"The Outer Edges of Nature and Nurture" - Sam Putnam, A. Myrick Freeman Chair in Social Sciences Inaugural LectureThose who travel internationally often return with anecdotal reports of “what people are like” in different nations. Cross-cultural research has validated these reports, quantifying meaningful patterns of social interaction and emotional expression shown by individuals that reflect the political, economic, and relational systems of the societies they inhabit. Given the rich variability of cultures around the world, these differences are perhaps not surprising when demonstrated by adults. But do they appear during childhood? Or even infancy? If so, what do such findings suggest about the ways that nature and nurture partner to shape the development of individuals and their cultures? In this talk, Professor Putnam will discuss the collaborative relationships he has built with researchers around the world to explore the existence and origins of associations between culture and temperament.

Sam Putnam is the A. Myrick Freeman Chair in Social Sciences and professor of psychology at Bowdoin College. He earned his BS in psychology at the University of Iowa and his MS and PhD at Pennsylvania State University and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Oregon. In addition to his research and teaching in developmental psychology, Putnam currently serves as chair of the Undergraduate Research Committee for the International Congress of Infant Studies.

Sponsored by the Office of Stewardship.
For more information, contact Jenn Berube Lord at jberube@bowdoin.edu or 207-725-3928.
Open to the public free of charge.
A livestream of this talk will be available on Bowdoin's live events website: www.bowdoin.edu/live