Sunday, January 31, 2010
Genie
From the moment she was discovered nearly 40 years ago the girl that the world would come to know as "Genie" captivated the attention of many. The details of the abuse, neglect, and nearly total isolation that she had suffered at the hands of her own father were difficult to comprehend. Unfortunately for Genie her case also represented a once in a lifetime opportunity for neurologists, linguists, psychologists and others to test their theories of human development and socialization. Many in the academic and scientific communities hoped that the case could shed some light on the age-old nature vs. nurture debate. The concept that would eventually be known as tabula rasa, that humans are a "blank slate" at birth with no innate mental content and must gain all knowledge through experience, can be traced back to Aristotle. However, others believe that heredity (nature) plays a more important part in human development than environment (nurture). Genie's unfortunate upbringing, or lack thereof, provided a unique chance to investigate the influence of these forces on an individual's development. Of particular interest was the acquisition of language. Is the potential to develop language an innate aspect of the human brain, hardwired in at birth, or does the development of language rely solely on education received during one's formative years? Members of the Genie team, as the researchers working with her were often called, thought that Genie could either prove or disprove the critical period hypothesis, which had been popularized a few years before Genie's discovery by Eric Lenneberg's Biological Foundations of Language (1967). Unfortunately, many believe that in their zeal to perform groundbreaking research the Genie team lost sight of what was best for Genie. Her case leaves us with so many questions. Who deserves most of the blame for the condition that Genie is in today? Her father? Her mother? The Genie team? Does her brother deserve to share any of the blame? What can her case tell us about the importance of heredity and environment, or nature and nurture, on the development of a human being? Would Genie have been the way she is today regardless of her upbringing, as we can't rule out the possibility that she was in fact mentally retarded from birth (as her father was told and evidently believed)? Did her case prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis or did the team give up on her too soon? Finally, and most importantly, how could this case have been handled differently and what could still be done for Genie today? What say you? I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.
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Genie's parents are the ones to blame for the condition she is in today. The fact that a doctor told Genie's father that she was mentally retarded and he felt the need to "protect" her from the rest of the world is no excuse for locking her away in a dark room, chained to a potty chair for almost thirteen years. Though her mother suffered from cataracts and was mentally, emotionally, and maybe even physically abused by her husband, why did it take her thirteen years to get the courage to leave and take Genie with her? You'd think if she was that badly mistreated she would have never plucked up the courage to leave for fear of her life and the life of her children. I also think that the police and the family doctors are slightly to blame as well. How could anyone allow Clark Wiley to have more children after he left one of his children in a dresser because she cried? And how come the family doctors never followed up after Genie's first few visits to them? She was reported as being a sick child. How come no one noticed when she stopped come around so often for visits? I can't really blame Genie's brother, John, too much as he was also abused by their father who blamed him for his Grandmother's death. However, he was five years older than Genie, so he would have been about eighteen when Genie was found. Why didn't he do anything then? He was a legal adult. Why didn't he try to get Genie any help? The Genie Team deserves the least blame of all. Though some were only in it for the fame like Jean Butler, Genie's teacher. Others, however, genuinely cared about Genie and her future. Susan Curtiss, for example, seemed to be one of the people who truly cared about Genie's future. When funding for the Genie Team ended, she was the only team member who followed up on Genie in her foster homes. The only reason she isn't still helping out Genie today is because Irene, Genie's mother, sued the research team for "excessive and outrageous testing" and claimed they didn't care for Genie's welfare. Though most of the team did ditch Genie once funding ran out, there were a few good people who stuck around. Therefore, I do not think they were to blame for Genie's current condition. Other people to blame for Genie's condition were her foster families. Genie never really got a strong grasp on language so she found other ways to communicate such as drawing pictures and sign language. One of her foster families wouldn't let her use sign language to communicate because they didn't think she should be treated any differently then their other foster children, even after they were told about the special circumstances surrounding Genie's case. The same family also punished Genie for vomiting, which caused Genie to stop eating, talking, or even opening her mouth for fear of getting sick again and being punished. This caused her to relapse back into the same, scared and abused girl she was when the team first found her. As you can see, many people in Genie's life are to blame for her current condition. If anyone had showed her the slightest bit of love... her family, the Genie team, her foster families... Genie's case might have turned out differently.
ReplyDeleteThe tragedy that is named "Genie" is heart breaking. It is difficult to rate the amount of blame that should be put on each person involved because there were so many wrong moves in this case. Obviously, her father was the leading cause of trauma. He deprived her of any normal childhood experiences which eventually lead to the destruction of any chance at an independent adult life. Her mother shouldn't have been able to walk away from this though. She is also to blame. There are two types of bad people: those who do evil things, and those who see evil things being done and never try to stop it. She claimes mental retardation, but if she could be held accountable to make decisions for Genie after her trial, she should have been held accountable for witnessing the abuse of her daughter. Genie's brother is a different story. He was only a child. How could anyone expect a child to know right from wrong when his own parents couldn't grasp the concept. Making things worse, He was forgotten and recieved no treatment for his traumatic life. He went on to wander around aimlessly and have a broken family of his own. The vicious cycle continues. "The Genie Team" made mistakes as well. They taught Genie for their own motives of research. Genie's incredible ability to learn at first could be part of the critial period. But it could also be due to the level of enthusiasm in the team. They were excited to teach and learn from her at first, like a child with a new toy. Eventually their interest faded as her learning slowed. Who stopped working first Genie or the Team? The Team should have been more interested in helping Genie to communicate in order to have a better future. Even if she was said to be retarded, you cannot deny that she showed potential.
ReplyDeleteSomeone such as myself, with a normal, loving upbringing, could only imagine the torture Genie went through. My belief is that her father holds the most blame for he was the sole caretaker (if you can even call him that). However, her mother and brother shouldn't get away scot-free either. They were completely aware of what was going on and did nothing to stop it. It makes me wonder if the whole family felt about Genie the same way her father did. This case really opens people's eyes to the effects of isolation and neglect. Though Genie's case was extreme, children all over the world are neglected and abused, and awareness and help needs to be a priority. I believe Genie turned out the way she did because of her upbringing. Even though she was considered mentally retarded from birth, she would still have some sort of communication skills as well as brain development. It was the isolation, neglect, and abuse that prevented her from developing any type of communication and significantly slowed her brain development. Moving on to the research from Genie’s case, my opinion is that the team spent too much time trying to get results out of Genie. They didn't allow her to progress as a normal child would; they were only concerned with "fixing" her and doing it quickly. One motive to help Genie develop quickly was the critical period hypothesis. Once Genie went through puberty, the team seemed to decide that they could do no more to help Genie. They barely tried to prove this hypothesis wrong because Genie's progress slowed. This never meant she was done learning. Today, in her older age, I don't believe much can be done for Genie. She could benefit from daily brain stimulation, but I can't say for sure whether she would gain anything substantial.
