over think this!
V. Conclusion: Not a traditional conclusion! (Paragraph to 1 page).
A. Provide a statement on how your new understanding of the nature vs. nurture argument from a sociological perspective has changed how you understand society and human social behavior. Describe any new limits or possibilities that you are now aware of, or topics that you might be more interested in researching. You should support your reasoning with at least one example or provide a statement about a new insight you gained.

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