The Resurgence of Genetic Determinism: Is It A Distraction?

• Published in: Race, gender & class (Towson, Md.) Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 76 - 89
• Main Author: Jackson, Jacquelyne F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Orleans Race, Gender & Class 01.01.1998; Race, Gender and Class
• Subjects: African Americans; Aggressiveness; Antisocial behavior; Behavioral genetics; Biological Determinism; Biological Influences; Black people; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Neglect; Childrearing practices; Children; Class Differences; Classroom communication; Competency tests; Corporal punishment; Determinism; Deviance; Disadvantaged; Discrimination; Education; Elementary education; Elementary school students; Elementary schools; Environment; Environmental Factors; Environmental Influences; Feedback; Gender; Genetic determinism; Genetics; Heredity; Intelligence; Intervention; Kindergarten; Literacy; Low income; Low income groups; Mathematics; Medical genetics; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority group students; Mothers; Nature Nurture Controversy; Parent-child relations; Parents & parenting; Peers; Poisons; Politics; Pollution; Psychologists; Psychology; Punishment; Quality of education; Race relations; Racial differences; Racial discrimination; Reinforcement; Researchers; School desegregation; Social behavior; Social Conditions; Social Environment; Social factors; Social Inequality; Socioeconomic status; Student teacher relationship; Teachers; United States > US
• ISSN: 1082-8354

Genetic determinism has received considerable media and scholarly attention of late, and the problematic social conditions suffered by African Americans and other low income or minority groups have been attributed to genetic deficiencies in these groups as a part of the debate on genetic determinism. This public clamber has overshadowed emerging research showing child maltreatment in schools such as corporal punishment and environmental pollution such as exposure to lead as more probable environmental contributors to poor social conditions and disadvantages of low status groups. Recognition of these environmental causes suggests interventions that might alleviate the problems.