ReplyDeleteGenies father deserves most of the blame for Genies current condition. Although her mother should have received more of the blame, she was aware of the actions that her husband was commiting. That’s almost as bad as abusing Genie herself. Her brother was not hindered like the mother. The mom was blind, so that played a small role, but her brother could have interviened. He could of told someone at school or went to the cops. The genie team doesn’t deserve any of the blame, they were the best thing that happened to the girl. Her case shows society that nature and nurture play a role in the development of a human being. It doesn’t help resolve the case because it shows both sides. Genie lacked human contact so she received no nurture. Nature obviously played an important role, but Genie may have been mentally challenged. Genie may have been mentally challenged, but her upbringing hindered her more. If she had been in a normal healthy household life may have been a lot easier for her. If she did have mental issues they would have been less sever because she would have been nurtured. The case doesn’t prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypotheseis the team gave up on Genie too soon. She was doing well and learning a lot, and yes she had planned out. But even in everyday life challenges theres a grace period, eventually things pick back up. The case could have been handled in a more organized manor, if the team really wanted to make a difference they would have done that. They did try very hard, but lost the grants because they didn’t have proof of their work. Today the only thing that could be done with Genie is to let her live the rest of her life in comfort and peace.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Harvey
After watching the movie on Genie I believe all the harm done to her was caused by her father. Her brother I do believe could have helped by maybe stepping in once in a while and doing something with Genie instead of just moving her from place to place, as we saw in the movie, but yet again he was also put in a hard position since his father had the gun to intimidiate him with. Anyone would have felt the same way if they had been in his shoes, I just think as he got older he could have done more for Genie considering it was his sister after all. Genie's case can tell us a lot about nature vs nurture, and the importance of heredity and the environment. Genie, being a girl locked up for as long as she was, showed everyone how much isolation can permanently damage someones personality. When she was discovered, she had no sense of language or mannerism. Her being locked up for most of her life caused her to have no way of developing a life on her own. When she first met the Genie team, she was touching their faces and hair as if she'd never seen another human being before. If her upbringing was different, I wondered about if she would still be the same girl she is today, but no matter what the chances were of her being mentally retarded, as she grew up, her life would have been much more enjoyable for Genie without the isolation. The Genie team giving up as soon as they did deffinately didnt help her at all in the sense of finding out if the critical period hypothesis was correct, but even if they wanted to the mother wouldn't have allowed them to do any more testing with Genie anyways. The team should have been keeping her mother more aware of what they were doing for tests Genie and what the tests were going to prove. Genie's mother was under the impression that her daughter was being used for a guinea pig, but she could have been more aware of how they were doing all the tests in order to help Genie. Today, I believe they could try and help her improve, but I think it's way too late to just jump back into it. Being as stubborn as Genie was back when they were working with her, I think she should've at least caught onto the decision making process by now, living around people in the home she had been put into, and if she were to deny them I dont think she would ever participate in the work. After all, the only thing they should do is let her be in a safe environment and be happy.
ReplyDeleteIn the Genie case, the majority of the blame should go to the father. Especially the events where Genie was isolated, because I don’t see how the family could escape with the father carrying his pistol everywhere. Some people may argue that the mother should have had some opportunity to run in all of those years, but maybe it took all that time to build up the courage to leave. In the end, she did escape with Genie, so that has to count for something. I don’t see in anyway how the brother should take the blame for these accounts, because he was just a young child himself. There is the years when he was older, but still then he had grown up in that environment so long, he really didn’t know anything else. The events after Genie gets help are a completely different story. Here I believe the mother should get some blame for the state Genie is currently in. The mother is the one who stopped the progress from happening with Genie, so she is the reason Genie couldn’t progress as far as she might. If the mother hadn’t stopped the work that was going on with Genie, maybe she could have had a better life than just being isolated again, therefore the mother needs to have some of the blame put on her.
ReplyDeleteThis case, in some ways, supports both nature and nurture depending on how you look at it. Because Genie hadn’t been taught any of the social rules, she did what was programmed in her natural mind to do. These things could prove the nature side of the spectrum. On the other hand, it seems that Genie’s abuse was a big cause in the way she turned out. When the team started working with her, Genie wanted to learn, and if her father hadn’t abused her, that willingness would have been there at the normal learning period. These facts could help to prove the nurture side of the spectrum. I mean even if Genie was retarded from the beginning, there is no way that she would have ended up this way with the willingness she had to learning. I believe if the team kept working with her, then she would have progressed even further than she did.
As for things that could have been done differently, there are many things. For starters it would be nice if this never happened, but that cannot be changed. You would think that the sudden deaths of two children would have been a red flag for these parents, but here is the system at its best. If we had better children services departments maybe, just maybe, Genie may have not fallen through the cracks. Regardless of the system, after Genie was found if someone had pushed the protective services to see that Genie was making progress, and her mother stopping this was in no way going to help, then this situation may have had a different ending. I just don’t think that the mother had Genie’s well-being in mind, and if she did I feel like this could have changed thing. As for now it would be perfect if Genie could get out of the home that she is in. It just seems like keeping this girl locked up in a facility isn’t right, because it’s like you are just isolating her all over again. I realize that it would be hard on someone to take this girl in, but it just doesn’t seem right that you would take her out of isolation, and then because it would be too hard to give her a life with a little more freedom, you isolate her again.
After reviewing the Genie case, I would see it fit to place most of the blame on her father. He father is the one that started the problem in the first place, by isolating her for twelve straight years. This whole case could have been prevented had it not been for her mentally ill father himself, who chose to abuse not just his daughter Genie, but the whole family. I do not believe that the Genie team itself should receive a lot of the blame for the situation Genie is in today, because I believe they did try their absolute hardest to help the poor child out. Yes, maybe they could have been a little bit more precise with keeping track of their research so the grants were not taken away, but overall, they ultimately did care for the well-being of Genie. I do not think they were in any means trying to harm her, or make her simply a scientific experiment. Instead I believe they only wanted to see her get better. Her brother should receive maybe a little blame, for not seeing the problem and attempting to get help sooner. I understand her was young and a child himself, but as he grew older he should have began to realize the wrongness in his sister’s upbringing.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the stopping of Genie’s treatment and progress, I believe that the mother should take the blame for that. The mother should have let the team continue working with Genie instead of sending her away to an institution. That was just the easy way out, and I really believe that if she had not done that, Genie would have continued to learn and become more socially acceptable. I think her case shows us a lot about how large of a role nurture plays in the classic nature v. nurture debate. Obviously the way Genie was treated as a child was the major contributor to all of her problems. Even if she was born slightly retarded as one doctor predicted, she still would have learned a language and learned vital social skills had it not been for her extreme isolation. I do not think Genie would be the way she is today if she was not isolated, because of the way she learned so quickly once she was found. Even after all that abuse, the girl still learned very quickly a few words and began to communicate. If she had gotten the chance to experience a normal upbringing, she would have been just fine.
I think her case partly represents the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis, because her learning progress did level off after she passed the supposed “point of no return”. However, I believe if her treatment and teaching lessons were not cut off so soon after this period ended, we might have seen her still progress, but because she was abruptly stopped, we will never know for sure what might have happened. It is really too bad, because I believe Genie could have continued making progress even if it was at a slower rate, and she could have had a semi-normal life eventually.
Many aspects of the case could have been handled more appropriately. First of all, the child protection system should have seen trouble when the family’s other two kids mysteriously died before Genie. The case really represents a major slip up of the system, because they should have known that the child was not attending school, or visiting any doctors anymore. I think the whole situation could have been prevented if the system had been more responsible in the first place. Also, I believe the mother should have attempted to get Genie help sooner, instead of waiting a long twelve years. I understand her husband had a gun, but she could have been willing to risk her life for the well-being of her children, and it might have helped. Her situation was tough, but I feel like she had earlier opportunities before the time she finally left. As for Genie today, I feel like she should be moved in with a loving family, one who will not isolate her, and will simply take care of her. At this point it’s probably way too late to try and help her further learn to grasp a language or acquire more social skills, but she at least deserves to be well cared for and loved.
The father deserves most of the blame. Her mother on the other hand should at least be charged with something because it shouldn't have took her 13 years to finally get her out of the house. The father had to of left many times before that, were she would have had a chance to leave with Genie. I dont think it should have taken 13 years. Her brother shouldn't be held accountable for any of this because this was happening while he was still young.
ReplyDeleteHer case shows us we need to be nurtured to develop some of the habits that we have today. Would she have been the way she is today if it wasn't for the isolation. I dont really know. I believe that she would have lived a better life being mentally retarded then being isolated for 13 years and not acquire any skills or language.
I believe that this case did prove the critical period hypothesis, but they ended the case to soon. They ended it right after she hit puberty. I feel that if they went a little further she could have acquired more skills and language. She would have acquired them slower then normal, but I believe that should she could have still made progress.
Finally what I think they should have done different is not given the mother custody of Genie. At the trail they should have taken away her right to have custody of her, were she wouldn't be able to make any decisions for her. If this had of happend the Genie Team would have been able to do more things with her, without her mother interfering. She would have learned more and grasped more skills.
ReplyDeleteThe father is the one that isolated Genie and abused her over many years therefore he deserves the blame. Genie’s mother and brother should have both faced charges in this dreadful child abuse case also. They should get blamed for this because they knew that there was a young child locked in a room, being abused every day and for years did nothing to try and stop it. I believe that it was complete coincidence that Genie’s mother brought her into the welfare building that day, and that she did not do it for the health and well being of her daughter but out of ignorance of what the consequences could be given the state of her Genie. There is also something very strange about the brother, no sane person could live in a house and not realize that what was happening needs to be stopped, he should have been arrested and put in jail. For Genies well being no person in her family should have ever had any contact with her. From my little knowledge of this case I believe that the researchers were the best thing that could have ever happened to Genie and her only chance at ever becoming a functioning human being.
