Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual,Transgender,Queer 113 - How to Build a Baby:A Developmental Science Approach to the Nature-Nurture Debate

Institution:

Colgate University

Subject:

Description:

S. Kelly If one were a highly developed, extraterrestrial scientist with advanced technology to engineer organisms from other planets, how would one build a human baby What kind of brain would one design What kinds of social, emotional, and cognitive predispositions would be included What kind of environment would one provide To answer these questions, one must determine what is innate and what is learned in human development. Although this "nature-nurture" question can be traced back to ancient philosophers (right here on Earth!), modern-day science has made great strides in exploring (and reformulating) this question. In this class, students first explore some pop-culture approaches to this issue. Then, they briefly trace the history of the debate to its foundations in classical and modern philosophy. Finally, students compare these philosophical and pop-culture perspectives to modern-day scientific approaches. This is accomplished through primary and secondary readings, class discussions, and group presentations. In the end, students may discover that the answers to the "nature-nurture" question are not on a planet far, far way - but rather closer to home than they have ever be

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

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Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.colgate.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 228-1000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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