Saturday, March 25, 2006
12:00 AM
Genes or socialization???
ok dis is my third installation today hahaha... cant help if coz was talkin 2 nurul on the way home tadi (again hehehe ala kate khatib clan per....) anway, dunno why suddenly talked about her module last sem 'Singapore Society' and she mentioned that there is this policy of Graduate Mothers scheme. basically, the core purpose is to ensure graduate moms have 2 or more babies, while others to have 2 or less. correct me if im wrong nurul :p anyway, the basic principle underlying this policy is to have a lineage of smart babies - a biological concept where genes of smart parents are passed down to their offspring.
perhaps, i kinda disagree with this argument. i tink that genes may play a role but is not a critical variable in 'producing' smart babies. What i tink is a more apparent concept is class. the reason why 'smart' parents bring up 'smart babies/kids' is because they are able to prepare them well for social life. this is done through the socialisation process in instilling them with middle class values, giving them proper kindergarten education so that they are given a headstart to propel up the education ladder. along the way, parents who want the best for their kids, provide for them with good tuition teachers, good schools etc and all this help to make these kids successful to get a degree, good job, good spouse and a good life and the cycle continues. on the other hand, working class parents with their meagre of 'just nice' income, are unable to provide much for their kids and because of the incomplete socialisation process, they enter primary education (so called the level playing ground) at a disadvantaged position. They then become frustrated to not being able to attain/achieve results and become ritualists (go sch coz dey have to) or rebels (go agst the sch sys or drop out). Once out of sch, they get jobs and perhaps with lower ambitions are unable to experience social mobility. the cycle would continue with their children. it is true that there are success stories, but most working class children are structurally constrained hence limiting their choice even if they wan to break away. hence, i feel that class structures plays a even more critical variable in determining the lineage of smart children rather than just genes alone. wads ur take?
.sincera fazzy.