I seem to agree with everyone in saying that Genie’s father should carry most of the blame for her condition. Had he not locked her up, isolated, beaten, neglected, and abused her she would no doubt be living a better life today (whether born mentally disabled or not). Even children who have no mental disabilities and aren’t locked away for thirteen years still have horrible mental and emotional trauma if they’re abused. Therefor just by the fact that he abused Genie should subject him to much of the blame for her past and current condition. Secondly I struggle with the amount of blame to put on Genie’s mother. Before watching the film I had more compassion for her. In my mind I wanted to picture a loving mother who would risk anything to get Genie out of a horrible situation. I made excuses for her that maybe she was unaware of the torture that her daughter was subject to daily. I also thought that it was possible that she may not have had the means to escape do to her cataracts and the fact that her husband constantly carried around a pistol. However, after seeing how she was portrayed in the film, I am less likely to make excuses for her. I am not 100 percent sure if that’s because seeing the torture of Genie was eye opening and that if I had been Genie’s mother I would like to believe that I could have found an opportunity to save my daughter well before she reached the age of thirteen. It could also be that the actor that played Genie’s mother portrayed her as cold and ignorant of the consequences of locking someone away until thirteen. The last problem I have with Genie’s mother is that she seemed to leave her husband to save herself not Genie. Yes, she took Genie with her, but had she left to save Genie she should have done it long before she did. Secondly, after leaving she went to get help for the blind not the abused. After finally getting help for Genie, to discontinue her learning from professionals seems unbelievably selfish to me. For Genie’s stunted learning after being rescued I whole heartedly blame her mother. I don’t understand how a mother could continue to let her daughter suffer. Currently today I feel no compassion for her brother. Yes, when he was a child also living with his abusive father I don’t blame him for being powerless and not trying to get Genie help. However, I see no reason why he couldn’t get Genie more help today. As for the Genie Team, if they weren’t allowed to teach, contact, or help Genie then that’s not their fault. If they treated her like science experiment instead of a human being in dire need of help and compassion then they too share some of the blame.
ReplyDeleteI have always believed that both heredity and environment play a role in the development of a child. As shown in the film, people are born with natural instincts. However strong these natural instincts may be, I believe that the environment plays a more important role on the development and growth of the child. This is because even the strongest instincts can be changed through socialization. For example, Genie was never taught how to blow her nose. In time, however, with education, socialization, patience, and practice Genie could be taught to act “proper” according to our social standards. If heredity was the dominant factor in the outcome of a child than Genie would never have been as emotionally, physically, or socially challenged. In our society, if you’re not socialized from birth you’re at a huge disadvantage. It’s possible that in dogs, for example, the environment doesn’t carry as much weight because much of the needed skills for dogs are survival instincts. In this case dogs don’t need to be taught manors or speech like humans. I think they would still be socially challenged if they had a poor environment in which they were born but not to the drastic affects that humans, like Genie, were subject to.
Even though we cannot rule out the possibility of Genie having a mental disability there is no doubt that there could have been a better life for her. Mentally disabled or not, no child should be physically abused, neglected, or tortured. Even if Genie can’t communicate her emotional and mental scars from her childhood they are no doubt there. Those scars, whether mentally disabled or not could and should have been avoidable.
ReplyDeleteI really think that it is too soon to tell if the critical period hypothesis is true or not. Genie had just come of age when the help stopped. I would like to hope that even if the critical period does exist that she wouldn’t stop learning and progressing altogether but maybe just slow. It would have been nice, for scientific purposes but more importantly Genie’s sake, for the tutoring to continue.
It was inevitable that scientist, theorists, sociologists, and the media would jump all over Genie’s case. It was also necessary for there to be a team of people helping Genie and for there to be some tests done on her progress. Ultimately I think that the case was handled as best that it could have been. The situation was one of a kind and very unfortunate and it’s possible that there was not right or wrong way to handle it. It really does frustrate me that nothing is being done for Genie today and that ultimately she’s back where she started. Obviously she isn’t being abused anymore but in my opinion she was given false hope when she was briefly exposed to a real family that could provide for her. Now, what was once a dream for a better life, which she didn’t even know existed, is now a hopeless memory that was teased before her some forty years ago.
After watching “Mockingbird Don’t Sing” and talking about Genie’s incredibly unfortunate case, I believe that her father deserves most of the blame, since he is the one who actually isolated and abused her. However, the actions of her mother along with the teacher who didn't want the Genie team to work with her, made it extremely difficult for them to prove or disapprove the critical period hypothesis. I think that Genie not being able to completely master language is partially due to the fact that she was constantly being moved from family to family. If she had been able to stay in one location surrounded by people who truly understood how special she was and how unique her case was, she might have benefited from that. Genie began to pick up sign language so even if she would have never been able to form a grammatical sentence using her words, I like to believe that she would have been able to do so with her hands. She really was progressing quite well until her mother decided that no one could see her any longer. Unfortunately we don’t get to know what would have happened if her mother hadn't done so. Based on what the people who worked with her say though, I think Genie still had more to learn if she had been given the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteGenie’s case is very unfortunate and should have never happened in the first place. The school system in her city was not doing their job because they should have known that she wasn’t coming to school and if they realized this Genie would have been found earlier then she was. Genie’s father is to blame for the condition she is in today although other people should have some blame put on them also. Although her father was told she might be mentally retarded she would be in a lot better condition today if he did not do this to her. Genie’s torture from her father, the barking, hitting, and food forced into her face, and they way she was left during the day and at night made Genie the way she is today.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think the mother and brother should have some blame because you would think before thirteen years they would have a chance to escape or do what Genie’s mom did before she had been tortured for thirteen years. Although the mother was considered legally blind the brother should have been able to escape to at least the neighbors and get help from them. Genie could be a lot better and in a better place if the mother let the team still work with her daughter instead of taking her away. Also if there was a better recording of Genie being worked with Genie could be better then she is today. But Genie’s father should have the most blame because if he didn’t start with the torture the other people wouldn’t have some blame on them to.
Through this case of Genie you can see how important nature and nurture is for a child. With out nature, Genie when she was getting help, did not know the norms of eating and just everyday social helps such as sneezing. Genie not being nurtured and natured causes her to not have good speech and act like the way she did when she was first founded. You learn through nature and through nurture which makes you who you are and to act “normal”.
Although we can’t rule out the possibility that she was in fact mentally retarded from birth I think Genie would be a lot better today if she wasn’t brought up the way she was. Genie acted the way she was because she wasn’t able to interact with humans and was tortured. Even if Genie was actual mentally retarded I think there is no question that she would be a lot better if she wasn’t tortured.
I think if the team was given more time Genie would have gone against the hypothesis. I think Genie would have learned better speech but I think she would have defiantly gone against the hypothesis with her hand language. Genie was picking it up fast and did very well with it; if the team had more time I think Genie would have been able to pick hand language up entirely if given the opportunity.
This case could have been handled differently if their wasn’t so many people trying to work with her and do the same thing. I think it would have been better if she was worked on by one person or family and was in a home not a hospital, while they worked on her. Being in a house would give her a better environment to be in and could help with getting more nurture and nature experience. Also I think the young women who were just out of college and the older one shouldn’t have argued about Genie like that because it probably affected Genie. One of them should have been taken away from the case. For today, I think Genie should be with a family not in a hospital kept away from the team. Genie had great relationships with members on the team and if she was with a family today even if she just started now to be with a family I think it would be better for her then being in a nursing home.
