Despite the great achievements that Humanity boasts, much more negative aspects also rest on its shoulders and sometimes affect its own representatives. Inequality between people is one such blemish, and one that goes way back in history.
Sociologists wonder about the reasons for the prevailing inequality today between groups, sexes, races… But if we look back we can find very similar and notorious examples that have occurred throughout the history of our species. We have often wondered if the origin of this inequality is found in the very genes of human beings, if it is something inherent to us and that it will appear no matter what we do.
Unlike what happened a few decades ago, we now have tools to shed light on this question, on whether the human genome is configured to place some people above others, or if the phenomenon occurs for other reasons. And what biologists specialized in genetics tell us is that no, that genes are not responsible for inequality.
However, these same studies, as the author of this book explains, have made it possible to find in the genes the marks left by inequality over time. Because these inequalities have affected people’s lives to the point that what they have suffered (or enjoyed) has been reflected in their genetic heritage.
Carles Lalueza-Fox, director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, is the author of this work that exposes with absolute clarity to what extent discrimination and inequality are well evident in genetic studies related to human beings of all times. .
For example, social differences, which influence the ability to access healthcare, good food, etc., act as an external force that makes some groups live longer or have more offspring, more easily transmitting their genes to generations. later.
Inequalities can also produce massive migratory phenomena, and transform genetic availability in certain places.
In some societies, the superiority of men over women is seen in phenomena such as polygyny, which means that a man can have offspring with several women, making his genes contribute to a greater extent than theirs in the conformation of the social group to which that belong.
These and many other phenomena are the ones that Lalueza-Fox analyzes, seeking to find signs of this age-old inequality in the genes. Its study is important because if we manage to reduce inequality in the world, this will be reflected in the genomes of the future population, and its analysis should confirm whether or not we have achieved it.
Criticism. 2023. Hardcover, 229 pages. ISBN: 978-84-91-99475-6