Nature or Nuture?

[Looshkin]

Why do you think men are more likely to abandon their offspring?

Is it more common in any other culture?

Do we unconsciously teach young boys and girls that this is suitable or acceptable within our society, or do you believe this is biological as apposed to learned behaviour?

Do you believe that the self entitlement, selfish capitalist society we live in influences it, or is culture not an influence?

[Lily_Pad]

Hrmmm what an interesting thought.
I think it's a bit of both.
It started off biological and now it's just learned and accepted behaviour.

Can I ask a question that might sound stupid?? When we were all cavemen and cavewomen, did we stay with the same partner for life?

[missie_mack]

I would like to think it is more nurture. If people made it unacceptable and stopped making excuses for men that did perhaps it wouldn't happen at the rate it does.

I would hate to think it would be nature as it would simply be giving those who do another excuse :(

[ImNotJustAnymum]

I know in a few other cultures that its the man who gets the children in divorce.... so I think its something that is learned...
I know that many men in australia often see the kids thing as womens work- they dont have the confidence to do things that we do automatically hence they prob find it easier to walk away knowing that the mum will be there looking after them and not actually missing their input iykwim... not saying its right.. but not as many women walk away from their kids as the opposite happens- worrying who will look after them properly if they are not there . How many of us are often hesitant about leaving the house for a few hours for worry about whether things will be under control in our absence.

[missie_mack]

Bump :)

[sandy cheeks]

I think it's because in some cases the man has no attachment to the child he didn't birth it, nor did it grow inside of him.
Also if you add to that a unplanned preg and parents that don’t get on.
I think it's kinda easy for them in a way if I didn't grow/birth my kids I don’t think I would be as close and could walk away prob because I'm as shallow as a male I don’t know see I can get dad’s walking away it’s when a mother leaves I can’t make sense of it.

[Mrs Nietzsche]

It is hard to know what happened when we were cave men and cave women.

As best we can tell, men and women raised children in groups. Family groupings have been discovered in burial plots, ie man, woman, children.

If you take a big look at all the cultures in the world, there is a huge huge diversity. Fatherhood isn't always even a recognised concept. *most* (not all) but a high majority of cultures seem to have some concept of 'marriage' though it may not be permanent. Mothers generally are primary carers of babies and children (usually with many secondary carers).

[A Party of Five]

Thoughts, feelings and emotions are influenced mainly by nuture because, taking racists for example, they aren't born hating coloured people, its instilled in them by their parents or elders or those in their society. The same applies to all perspectives people have on life. We aren't born with these ideas, we learn them through time as we are forced to conform to the beliefs of our culture or the people around us. Of course not everyone conforms, some people make their own beliefs which they believe are more relevant than those of others. The one exception that I can see to the nuture/nature theory is homosexuality as it is usually not endorsed by cultures and families with a gay son or daughter usually try to make them go straight.

Thats my opinion.

[Deserama]

I think the jury will always be out on this subject. Dh and I were having the very same discussion today about criminals.

[sockstealingpoltergeist]

Why do you think men are more likely to abandon their offspring?

I believe it is mostly a cultural thing. If people are willing to accept men are often tricked into habing children etc, then it is easy to see why many people make excuses for men who have obsconded.
Is it more common in any other culture?

I do believe we see a lot more of it in the west.


Do we unconsciously teach young boys and girls that this is suitable or acceptable within our society, or do you believe this is biological as apposed to learned behaviour?
I believe many boys and girls are shown by others that it is acceptable. Men are often privileged by others and if and when women behave the way some men do, they are treated with far more contempt.

Do you believe that the self entitlement, selfish capitalist society we live in influences it, or is culture not an influence?

Definately:yes:, it is a problem in many areas in our capitalist society, however many parents don't think in a humane way about their own children, thinking only of themselves and their pockets.