Concerning the case of “Genie,” I believe that her father deserves most of the blame if not all of it since he actually did all of the harm to her. He was the one who isolated her for so long and physically abused her. I don’t blame her mother as much as other people might because she was blind and couldn’t really tell how bad the abuse actually was. This case kind of ignites the Nature v. Nurture argument again because since she had no nurturing during her childhood, she didn’t know how to act in any social situations. She did things that may sound odd to us, but to her she didn’t really know any better.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that Genie wouldn’t have been the way she was if she had a normal upbringing by a normal father. Even if she was mentally retarded she could still know not to do certain things out in public. I believe the team gave up hope on her too soon. They believed she “leveled off.” Maybe she just stopped learning as quickly as she was before. There’s no way to tell now. Her case did not prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis. This could’ve been handled differently by having her in a loving environment or having one of the members of the Genie team legally adopt her so she has a stable home and not bouncing around from place to place. I do believe, however, that Genie is too far gone now, and anything done now would be a waste of time and would just cause unneeded stress to her.
Within “Genie’s” heartbreaking case, I believe that her father is the main person to blame for her condition; I wish I could hear his reasoning for treating his daughter in such a terrible way. However, I believe that Genie’s mother is less to blame than her brother for withholding Genie’s extreme isolation. I think it’s so odd that her brother was allowed out of the house every day to go to school and to socialize, and yet he had no drive to report about his sister’s condition. The mother’s blindness and physical abuse allows me to see why she would be intimidated by her husband’s domineering personality and actions, but I still question why she did not risk sacrificing her safety for her child’s wellbeing by telling of her daughter’s unhealthy state. I think of all of the people included in Genie’s life, those within the “Genie team” were the most caring and loving. They were just caught in a situation where they could have been easily blamed for using her case and learning possibilities for selfish purposes; it saddens me that still to this day they are banned from seeing, talking, or interacting with Genie.
ReplyDeleteGenie’s case shows how important nurture is to the development of a child. Especially in today’s society, the possibility of having a child that is mentally challenged has escalated, and so has acceptance and programming that aids their growth. I believe that in today’s standards, Genie herself wouldn’t have been placed in so many foster homes that didn’t understand her full condition, and I also believe that there would not have been a separation between her and her “team.” If they pushed for Genie’s learning development more than they had, and continued to invest in her development, then I believe they could have proven the critical period hypothesis wrong. Genie, while being taught, was interested in learning, and probably would have only progressed positively.
Both Genie's father and mother are responsible for her condition. Her father's years of neglect and abuse kept her away from the nurture that she needed to fully develop the skills that aren't nature. Genie's brother was just a child and probably didn't know anything different than the world that he was brought up in, so he cannot be blamed for what happened to Genie. Genie's mother though, has some blame in what happened to Genie. She was able to take Genie away at 13, so why did she not do this sooner? Genie could have suffered far less if her mother had removed her from her father's house sooner. The years of neglected stopped Genie from developing the way she should have. Even if she was mentally retarded, it wouldn't have delayed her to the extremes that isolation did. If Genie had been given a normal upbringing, she probably wouldn't have nearly as many developmental delays. Genie's case proved the critical theory hypothesis. Even though she caught onto language, she didn't with the proficiency that a young child would have. Even if the Genie team had more time with her, I don't think it would have made a difference because her slow progress had already proved the theory. The Genie team shouldn't have been so caught up in their own interests though. Even if Genie wasn't able to develop fully to her age, she probably could have made more progress if the Genie team hadn't been caught up in their own drama. And even today, if doctor's would still work with Genie, I bet it would only cause a more positive outcome, even if it's just a small one.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the most blame for the condition Genie is in today lies on the father. Genie’s father had abused her mentally and physically and this is why Genie has become who she is. He had isolated her for her entire life. Genie never understood how to function in society because of her father. Although Genie’s mother did not “save” her, she was blind and scared of her husband. The “Genie team” did what they could to help her in becoming a “normal” child. Not all members of this team had Genie’s best wishes at heart but many did take care of her and teach her what they could, when they could. I feel that Genie’s brother is to blame for Genie’s misfortune. This is because he was capable of leaving the house and getting help safely. When Genie’s mother gained enough strength to leave the house and get help the son did help, yet after helping his mother and sister he returned to the house where his father was. To me this isn’t smart and also confusing. This case has taught many people that the environment one lives in can affect their outcome in life. Also the less nurture given while growing up, the more “animal like” a person can become. Genie was isolated her whole life and didn’t learn how to interact with other and that made her mind slow down and her learning process weaken. Without interactions with others while growing up, one will no develop mentally correct. Genie wouldn’t have been the way she is now if she was brought up differently. No matter what level of mental challenging Genie had, she still would have had interactions with other people. She wouldn’t have been isolated and her mind would have been able to develop in some way. The team didn’t give up on Genie and after Genie had started her menstrual cycle she had still acquired new information. Genie, unfortunately was taken away from the team by her mother because the mother felt the team didn’t care for Genie. Genie eventually ended up in a nursing home. I feel that Genie obviously shouldn’t have been isolated from the beginning. However, I think the Genie team did all they could and did a good job with the progress they made. I think the team could visit Genie today and revisit there past work. I don’t know if Genie could be helped but the team could at least try.
ReplyDeleteThe outcome of Genie’s mental capacity is a result of her life from the day she was born to even after she was discovered alone in her room. Every single thing that happened to her affected her in one way or another. The fact that she was “neglected” and “abused” by her parents probably had the most effect on her ability to interact like a “normal” human in today’s world. Her speech and actions when she was brought back to civilization were not anything like children of her age. This proves the idea that language relies on education. If she had had the same education as all the other children her age would she have been a normal interactive child? No one will ever truly know the answer to that because you can not duplicate the very same girl and make her life different, however the fact that once Genie was put into learning courses she did develop language skills. This shows that she was capable of learning. She clearly would’ve been able to pick up more language and skills the more years she had in her formative years. The fact that studies were done using Genie’s case to me is not unethical. I think that either way, whether a formal study was performed or not, people were going to learn from this case. It is such a unique case that people were interested to hear about it. If anything, I think that Genie got more help than she would have if studies weren’t done. How would she have gotten such an advanced learning program if “the Genie Team” hadn’t brought them to her? The answer is she wouldn’t have. She probably got a lot more education with the team behind her. The fact that they had to give up as soon as they did is a shame. They probably could have done so much more with Genie. The word probably is very common in a situation like this. There is no guarantee, and there is no way for anyone to know the real answers to these questions. Most of the answers are not really answers but predictions of what would’ve or could’ve happened. If anything else could have been done for Genie I would think that it would’ve been having someone in her life that was always going to be in her life. Someone who would dedicate a huge part of their life to be a steady companion to Genie. This would have made her life change a lot. Her entire childhood she was abandoned and tossed around to different placed with different people. Knowing what a steady relationship with another human is like, would have helped Genie understand the real meaning of life. I blame her entire family for Genie’s condition. The father was awful and obviously the most at blame, but the mother and brother had the choice to stop and chose not to because of their own fear. The Genie team did the best that they could with what they were given. The study was not the only important thing but Genie’s well being was also important. I do not blame the team for Genie’s social outcome.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing, who is really to blame for Genie's condition today? At least to me, it is obvious her father's decision to keep her isolated and even caged and treated like an animal is first and foremost to blame. Like the post says, we don't know if the doctors were right and she was -in some form- mentally retarted. What we DO know is her isolation for 13 years did not help in any way. From what I know of the "Genie team", many of those people genuinely cared for her and were intrigued by her. Perhaps with too many tests and in their eagerness and excitement to prove the critical period hypothesis, they pushed her too hard and may have caused her to regress a little. (I will never know all the details, so it's just a guess). After reading on Genie and watching the movie, Mockingbird Don't Sing, I felt sympathy for her and wanted so badly to ask the Genie Team why they gave up. I know it must have seemed hopeless, but she was eventually progressing so greatly that we won't ever know -if they just kept at it- if she would have the language skills someone her age would today. It is a true shame that they eventually gave up and claimed her a lost cause. Thinking of Genie still alive and alone, I wonder if she understands language now, but I still wonder if she would have learned if people had the patience to teach her. No doubt now it is far too late. In my personal opinion, I fully believe that Genie's case proved the critical period hypothesis correct. I believe more in the side of nurture when it comes to acquiring the use of language. Think of it this way: if you have never heard the words "yes" or "no", you will never understand what they mean and you may not be able to say them yourself. Simple example, I know, but doesn't it make sense?
