Recent researches suggest that
an individual’s likelihood of graduating college, and therefore earning his or
her degree to obtain high salary jobs, is due to “genetic lottery”. A published study in Nature Genetics analyzed
thousands of DNA variants correlating with educational attainment among 1.1
million people of European ancestry, and combining this information into a single
value for each individual called a polygenic score. Only over 10 percent of people with a low
score graduated college whereas 55 percent of people with high scores completed
college. It should be taken into account
however, that these data originated from an ancestrally homogenous group of
people. It does not factor in racial disparities
in education. In fact, the genetic
variants of African-Americans only minimally predicted educational outcomes.
These types of conclusions are
very similar to what is described as eugenics, the idea that inferior genes
were to blame for poverty led to state-sponsored atrocities, including forced
sterilization and institutionalization.
Some form of eugenics could still possibly exist in that people still believe
in the idea that inequality is genetically determined, making a racialized hierarchy
of human worth, intensify social inequities.
I believe that this
information can be instead used to create a more equal society. Educational success is partially due to
genetic luck. We are either born with
the genes that benefit our education or we are not. Having the information of which genes
correlate to educational success can help to create different environments specific
to the different ways that each individual learns and is educated. Using what we know about a person’s genes, we
can maximize the person’s potential and create the best learning environment
for him or her.
For additional information,
refer to the original article.
For additional information,
click the link of the study in Nature Genetics and the article on DNA correlated
with educational attainment.
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