Is racism genetic? A sociobiological approach to genetic nepotism and racism

Presenter: Zaina Batool Class: German Politics and Culture Instructor: Maximilian Held

Kin Selection

•Maximises inclusive fitness

• Promotes altruism

• Genetic Selfishness

Social evolution in nature

Ethnicity

• Ethnic markers:

1. Phenotypes – lead to race classification

2. Manmade markers

3. Behavioural markers

Racism• Sociobiological definition pertains to

societies which differentiate outsiders

• Determined by genetic gradient

• Distance-sensitive

• Rampant when phenotypes are easily distinguishable

Criticisms of Van den Berghe’s Approach to Kin Selection • Evolutionary process – not behavioural

• Applies to kin only – not larger groups

• Kin selection according to Hamilton’s rule is not mathematically equal to altruism

• No empirical verification of proposed mechanism

Conclusion

• Kin selection is an evolutionary trait

• Can but does not necessarily result in racism; isn’t genetic because racist behaviour depends on several variables

• Is not a reliable mechanism for predicting altruism

Discussion

• Is ethnicity increasingly irrelevant as globalisation leads to fewer cultural and social barriers across borders?

• According to Hamilton’s Rule, man favours kin over non-kin. Extrapolating this to societies, can racism be called an effect of kin selection?

References • L., Van Den Berghe Pierre. "2 Ethnicity as Kin Selection: The

Biology of Nepotism." The Ethnic Phenomenon. New York: Elsevier, 1981. N. pag. Print.

• Brigandt, Ingo. "The Homeopathy of Kin Selection: An Evaluation of Van Den Berghe’s Sociobiological Approach to Ethnic Nepotism." Association for Politics and the Life Sciences (2001): n. pag. Web.