ReplyDeleteEven though Genie was mentally retarded from birth, it is the fault of not only the father but the mother and the genie team. Her father was at fault because he was the one that isolated her, but her mother was the one that put restraining orders on the Genie team who had real interest on getting her to learn. They are also at fault though because they didn’t give her a stable home for a long enough period because first she was in the hospital then she was in one of the Genie team member’s house and then into foster care where she wasn’t well looked after. I wouldn’t blame the brother though because most boys don’t act out against their father, I know I wouldn’t. I feel that if she would have been put in a more stable home for a longer period of time that she may have developed more and could have possible been better off than she is now. I feel that her case was a miss fire. We did find that she learned but after being moved from time to time and not being in a stable home it interrupted her learning ability as she was isolated for a very significant amount of time. They should have just put her in a stable-safe home where she could have been with a real family and where they could tend to her special needs.
ReplyDeleteShannon Mandigo
ReplyDeleteGenie’s case had the potential of answering many of our questions, but ended up leaving us with more questions than answers. If her case had been handled more delicately, could she have ever been equal in intelligence to her peers? Did she answer the question on whether nature or nurture is more important? Who is responsible for most of them blame? Should the Genie team have been more sympathetic to Genie and her needs?
From what I have learned of Genie’s case, I do believe that her caretakers should have handled her situation more delicately. Some of them lost sight of that fact that this child had been abused for her entire life, and now needed to be shown compassion and understanding. Genie deserved an equal shot at life, not to be a lab rat. They could have gotten all of their questions answered if they had only treated her right. Her mother probably would not have taken her out of their care if they’d done so. In my opinion based on Genie, nurture will affect a developing brain more than nature. Although she had been abused for her entire life, after spending time with the team she began to show compassion to others. She started learning language, and how to express herself in appropriate manners.
There are many people who are responsible for the blame. The original problem was obviously her father. He was a disturbed man, very disturbed, and should not have had children in the first place. Part of the team is responsible for Genie not being able to continue learning throughout her life because they started treating her as a science experiment. I do put some blame the mother for the initial abuse. In my eyes, if the father is unreliable, it is the mother’s sole responsibility to take care of her children. She must do whatever she can to protect them, as a maternal instinct. However, she may have been abused herself, and would have been absolutely no help to Genie if she were dead. I feel that she did the right thing by separating Genie from the team in part. I think that instead, she should have separated them, but instead of putting her into an institution she should have been placed somewhere that she could continue to learn in a setting specific to her needs.
Definitely, the most fascinating aspect of the entire Genie case is how many questions were left unanswered after she disappeared again. Everyone is left to come up with their own conclusions on what could’ve happened if things were handled differently. Personally, I think that the father is to blame for the case even developing in the first place. The fact that he carried a pistol around with him at all times and that his wife was also blind, kept her from getting the girl some help. The mother was probably doing what she could to keep herself and her children alive as best as she could. I don’t think there was much she could do for Genie out of fear of her husband. I also don’t think that the brother is to blame for anything that happened to Genie because from what we’ve gathered he wasn’t really involved until he helped his mother get help for the girl. Today though, I feel like he should at least be visiting her in her nursing home because after all, he is her brother. I think that certain members of the Genie team are responsible for the current condition that Genie is in today. Meaning, that if they had members of their team that cared more about the girl and rebuilding her instead, of being in it just for themselves and titles. Genie’s case definitely supports the idea that humans need nurture in order to develop properly. Genie came with many issues that were influenced by her father like not being able to walk, not being able to eat properly, and being unable to speak. These skills need to be taught in order to be executed properly. An interesting thing in Genie’s case though is her ability to speak without making a sound. Her ability to tell people what she wanted with only her eyes and expression. I don’t think that Genie would be the same way she is today just from being mentally retarded. If she had been raised in a loving home and had still been mentally retarded I think that she would’ve prospered and have been able to learn despite the fact that she was mentally retarded. I don’t think that Genie proved the critical period hypothesis because they lost her too soon. I imagine that if the team could’ve worked with her for her entire life she could’ve proved the theory wrong. If Genie also hadn’t been moved around so much I also think that she would’ve been able to learn better instead of being mistreated. I think that if Genie’s mom had been more informed on what was going on with Genie’s research and her special needs that the Genie team would’ve been able to work with her longer. Then, maybe her mother wouldn’t have put restraining orders on the team .
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that most of the genie team were selfish. All they wanted to do was publish their work on the critical period hypothesis. I also feel bad for those that actually wanted Genie to learn words and to have the ability to communicate. I don’t blame these scientists/sociologists for taking their once in a lifetime opportunity, but they could’ve done so less selfishly. It’s just so rare that you see someone who has been isolated for 12-13 years since birth.
ReplyDeleteThis whole mess could’ve been avoided if it weren’t for her mother. She carries most of the blame for Genie’s condition. It was the father who isolated her, but the mother could’ve done anything to stop him. She was present the whole time this happened, even after his suicide. She should’ve taken care of her cataracts sooner. This could’ve been prevented. I doubt the mother wanted this for Genie. Any mother in their right mind would want only the best for their child. It was stupid to have agreed with the father. I’m not writing the father a get out of jail free card, though. You shouldn’t isolate your child from society just because they’re retarded from birth. They should’ve accepted the circumstances that she was born with like normal parents.
Genie truly is an odd case. Whether she was abused by or taken advantage of by the genie team, she did not deserve the life she got. But there’s nothing we can do about this now. Everybody’s different, as lame as that sounds. She’s one of these stories we just needed to happen eventually.
I think that Genie's parents deserve most of the blame for the condition that Genie is in. I find it hard to imagine what would make a father do this to his very own child. But as we know now he was not a very stable father. The mother is also to blame. instead of continuously having children with this man she could have told authorities what he had been doing to their children and he could have been stopped before the second child died "mysteriously". The mother should have known what was going on and the extent of how bad it was getting. They are the reason that Genie couldn't walk, or talk, or have any social skills.I don't think that the brother should have been to blame. He had to live with this man as well. I know that as a young kid I would have been scared to stand up to my father. Depending on how old he was it would have been hard to try and go to somebody to get help for his younger sister. Her case can tell us a lot about the importance heredity and environment. We are not entirely sure what she had learned before being isolated so we lose a little bit of information on the nature vs. nurture debate, but we can tell that she had not learned a language in the time frame given to a lot of people. This means that language is developed form nurture. You are taught how to speak by listening to the people around you. Because she was isolated she never heard anyone speak besides the few swears her father would yell at her. She didn't know what was right or wrong because no one ever told her and she was never socialized with other people. This is why nurture is so important in a developing brain. I honestly think that she would have been alright if she grew up in a "normal" family, a family where she wasn't isolated from everything. She could have gotten the help she needed if she did actually have any type of mental retardation, as one of her doctors said. She would have been able to master a language most likely and could have had a lot more social skills. I believe that her case proved the "critical period hypothesis". She was learning a language very quickly up until her first menstruation. Once she hit menstruation she plateaued. Proving that you must master a language before the time that you hit puberty or you wont ever master a language. I don't think that the Genie team gave up on her. I think that they did all that they could in the time that they were given. I don't think they could have really done much differently. Maybe the Doctor doing the research on Genie could have included the things that were required in order to keep the grant. If he had just included the missing pieces they could have kept working with her. I think seeing Susan/Sandra would help Genie a lot. Seeing one person from her earlier years that actually loved her and never gave up on her might make her very happy.
ReplyDeleteGenie's parents are most definitely to blame. I don't think I can really blame anybody else as harshly as them because in reality, doctors and dentists don't have the job of keeping track of who goes in and out of their offices. And I don't believe they'd even think that anything was going on, especially not abuse. In my opinion, the wife was most to blame because she knew that her husband was mentally ill, and maybe she was with him because she was mentally ill as well, but it seems as though she had many many opportunities when she could have taken Genie and her son out of the house and brought them somewhere. I can understand having an issue with codependency and being blind ect. But she let her husband beat her child. She knew it was going on and she didn’t do anything about it! What sort of mother would you have to be to stay in an abusive marriage like that knowing that your child was getting beaten and yelled at all the time. She basically ruined her child’s life by letting her husband lock her up in her room. Even though she’s blind, she’s not deaf and she’s not mute, she can still smell and walk and do all these other things that could have helped Genie have more exposure and language skills. When it comes down to it, she was just being a terribly neglective mother, and not to mention she wouldn’t allow her daughter to get the help that most likely would have helped her have a better standard of living. Genie’s parents did not deserve to have her, or any children. They were monsters. Even if Genie did end up being mentally handicapped, it’d be nothing like what her parents did to her. Because she went through all of that trauma and severe neglect, her brain formed differently. That can’t be undone, and it’s so sad. I blame Genie’s parents, mostly her mother, for letting the abuse get to the extent that it did.
