ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how genetic essentialism influences people’s perception of gender, race, sexual orientation, criminality, health, and obesity, and their implications. It considers ways to reduce genetic essentialism. The chapter argues that genetic essentialism is a biased way of thinking that often yields negative consequences. Csanad Szegedi’s story may be extreme, but the notion that people look to their genetic ancestors to understand themselves is commonly found. People’s reactions to arguments about genetic bases of sexual orientation represent an interesting case, as the evidence regarding actual causes of sexual orientation continues to be debated. Genetic causes are thought to be associated with increased recidivism among convicted criminals. The most problematic consequence of genetic essentialism is support for eugenics. When genes are perceived to be the ultimate cause of a certain outcome, then it follows that efforts to try to change that outcome should target the underlying genes.
