Final answer:
Biology and the environment both influence human development. Factors such as famine, infections, climactic shifts, and cultural practices impact human biology. The nature vs. nurture debate has shifted towards recognizing the influence of both biological and social factors on human behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
In recent years, most scholars agree that both biology and the environment influence human development. The discipline of developmental biology has shown that environmental factors can impact our biological development. For example, a fetus whose mother faces famine or infections during pregnancy will receive different environmental signals compared to a fetus that receives proper nutrition and is not exposed to infections.
Additionally, anthropologists and archaeologists have studied how the environment has shaped the emergence and development of human biology throughout history. They have found that climactic shifts and environmental characteristics have influenced physical traits, religious beliefs, gender relations, food-getting strategies, and political systems.
It is important to note that humans also interact with their environment based on their culture. Different cultures have different subsistence patterns and material culture, which can impact human biology over generations. Moreover, the environment plays a significant role in contemporary society, particularly with climate change and environmental degradation affecting governance, intercultural relationships, and daily lives.
The nature vs. nurture debate, which examines how biological factors and social factors shape human behavior, is no longer a debate in mainstream sciences. Both biology and social factors are recognized to shape human behavior. Scholars in psychology and sociology emphasize the importance of self-development and socialization in understanding human behavior.
In conclusion, biology and the environment both have a significant influence on human development. Environmental factors can affect biological development, and the environment has shaped human biology and cultural adaptations throughout history. Culture also impacts human biology, and both biology and social factors contribute to human behavior. Humans are interconnected with the ecosystems they inhabit, and their dependence on the environment is crucial for their existence.