ReplyDeleteGenie’s parents are by far the most to blame for her condition, especially her father. This case will never be understood as the father said in his suicide note, but it is still apparent that the mistreatment Genie lived through would not have happened if it wasn’t for her mentally unstable father and blind mother. It is also understood that her brother, too, was put in a bad position by the father. However, he was also raised and taught at a young age by his grandmother about what life should be about. Even after the grandmother passed away the brother went to school in the outside world. There is no possible way that he didn’t understand that his home situation was not normal. He had the advantage of escaping and he could have easily gotten help for his sister without excuses. His grandmother tried to protect him so there is no reason why he would think that nobody would see the problem and try to help as well. He most definitely deserves to share the blame for the extent of her mistreatment. Because Genie was not nurtured in any way, it is apparent that she does not understand humans. She does not know how to act socially and this deviance is the main reason why she was unable to have a fulfilled life. Genie’s nature did not come in to save her when she was found, in fact, it was a large reason why she was so highly misunderstood. She relied fully on her nature and this did not help her in today’s world whatsoever. This points to the fact that nurture is immensely necessary for human development. Where you come from and how you are raised is the main aspect of your personality and who you are. Just going by your instincts causes you to act like an animal, well illustrated in Genie’s case. I believe that even though Genie was thought to be mentally retarded, she still would have been able to lead a much better life than she did even after the years of abuse. She would have been taught the social norms and she would have been accepted into society rather than made into a science project. She may have been slow, but it is possible that she could have learned how to talk much better and she would have learned how to act if she was not abused and isolated throughout her early childhood stages. I believe that the team did in fact give up too soon, but whether or not Genie could have improved under different circumstances will never be known. I do believe that this case proved the legitimacy of the critical period theory, as the circumstances are the only information that anyone can know as a fact. She did not develop correctly to the extent that it seemed virtually impossible for her to do so. Genie could have stayed with the people that truly cared about her condition instead of being subdued by her mother’s wishes, a woman that took thirteen years to save her daughter from the horrible abuse she was facing. She would have been better off if she did not have people that only cared about her in terms of science and fame orchestrating the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteThe “Genie” case is a true tragedy. I don’t think there is one person other than Susan Wiley herself that isn’t to blame for some aspect of all that happened to her. Her mother is most at blame because she saw the abuse for 13 years without trying to stop it, her father obviously had a mental problem and saw it as a way of “protecting” Genie from bullies, he was a cruel man and I honestly don’t know if anyone could ever understand exactly why he did what he did. He thought it was a good thing for Genie to be locked away but it had such bad effects on every aspect of her life and no one ever stopped it or even tried. Yes the mother did eventually get Genie help, and the brother helped, but neither of them tried to stop it from happening until 13 years of this had already happened. I grant to them that it was probably terrifying to live in a house with such an awful person but I would like to be able to think that I wouldn’t have let that happen to my daughter, even if it cost me my life. The “Genie Team” I think did probably take certain experiments too far, the one where the monitored her sleeping patterns was invasive and I didn’t find it to be necessary. Susan Curtiss was a major part of the team and she took a special interest in Genie as Susan Wiley: a child that suffered the worst case of child abuse to date. Curtiss cared for Genie like a mother and she wanted more than anything to see her exceed the expectations and was heartbroken when funds were dropped and Genie’s mother took her away and cut the team off completely. I think Curtiss was the biggest part of Genie’s progress and I bet if they had been able to live together and work everyday, Genie would’ve picked up language quickly and be a different person than she is allegedly today. It is incredibly sad that none of the team is allowed to see Genie now because since all of Genie’s family is gone, she has no one to see other than the other patients in the home and it must feel very isolating, not a good environment for someone who went through so much. I think if Genie had had a nurturing environment from birth she would’ve been just like any other kid. She was depicted in “Mockingbird Don’t Sing” as a very intelligent girl who never got the nurturing she needed. She picked up language quickly and if she had been found earlier she would most likely be in a completely different place than she is right now. I think the case of Genie somewhat proves the legitimacy of the Critical Period Theory because she did seem to completely level off and plateau once she was menstruating and she just stopped picking up on what people tried to teach her. On the other hand however, I feel that the team didn’t have enough time with her because her mother cut them off and completely isolated her. I do think there is some truth to the theory but I’m not so sure that Genie proves it completely.
ReplyDeleteGenie is a one of kind girl with a one of a kind story. I can’t pretend to know what it’s like or even relate to what she went through or how she feels today. Genie went through some horrible experiences both during her isolation and after. The actions from her father, her mother, the genie team, and others are directly responsible for the condition she is in today. Notice that I do not only blame the father but also most everyone else in her life during her early years of vital development. If we were to start blaming people for Genie’s condition in a laid out manner I would (as would most everyone else) start with the father. Genie’s father was abusive and cruel. The amount of abuse he inflicted on Genie was of the kind I care not to imagine. By secluding her for so long he effectively is underlying cause for her current condition. Her father was truly a cruel man. Furthermore, since we are discussing the people responsible for her condition today and not just her condition by the time she was found, I must include her mother and the Genie team in the blame. Genie had a remarkable opportunity at the time she was found. She had access to the most noted and successful psychologists and linguists that could have cared for her and taught her enough to allow her to move on with her life. However, this didn’t happen the way it could have. Instead of looking out for the best interests in the child, the Genie team saw nothing more than a chance to publish a paper and conduct research. The fact that Genie made almost no recovery from the time she was found is the fault of all those who were too greedy to help her in the first place. Even so, her unique case did tell us a lot about social development and the importance of nurture in a child’s life. Nurture forms who we are and I think Genie proved that. With nobody to care for her or even to talk to, Genie was almost without a personality. It wasn’t until she worked with the Genie team that she even started to smile. Would she have been able to make a full recovery? Did her case prove the critical period hypothesis? This is difficult to say. I don’t believe Genie would have ever made a full recovery. Her case was far too extreme for that. However, I don’t believe it proved anything about the critical period hypothesis for several reasons. First, the Genie team gave up on her too quickly. They weren’t allowed to continue the work that was already allowing Genie to improve. Also, the hypothesis states that if a child does not develop language by a certain point than they never will. I am curious as to their definition of language. If taken in my own perspective than I believe the very basis for the hypothesis not only to be wrong but impossible. I don’t think a child can make it through the critical period without learning a language. The definition of communication is: the method of human communication. By that definition alone we can’t make any conclusions based on Genie’s case. By that definition I would argue that Genie already knew a language. The Genie team would also describe that even though she know no English, Genie would always find a way to communicate through her own unique style. She knew how to communicate her thoughts and therefore showed not only potential but characteristics of some language. I believe she could’ve learned more. As for today, unfortunately I think it’s too late for Genie. I don’t see her learning anything or making any progress. What she needs most of all is the affection she never got as a child.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, many different people are collectively to blame for Genie’s state. First, the father, obviously, for isolating Genie and abusing his family, but the mother and the brother should also be blamed. The mother waited thirteen years to get the courage to leave with Genie, and in the end, she really didn’t care all much about Genie’s well-being. The brother kind of just left the picture when he could’ve been of great help with Genie and how she was taken care of. I think the Genie team is also to blame because they really just gave up once the mother took Genie back and it was as if all they cared about was to prove their critical period hypothesis. Overall, the one to blame the most for Genie’s current state would definitely have to be the mother. Genie could’ve possibly gotten better if her mother let her continue to learn and work with people, but because her mother was too stubborn and ignorant, we’ll never know if Genie could’ve ended up like you or me. Genie’s case can definitely tell us that nurture is more important than nature in the upbringing of children or development of humans. Genie had little to no nurture until she was about fourteen years old. She didn’t know right from wrong, she didn’t have any way of communication, and she thought the world consisted of only a dark room, where she was strapped to a chair and force fed food to survive. This proves that nurture is more important than nature because her environment was not normal like an average child and all she had to go on was heredity. Also, I honestly have no idea if Genie would still be like she is now despite her upbringing. I mean, even if she was mentally retarded, she wouldn’t be as bad as she is right now. She would’ve still been able to learn, slowly, but surely, and she would’ve been able to get help and live a nearly normal life. And I really don’t think her case proved the critical period hypothesis. After the grant was declined, the Genie team literally just gave up on her, which is interesting to me because if she picked up sign language so quickly, didn’t that give them hope that she could speak normally? I think this case could’ve been handled a lot better. Like I said, she was kind of just let go after the grant was declined and nobody except for Susan Curtiss really cared about her. Her mother didn’t even care enough for her to actually take care of her. If this case had come up now, I think it would’ve been handled a lot differently and it would’ve been more organized and beneficial for Genie. I don’t think there’s much that can be done for Genie today. If she had someone talking to her everyday or signing with her, she might have a better life. But from what I know, she doesn’t have a very good life and the only person who truly cares about her and is even still alive from this case, Susan Curtiss, can’t see her. All in all, in my honest opinion, this case really annoys me. There could’ve been so much more done for Genie and all anyone really cared about was getting recognition for proving some hypothesis. In many ways, it was almost unethical how the Genie team and Genie’s family treated her case.
