Ending genetic essentialism through genetics education.
1BSCS Science Learning, 5415 Mark Dabling Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA.
HGG Advances
|January 20, 2022
Summary
Genetics education can reduce racial prejudice like genetic essentialism if taught to critique flawed arguments. Understanding human genetics can decrease, not increase, this form of bias.
Area of Science:
- Genetics Education
- Social Psychology
- Racial Prejudice
Background:
- Genetic concepts are frequently invoked in discussions of racial inequality.
- Genetic essentialism, a cognitive prejudice rationalizing inequality, is linked to genetics education.
- Existing research indicates a complex relationship between genetics instruction and genetic essentialism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of genetics education on genetic essentialism.
- To identify pedagogical approaches that can mitigate genetic essentialism.
- To guide future research on ending genetic essentialism through education.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies examining genetics education and genetic essentialism.
- Analysis of how curriculum content and instructional goals influence student beliefs.
- Synthesis of findings on effective and ineffective genetics teaching strategies.
Main Results:
- Genetics education can inadvertently increase genetic essentialism.
- Specific instructional approaches can decrease genetic essentialism.
- Teaching genetics to deconstruct essentialist arguments is effective in reducing prejudice.
Conclusions:
- Genetics education holds potential to combat genetic essentialism.
- Targeted curricula focusing on the critique of essentialist claims are recommended.
- Further research is needed to optimize educational strategies for reducing racial prejudice.
Keywords:
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