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What does it mean to find a gene or set of genes that are
associated with ADHD, schizophrenia, or autism? Could we eradicate
such diseases from our species through gene therapy? Is it possible
to eradicate from our genome the genetic material that predisposes
us to be too aggressive, too shy, less intelligent, or not active
enough? Who has the political power and/or moral authority to make
these decisions? The premise of Nature and Nurture is that the
complexity of the transactions between nature and nurture--between
genes and the environment from the cellular to the cultural
level--make these questions incredibly complex and in need of
careful attention by educators, scientists, the public, and
policymakers. A product of the conference held at Brown University
in 2001, this book suggests that genes and environments work
together interactively in a complex and closely intertwined
fashion. The contributors to this book--biologists, psychologists,
psychiatrists, and economists--present knowledge that enables
research and application to transcend the traditional question of
whatever variance or significance is attributed to genetics versus
environment in the development of a particular behavioral trait.
This book presents a variety of views on the current status of
knowledge about the ways in which dynamic, developmental, mutually
interactive systems in the genetic and environmental domains
operate. The chapters represent contributions from different
perspectives.
Julio Morales describes the Puerto Rican nation as being comprised
of those individuals who identify themselves as Puerto Ricans. This
includes almost 6. 2 million people who live primarily, but not
exclu sively, on the island of Puerto Rico, and in the northeastern
United States. One gets to be a Puerto Rican by various means. You
are Puerto Rican if you are born in Puerto Rico, although at the
same time you are an American because you were born there. You are
Puerto Rican if your parents are Puerto Rican, even if you have
never visited the island, have never eaten arroz y habichuelas, and
have never spoken a word in Spanish. You can be a second and third
generation Puerto Rican of mixed marriage, be highly acculturated
to American culture, but when asked, you say proudly, "I am a
Puerto Rican. " You can meet some of us whose world is bicultural,
a world where English and Spanish are easily interchanged, where
traditional Thanksgiving turkey is followed by lechon asado at
Christmas as the main treat, where salsa or bolero are enjoyed with
the same passion as rock'n roll or the big band sound. It is a
world where various cultures have merged and the historical forces
of slavery and Spanish and American colonialism have left their
indelible marks on the psyche."
This collection of original papers explores the psychological and
social development of the Puerto Rican woman from a lifespan
developmental perspective. Using a wide range of methodologies and
perspectives, the book addresses important issues of growth and
development, among them cultural constructs of womanhood,
adaptation to school, early pregnancy, sexuality, migration,
autonomy, family interaction, and aging. Choice This collection of
original papers explores the psychological and social development
of the Puerto Rican woman from a lifespan developmental
perspective. Using a wide range of methodologies and perspectives,
the book is organized around the major developmental stages:
childhood and adolescence, adulthood, and growing old. An ideal
supplemental text for courses in the psychology of women, Puerto
Rican studies, and cross-cultural psychology, the book addresses
important issues of growth and development, among them cultural
constructs of womanhood, adaptation to school, early pregnancy,
sexuality, migration, autonomy, family interaction, and aging. The
book begins with an introductory section that examines the social,
demographic, and cultural variables that affect Puerto Rican women
and provides a historical and social context for understanding the
profound changes experienced by the Puerto Rican people in recent
decades. In the section of childhood and adolescence two chapters
look at how Puerto Rican girls learn the American student role and
the problems of adolescent pregnancy respectively. The following
group of papers explore developmental issues during adulthood, with
separate chapters on the effects of social background on the
expression of female sexuality, the implications of cross-cultural
transitions, the role of the single female head of household, the
conflict between autonomy and social networks, and the problems of
elderly Puerto Rican women. Taken together, these essays offer a
spirited contribution to the women's studies curriculum.
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