ReplyDeleteI believe Genie’s father should carry the most blame out of everyone. He’s the one that neglected and abused her from the very start of her childhood. All he ever taught her was to stay quiet. He used abuse to keep her quiet. This case shows us that nurture shapes the human development and the way modern society is today. Without nurture Genie wasn’t able to talk. She didn’t know how to communicate with others because all she was taught was to be silent. Genie never knew how to really walk. She was strapped to the potty chair most of the time. Genie never knew what love or comfort was. She was left alone to die. The parents never wanted her. If her mother really loved I feel like she would’ve died trying to help her child. I understand that she was a victim but there shouldn’t be an excuse for isolating a child for 13 years. She could’ve at least called the police.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that Genie was retarded from birth. She wasn’t taught anything; language, manners, or simple tasks. She never was able to explore outside the bedroom. All she was surrounded by was four walls, a crib, and a potty chair. Personally, this whole experiment didn’t prove the whole critical period hypothesis. She was switched from home to home and some homes weren’t fit for her. When she started to learn sign language the home that she was put in the foster parent kept yelling at her to just speak instead of using signals.
In all, Genie’s case was thrown to pieces way too early. She should’ve been helped with by the team a lot longer. She finally started to connect with people and understand language. She should’ve been protected more by the court and by the hospital or the genie team.
Genie was a very unique case that had many sides to it. I feel as though the majority of the blame is on her father. He was the one with the ideas and doing the actions. He abused her physically and emotionally, and that unforgivable. But her mother and brother are to blame as well. Yes they did eventually get her help, but it took them thirteen years to finally get Genie out of there. The court ruled that they were victims of the father's abuse as well, but they did nothing to stop him or help Genie. They were abusers as well. It’s not that hard to say you need help. The father wasn't trapping them in the house with her, they were allowed to leave and be in the public. If they truly cared enough they would know that help would be there for them. But nothing will happen if they dont, and thats why she was held up in her little “bedroom” for thirteen years with no childhood, care, or education. Because she was growing up with no human contact and tied up to a potty chair, she did not get the proper and usual upbringing that we all received. This brings in nature vs nurture. We learn so much from our surroundings when our brains are in early development. We learn our social skills, proper manners, how to speak, read, write, and how to walk. These are simple skills that are accepted from people in society. Because Genie was deprived of these essential life skills, she didn't learn the way “normal people” do. She had to learn even how to chew after she was discovered, she went thirteen years just letting food dissolve in her mouth from saliva. It's difficult to know how she would have grown up and what Genie would be like if she had been in a safe and happy home her whole life. It is thought that she may have been born with brain damage, instead of her captivity causing her disabilities. Personally, I believe that her upbringing was a major factor in how she became who she is. Nobody could ever truly recover from what Genie went through for so long, that probably became what she thought normal life was. I could believe that she was born with a slight learning disability, but it definitely would not have been as bad if she was surrounded by a loving and supportive family and friends. Genie’s case definitely aided and helped with the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis. But for me it is not enough to one hundred percent prove that it is correct. Genie was not in a stable home and education system, she was bounced from house to foster house way too much. She need to be able to gain trust and connections for her education to truly strive. Genie was able to learn and adapt to sign language pretty quickly, and I think that she could have learned more if she wasn't in homes that would restrict her from developing more. She was on track for a successful education a future life if she was just in a more stable environment. I believe that everyone was being to selfish in her case, and not realizing exactly how much care and love that she needed. She should have been placed in one safe home for as long as possible, where she would feel safe and make a strong relationship that could only aid in her development.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the “Genie” case that the father holds the majority of the blame for Genie’s condition. Yes, he had a mental illness but locking a child in a room for 13 years is terrible. The father made her miss out on so much in the world. The mother has a part of the blame because she sat there and watched and listened for 13 years while the father kept her in one room. Yes, she was blind but still she could go out and get help while the father was at work. The Genie team would have some blame because I think when they were looking at her sleep patterns and had her strapped into the bed made her feel like she was right back in the same room again. Her brother shares part of the blame because he could of also went out and got help while the father was at work but also sat and watched and listened. I believe Genie would not be the same because at the age of 13 she would at least know english better than she did when they found her. She would also have had an education. Her case I feel doesn’t really prove much in the critical period hypothesis because she never learned anything in her 13 years of being locked up in a room.
ReplyDeleteIn the unusual case of Genie, the father is obviously the most at fault. His abuse absolutely destroyed her life. The 13 years that he kept her locked in that room caused irreversible damage. However the mother is almost equally to blame because she didn’t do anything to stop her controlling husband. Yes, she was legally blind, but she was very aware of the situation. She knew that her daughter was being abused. She could have told anyone and tried to get help. While she is the one who got her help eventually, she waited too long. She is also at fault for Genie’s current condition after separating her from those who cared for her most. The brother is somewhat at fault because he also could have told someone about the situation, but I imagine he was shielded from some of it and likely didn’t fully understand the situation. I would say this case supports the critical period theory because she had a lot of difficulty learning after puberty. However, in the movie she is shown to have very little time with the Genie team after the critical period so she may not have had enough time before she was taken out of their care. This case really shows how nurture affects the human development as Genie’s isolation and abuse cause her to be severely scarred and disabled. It interrupted the development of her entire life and she was never able to recover. This case shows that human interaction is necessary for proper development.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Genie’s parents are the one to blame for the condition that she was in. I put more of the blame on the father because he was the one that tourchered her, and locked her up. But I do put partial blame on the mother as well, even though she was legally blind, because she did not do anything to prevent the abuse, and isolation. She could at least called the cops while he was getting food or something. Father had no reason to isolate genie from the rest of the world. Even though the doctor indicated that Genie may have been born mentally retarded, that was still not a valid enough reason. I do not believe that the brother deserves any blame. He was just a child, like Genie, growing up with the same parents, in the same environment, for most of his younger years. Genie’s case tells us that nurturing is very important. Genie was never able to master a language, she had bazre unhuman like behavior, and she had a difficult time forming relationships with others due to her lack of human contact. I personally think that Genie was not mentally retarded, as said in the documentary, every year after they found her, her levels raised a 1 year older every year. Genie did not prove the hypothesis wrong, but the Genie team gave up on her too quick. I think she might of been able to prove the hypothesis wrong if they did not give up on her. Susan Curtiss was the only one who did not give up on Genie. This case could have been handed better if her first teacher was not involved at all because she made it very difficult for the rest of the Genie team. She also should not of been moved around so much from the hospital, and different foster families. I feel like if Genie was found today instead of 40+ years ago, that she would of gotten the better help that she needed and her case would not of been studied as much due to the rules now a days.
ReplyDeleteWho deserves most of the blame for the condition that Genie is in today? Her father? Her mother? The Genie team? Does her brother deserve to share any of the blame?
