Is my sociology teacher right or wrong (nature vs nurture etc…)?
First off, I believe the environment, or nurture, plays a much bigger role than genetics, or nature. However, in sociology, another way of putting this debate is between structure, the environment, versus agency or individual choice. Agency plays a strong role but I believe it is limited to the person’s environmental conditions. Someone who lives in poverty may want to pursue education and better themselves and not have to resort to minimum wage jobs or crime for subsistence. But if their community has a poor educational system due to underfunding by the city or state (this is where institutionalized racism comes in), the individual does not a realistic choice. Not to mention, there may be other environmental factors that influence agency such as the type of people they are surrounded by or the need to support the family immediately that can not wait for a good education. If a black person grew up in a middle-class neighborhood with a good school system, chances are they will become mo
