/ 



^■"^^ 



PROBLEM 6. Hoiv Alankind Ca?i Be hnproved 



must have been caused by the environ- IB 

 ment. In physical traits the twins 9B» 

 brought up in different environments 

 showed comparatively slight differences 

 but in several pairs the differences in I.Q. 

 were astonishingly large. When care- 

 fully measured by means of I.Q. tests, 

 one pair showed an I.Q. difference of 

 17 points, another, 19 points, and a third, 

 24 points. These facts would indicate 

 that the environment has some effect on 



"intelligence" and the ability to succeed 

 in school. Great differences in personal- 

 ity and in character, too, were found in 

 those twins who were identical in gene 

 make-up but who had been exposed to 

 different environments. More facts on 

 this subject can be obtained by doing 

 Exercises 8 and 9. 



Improving mian through the environ- 

 ment. You have read of the great effect 

 of environment on human beings. Of 

 course, these effects are not inherited. 

 But in each generation the good environ- 

 ment can be repeated or improved upon. 

 Consider what has been done in your 

 environment to improve you physically: 

 the prevention of epidemics; the con- 

 trol of water supply and foods; the build- 

 ing of hospitals and clinics; the play- 

 grounds and parks; better housing and 

 the clearance of slums. Schools are pro- 

 vided; education is made compulsory; 

 child labor laws are passed; and voca- 

 tional guidance bureaus are established 

 to help young people find suitable jobs. 

 There are libraries, theatres, and other 

 places of recreation and amusement. 

 More recently there have been attempts 

 to reduce worry and strain in adults by 

 many* measures such as regulating sea- 

 sonal industries, passing workmen's com- 



515 



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g.^tg"^! 



Fig. 464 The little old woodetz buildi72gs are 

 two of the Negro schools of Alabama which 

 are being replaced by modern schools like the 

 one below. How does this aid the welfare of 

 our country? (w. hardin hughes) 



pensation laws, and planning for old age 

 security. Do you know the child labor 

 laws of your own state? See Exercise 10. 

 There is evidence that much has been 

 done in the United States and in many 

 other countries to improve man, both 

 physically and mentally, by improving 

 the environment. The heights of young 

 men and women are greater now than in 

 preceding generations. You saw in an 

 earlier unit how much our life span has 

 been increased. The good effects of a 



