Genes and Gini: What Inequality Means for Heritability

Abstract

Summary. Research has established that genetic differences among people explain a greater or smaller proportion of the variation in life outcomes in different environmental conditions. This review evaluates the results of recent educationally relevant behavioural genetic studies and meta-analyses in the context of recent trends in income and wealth distribution. The pattern of results suggests that inequality and social policies can have profound effects on the heritability of educational attainment and achievement in a population (Gene-Gini interplay). For example, heritability is generally higher at greater equality levels, suggesting that inequality stifles the expression of educationally relevant genetic propensities. The review concludes with a discussion of the mechanisms of Gene-Gini interplay and what the findings mean for efforts to optimize education for all people.

A Transdisciplinary Conceptual Framework of Contextualized Resilience for Reducing Adverse Birth Outcomes

“…1) Resilience can be seen as involving personal capacity, social and familial supports, and the ability to cope with stress, 2) The ecological or ecosocial model uses a multi-contextual framework that looks at the impact of structural violence, such as racism, class and gender inequities, and the embodied impact on health these inequities produce along the individual to the macro, or political level. Science (Gravlee, 2009;Krieger, 2012a;Selita & Kovas, 2018;Southwick, et. al, 2014) Basic science seeks to determine biological and genetic contributors to resilience, and how an organism interacts with the environment and viseversa.…”

“…A recent study on U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinas experiencing anxiety while pregnant showed a pathway between mid-term anxiety and a placental corticotrophin-releasing hormone, resulting in shorter gestation as compared with their non-Latina White counterparts (Ramos et al, 2019). Given that discrimination, racism, and various forms of stress cause poor health outcomes and birthing experiences, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of how the lived experiences around resilience create and safeguard wellness against the stress response (Burnette, 2015(Burnette, , 2017Chae et al, 2018;Farmer, 2004;Krieger & Davey Smith, 2004;Nuru-Jeter et al, 2009;Selita & Kovas, 2018;Walters et al, 2011b).…”

Bilateral Gini Index

“…Therefore, the formulation of the Gini coefficient is based on an inequality respect to an average taking into account Lorenz's contribution in inequality subject; Lorenz (1905) justified the importance of having a measure of income inequality, regardless of what "inequity in the distribution of wealth" means, such as the measure gives a concentration variable with values over a range from 0 (perfect equity) to 1, indicating the inequality respect to an average (equidistribution line). This average value is not available and cannot be deducted, therefore a same Gini value can be produced from different average incomes, population size, and even with relevant differences in the income distribution itself (Ackermann & Cortés, 1979;Selita & Kovas, 2019).…”

Educational level and its relationship with body height and popliteal height in Chilean male workers

“…It has been hypothesized that body height (stature) is highly influenced by socioeconomic factors such as education and income level (Silventoinen, 2003;Gyenis & Joubert, 2004;Arcaleni, 2006;Baynouna et al, 2009;Bielecki et al, 2012;Som et al, 2014;Selita & Kovas, 2019). Body height has increased in many modern countries, particularly since the mid-20th century (Hermanussen et al, 2015).…”