ReplyDeleteI think like most people would say her father deserves most of the blame because he was the primary abuser, and quite simply the reason she was locked up. The father obviously had some mental issues that he needed help with but never got. But I also think the mother deserves heavy blame too because even though she was scared of her husband she should have done the right thing and turned him in or gotten the daughter and herself out of that situation much sooner. But my guess is she had some mental issues as well because why would anyone want to be with a man like that and not leave sooner. The son in my opinion should share some blame but least of all because he is just the son who is doing what his parents tell him and since he grew up with it as well he was probably used to it.
What can her case tell us about the importance of heredity and environment, or nature and nurture, on the development of a human being?
It tells us that even though survival is important nurture is just as important in the psychological development of a child. Like with the experiment you said they did on the chimp who went back to the mom that cuddled and held it when it was scarred rather than the cold mother who fed him. Just because you can survive on food and water doesn’t mean that is all you need. You need human interaction and stimulation as well. Human beings are the most social animals on the earth.
Would Genie have been the way she is today regardless of her upbringing, as we can't rule out the possibility that she was in fact mentally retarded from birth (as her father was told and evidently believed)?
I think that even if she was retarded from birth she still wouldn’t have as many issues as she does if she grew up in a normal environment. Because even a retarded person is going to have negative effects if they were isolated like Genie was for as long as she was. It may not be as drastic or noticeable as it would be if the person wasn’t retarded from birth but I think there still would be effects.
Did her case prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis or did the team give up on her too soon?
Well I was sick and didn’t finish the movie,and i’m not sure what they found out in real life, but i'm assuming that her case would legitimately prove that hypothesis. However to be sure you would have to test it on more patients and that is illegal so it will not happen anytime soon or ever i’m assuming.
Finally, and most importantly, how could this case have been handled differently and what could still be done for Genie today?
It could have been handled better by the systems in place in this country to help children who grow up in an abusive home who are taken out of that situation. She jumped around too much instead of just having a stable place to learn and grow. Today I don’t think anything can be done, I mean she’s an older lady now. Just take care of her until she passes.
With Genies case I believe that there are many people who deserve blame for the way she still is today. Her father of course deserves most of the blame for her condition. Her mother also deserves some blame. This is because she did not rescue Genie earlier than she did. I feel as if Genies brother deserves some blame too. He left the house and did not tell anyone or go back to save his sister and mother. Another person who deserves some blame is the teacher named Judy in the movie. She tried to keep Genie away from all people somewhat like Genie’s father did. She also turned Genie's mother against the people who loved her. Finally I think the hospital themselves have some blame. This is for not continuing the grant for Genie and for treating her as a science project.This case gives some great evidence on how the environment has most of the effect on a humans development. I feel as if Genie would have not been like the way she was if she had a normal upbringing. She seemed to learn very well at the beginning when she was found. If she would have had a normal upbringing she would have developed way further than she did. I do not think she was mentally retarded. I do not think this case proved the Critical period hypothesis true. This is because she was learning sign language before she was taken away by her mother. I think the team gave up on her to early. The case could have been handled differently. Genie could have had a more stable home where she could learn. Also she could have kept being taught by Susan instead of going into other care. Susan should have also been allowed to visit Genie to tell her she still cared. Also the grant should have kept going because she was still making progress with her sign language. For helping Genie today I feel as if not much can be done. People should just let her live out the rest of her life. I feel as if trying to teach her anything at her age would be pointless. One thing they could do would be to let people who still care for her like Susan visit her.
ReplyDeleteI believe the parents, both mother and father deserve the most blame for Genie’s condition because despite any mental problems that she may have been born with, the way they kept her in captivity, prohibiting proper stimulation of her mind and growth of her body was child abuse. They are the reason her life is and was ruined. I also think that anyone who had knowledge of it, maybe even the neighbors although they claimed to know nothing, is at blame in some way. When the brother left to school, out to the store, anywhere, he had a chance to get a hold of the police or someone who could help and free Genie. Due to Genie not growing up with the comfort of her mother’s touch, voice, and other essential details of a mom, she wasn’t able to develop properly and took on unusual, inappropriate mannerisms. Without the proper nurture meant to affect and influence a child’s personality, Genie resorted to reacting to the environment she was stuck in and to the nature of the situation. She became a wild animal in a sense without the necessary nurture. I don’t think Genie would’ve been the way she is today regardless because her situation was so severe that even if she was born mentally handicapped, it couldn’t have possibly affected her in the way her upbringing did. Even the most normal, healthy kid, kept captive in solidarity for years of their life strapped to a chair, would wind up in an unnatural state as Genie was in. Also, I believe the team that was working with her gave up too early to diagnose that she was proof of the critical period hypothesis. She was effectively learning sign language before she was given up on and moved to a foster home who didn’t allow the sign language. In the documentary, Genie was having an actual conversation with another girl in the foster home who understood her, via sign language so she proved she was learning but they didn’t give her enough time or enough of their help. If Genie had been assigned a social worker who actually cared and thoroughly looked into her case in the way that Susan did, then Genie would’ve been better off. Also, if Genie’s mother hadn’t sent her off to an institution at the time that Susan was interested in adopting her, Genie would’ve been able to live and learn with people who actually cared about her as if she was there own. As for today, I believe that if Genie was able to see Susan again, that it might possibly spark something for her because I believe that you never forget about the people that you truly cared about and who cared about you. Her good memories of Susan could drown out or distract her from the bad memories of her father and of her childhood.
ReplyDelete1)Who deserves most of the blame for the condition that Genie is in today? Her father? Her mother? The Genie team? Does her brother deserve to share any of the blame?
ReplyDelete2)What can her case tell us about the importance of heredity and environment, or nature and nurture, on the development of a human being?
3)Would Genie have been the way she is today regardless of her upbringing, as we can't rule out the possibility that she was in fact mentally retarded from birth (as her father was told and evidently believed)?
4)Did her case prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis or did the team give up on her too soon?
5)Finally, and most importantly, how could this case have been handled differently and what could still be done for Genie today? What say you?
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1) I believe that Genie's father is the most responsible for the conditions of Genie, although he is not the only one with guilt, her mother could and should have released her before. Her brother could also at least say something to someone in school and avoid what happened to Genie. Also the team that worked with her have some points in favor and others against, somehow they helped her recover but also they sent her to insecure places where they could not meet all her needs.
2) Her case shows us that a human being needs other human beings to learn from them, to learn what is good, bad, language, etc …
3) Even if she would have had some kind of mental retardation things would have been very different than they were, for the single fact that even people with mental retardation have the opportunity to socialize with other people since they were born, something that Genie did not have, until she was released from captivity.
4) I believe that the team that worked with Genie stop working with her too soon, she was learning sign language very well and with the time in the right environment with the right people helping her she could have learned many things and become an almost normal person ( I say "almost normal" because after having gone through everything that happened, you can not be normal again).
5)I believe that her case could have been handled in another way, keeping Genie in safe places where all her needs are covered and not exposing her to bad homes as in those she was in for foster care, if maybe the people involved in the case of Genie would have cared more for her and not because she could made them famous, Genie could be much better than she is right now.
I believe that Genies parents are to blame for the way she turned out. Although Genie’s mother was blind if she was able to get out once I’m sure she could have got out and away from the father earlier in Genies life. The brother is not really to blame because I’m sure he didn’t know any better but he could have informed the mom that genie was not in good conditions. This case can tell us so much about nature and nurture. It goes to show that being nurtured from a young age has a huge impact on how you turn out. If you are not treated to from birth then you will not learn the good and bad human morals and the general human tactics like being clean, talking, walking, and eating. I think that if genies upbringing was different and more normal then she would have been Like an everyday human. Although the doctor said at a young age she may have been mentally retarded I don’t think penning her up was her best choice. If they believed that this may have been a factor they should have started getting her more help at a young age. I think her case proved the age of the critical period because she didn’t keep progressing after it but I do believe if they continued to work with her until this day she would have came out of it a little more than she did. I think this case could have been handled by getting genie the right help and putting her in a home with one family and keeping her there and not treating her like she was a science experiment. I think they shouldn’t have taken Genie away from the people she adored most because she was learning from them. Till this day I believe they should still have been trying to help Genie become more normal.
ReplyDelete- Hailey Hults