EXD 355-105 Biology of Humanity: Nature vs. Nurture

3 Semester Hours
Dr. Shelli Williams
Shelli.williams@gmail.com
6 month contract

*Contract director prefers contact to be made via email at shelli.williams@gmail.com. If further contact or discussion is needed, a scheduled phone conference will be arranged.

Important Contract Policies

One of the key debates among biologists and social scientists is how much of human nature is caused by our genetic material and how much is a side-effect of the environment in which we are raised. This course seeks to offer a chance for students to explore these debates through a variety of published works of non-fiction.

Learning Objectives

The student will be exposed to discussions of the nature-versus-nurture debate, some expressly stated, others inherent in the subject matter. By the end of this contract, the student should have a better understanding of these arguments as well as a more clearly elucidated personal opinion.

Methodology

The works listed in the Resources section will be read by each student and an essay prepared as detailed below. Each essay must be 3-5 pages ouble-spaced typewritten pages, using Times New Roman 12-point font. Each must contain the following:

1. A critical discussion of the book, offering a general summary of the entire work.
2. A more detailed discussion of any single aspect of the book which the student felt particularly affected him/her.
3. A summary discussion of how the book impacted the student’s impressions of humanity and personal feelings on the subject matter covered in each book.
4. Essays should be submitted individually. Students will await feedback on each submission before proceeding with the next essay.

Additionally, for each resource, students should perform the following exercises:

1. After reading the back cover summarizing the book, the student should record his/her initial personal feelings on the topic to be discussed.
2. After reading each work, the student should then record his/her personal feelings on the information they have read.

These records do not have to be well-organized in a professional manner. Instead, this is the student’s time to express his/her opinion in a stream of consciousness style if so desired. These records should be submitted with the formal essays detailed above for each resource.

Each student is required to submit a final essay discussing their views on what ‘humanity’ means and how this course has impacted their overall views of this definition. This essay should also be 4-6 pages in length, with the same formatting criteria as above.

Resources

1. Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aguili, Vince Rause (Ballantine Books, 2002)
2. Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human Matt Ridley (HarperCollins, 2004)
3. The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History Howard Bloom (Atlantic Monthly Press, 1997)
4. Genes, People, and Languages Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (Penguin Books Ltd, 2001)

Evaluation

All written assignments will be evaluated by the Contract Director for both content as outlined above and writing style (proofreading, grammar, etc.). All written assignments will carry the same weight in determining the final course grade (4 essays with log detailing personal feelings and final essay summarizing new view of ‘humanity’). The final essay carries the same weight despite its longer length as preparation time should be less for this assignment.

Academic Outreach | New College | College of Continuing Studies | The University of Alabama | Disclaimer