Gene research faces new ‘neoracism’ hindrance
17 Feb 2014 3:36 AM IST
New forms of discrimination, known as neoracism, are taking hold in scientific research, spreading the belief that races exist and are different in terms of biology, behaviour and culture, according to anthropologists who spoke at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Chicago.
‘Genome science can help us a lot in the individualization of medical practice,’ said Nina Jablonski, an anthropology professor at The Pennsylvania State University. But she warned that science could be ‘misused’ to propagate the belief that people inherently have different abilities based on skin colour or ethnic background.
She cited new research urging that children be identified based on their genetically predetermined educational abilities and then put in separate schools that could be used to foster different kinds of learning.
‘We have heard this before and it is incredibly worrying,’ she said, recalling the segregation era when blacks and whites were schooled separately and African Americans were considered inferior. ‘The educationalists who are proposing this meant this in a positive way but it is something that could be easily distorted if it were implemented.’
‘Genome science can help us a lot in the individualization of medical practice,’ said Nina Jablonski, an anthropology professor at The Pennsylvania State University. But she warned that science could be ‘misused’ to propagate the belief that people inherently have different abilities based on skin colour or ethnic background.
She cited new research urging that children be identified based on their genetically predetermined educational abilities and then put in separate schools that could be used to foster different kinds of learning.
‘We have heard this before and it is incredibly worrying,’ she said, recalling the segregation era when blacks and whites were schooled separately and African Americans were considered inferior. ‘The educationalists who are proposing this meant this in a positive way but it is something that could be easily distorted if it were implemented.’
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