1 hr 5 min
Genetics and Justice: Why Understanding DNA Matters For Social Equality w/Kathryn Paige Harden Via Media
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- Spirituality
The discovery and study of genetics began in 1896 when a Swiss chemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher identified a protein that he called nuclein, which later became known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Then in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick identified the now famous double-helix structure of DNA giving us further insight into the structural foundation of our biology. But what this molecule actually means has been complicated by eugenic philosophies, racism, and scientific misunderstandings of causal relationships, all used as a biological justification for our social stratifications. In response, those who care deeply about equality and social justice have derided genetic studies as either irrelevant or invalid, and all this makes it difficult to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas where she directs the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab and co-directs the Texas Twin Project. Her work is focused on behavioral genetics, the study of how our genes influence our behavior. Her book The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality proposes that DNA really does influence, guide, and direct the kind of person we become which includes aspects like temperament, intelligence, and physical characteristics. But this fact is not the whole truth, and suggesting that this information determines our social structures is wrong. Rather, genetic expression should come together in a synthesis of both our biology and our environment , and we get to choose how we engage with the science of genetics with our core values of justice and equality.
The discovery and study of genetics began in 1896 when a Swiss chemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher identified a protein that he called nuclein, which later became known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Then in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick identified the now famous double-helix structure of DNA giving us further insight into the structural foundation of our biology. But what this molecule actually means has been complicated by eugenic philosophies, racism, and scientific misunderstandings of causal relationships, all used as a biological justification for our social stratifications. In response, those who care deeply about equality and social justice have derided genetic studies as either irrelevant or invalid, and all this makes it difficult to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas where she directs the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab and co-directs the Texas Twin Project. Her work is focused on behavioral genetics, the study of how our genes influence our behavior. Her book The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality proposes that DNA really does influence, guide, and direct the kind of person we become which includes aspects like temperament, intelligence, and physical characteristics. But this fact is not the whole truth, and suggesting that this information determines our social structures is wrong. Rather, genetic expression should come together in a synthesis of both our biology and our environment , and we get to choose how we engage with the science of genetics with our core values of justice and equality.
1 hr 5 min