"There exists today a being which, unlike everything else in the world, does not appear at birth as a 'prefabricated system', but which has still to be constructed and has everything to learn .......

The natural in man is due to inborn heredity the cultural to his acquired heritage .... Even in the purely organic sphere it is difficult to draw the line between what is natural and what is cultural.

The size and weight of a child for instance depend upon heredity factors as well as favourable living conditions which, in turn, depend upon the way of life and on the level of civilisation. If food, light and warmth - not to mention affection - are missing, then the proper pattern of growth will be seriously disturbed. In the domain of psychology it becomes frankly impossible to make any distinction between nature and culture. Nevertheless, it is clear that the conditions for the existence and development of biological life are physical and external whereas the forces which shape man's psychological life are social ones .......

Once the notion of the hereditary, determination of mental characteristics, either by the individual or by the species, was exposed to rigorous and objecti

The final case of feral children comes from the "Wolf" children, Kamala and Amala. Unlike Anna, Isabella and Genie, they had possible contact with other living creatures. It must be said, however, that these creatures were probably wolves, (Haralambros, 1986). The Reverend Singh who rescued them stated that; after six years the eldest girl, Kamala spoke approximately forty words. However, both children never smiled and showed little or no emotion. The possible difference between these two girls and other examples mentioned, was that although their behaviour seemed to imitate wolves, or at least a four-legged creature, they had some form of contact with another creature. This may lead to the possibility that they did respond to teaching and nurturing as a result of this contact, as opposed to Genie, whose progress was extremely slow and retrogressive.

In summary, as we go back to Malson's narrative, we may say that biology determines our genes and physical make-up. However, as un-prefabricated systems or 'blank slates' it is the responsibility of society and all its aspects members to make ever-lasting impressions on that slate.

One such feral child was Anna, (Kingsley Davis, 1940). Anna suffered terribly, living in deplorable conditions. Anna showed severe deprivation in all aspects. Having been kept in an attic for five years and only given milk to keep her just barely alive, one can only imagine the severe damage such conditions had affected the girl. Anna was feeble and extremely thin. She lacked the capacity to laugh, smile or even speak. She appeared to be in a world of her own. Anna's situation proved to be an extremely instructive case, because scientists could truly discover how the impact of not experiencing social interaction would effect a human being. Anna's condition demonstrated that because of her isolation, she had not developed any capacity for thought, any emotions or meaningful behaviour. The cruel and barbaric way in which she had lived didn't require her to have such characteristics.

Another important point is that it is quite a difficult task to discover if behaviour is innate or learned. Past research suggests that the behaviour of an infant is difficult to determine because an infant's abilities are only realised several weeks after birth, and therefore, by that time, they have been exposed to the learning environment.

ve examination it lost any suggestion of truth and joined other pre-concepts in the museum of legend and myth .......

The process of socialisation takes place in cultural and social settings and through various agencies of socialisation. Socialisation may occur in basic everyday situations, (Morrow, 1999). Such situations are of vital importance when moulding an adult into what he or she becomes as a social animal. Agents of socialisation include, family, friends, school, the work place and the mass media. In addition to this, Cooley (1902) suggest that there are two stages of socialisation. These two stratum contribute to the ongoing process of the refinement and formulation of our own perceptions of our identity. These two stages are called primary and secondary socialisation.

(Current evidence) points towards our own conclusion that the search for human nature among 'wild' children has always proved fruitless precisely because human nature can appear only, when human existence has entered the social context."

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2695
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)