Child Development and Epigenetics

Reflection: Child Development

The short video Epigenetics () highlights the degree to being a twin can disturb the individual’s sense of self and self-development. One twin actually comments that she feels “she” looks bad when her twin is not wearing makeup. But the video also highlights how even persons who are genetic clones can be significantly different because of environmental influences. The prenatal environment can turn some genes on or off, and the environment can make it easier for certain genes to be expressed. This may cause a greater likelihood, for example, of one twin to develop cancer and thus have a profoundly different emotional as well as physical trajectory versus the healthy twin. It is important to note that human nature is not an entirely blank slate for development; nurture alone does not influence human beings. Different human brains and bodies may respond to nurturing in profoundly different ways (Stephen Pinker, 2008).

Very rigid concepts of child moral and intellectual development can be problematic, given how biology and culture can influence the developing child’s work in tandem. For example, different cultures may prioritize certain concepts, ways of looking at the world, behaviors, or traits above others. Different societies may have different conceptions of volume and mass, physical attractiveness, what traits are valuable, or prioritize the individual versus the collective or vice versa, contrary to some developmental theorists’ view of human behavior as universally consistent.

Both videos show the importance of society investing in early childhood education, even if children cannot be entirely altered from their fundamental orientation at birth. Finally, both videos highlight the importance of allowing for individual differences in education and vocational preparation, since treating people who are born with profound differences exactly the same does not necessarily promote true equality in the long run.