The Unseen Link between Genetics and Social Status

For quite a while, the debate between nature vs. nurture has produced several theories as to what areas of human life are due to genetics and what areas are due to social background. If one were to separate these two ideas entirely, the concept of human DNA would traditionally fall under that of nature and socioeconomic conditions would fall under nurture, being completely disconnected. However, studies have shown that experience and environment actually can affect the genome, leading the way for the discovery of new scientific relationships between the two areas.

Behavior, genetics, and socioeconomic conditions all intermingle in different ways. For example, how a person reacts in their environment could be due to temperament, a partly genetically inherited trait. Social status has also been found to impact processes of the central nervous system that lead to disorders such as depression and impulsiveness (Hernandez, 2006). Epigenetics relates to this overlap, the central idea being that some genes are not set in stone when we are born and can be turned “on” and “off” through environmental factors. Scientifically, one way epigenetics occurs through a process called DNA methylation. This process includes areas of the DNA being specified or changed by methyl groups being added to the segment; subsequently, it is ensured that a trait can be inherited quicker, sometimes in a single generation (Dunphy, 2019). Results of studies occurring in epigenetics have shown that socioeconomic status correlates with several thousand sites that are specified through methylation. These same sites are also associated with health factors and contribute to our physical health overall, producing a theory that socioeconomic conditions do affect our genome and physical condition (“Socioeconomic Status,” 2019).

The ramifications of this research are quite widespread. This would imply that the human body is able to memorialize experiences such as poverty and socioeconomic background in genetic makeup. Since this makeup is, of course, passed down through generations, issues such as poverty therefore prove to have a much larger impact and are ingrained into our society more than initially believed (“Socioeconomic Status,” 2019). Connections have already been proven between sociocultural aspects and human health. Less education, lower income, and lower occupational status have all correlated to things such as worse overall health (Hernandez, 2006). This genetic facet could be an unseen additional link causing these connections.

Steps towards eradicating poverty will now have to be completely rethought with these new findings in play. The first step will no doubt be research. Deeper insights into the DNA methylation process and pinpointing the exact sites related to socioeconomic conditions will be the first action to take in order to see what solutions will actually be effective (Dunphy, 2019). This will call for interdisciplinary work and bridging of the scientific and sociological field as a start, and epigenetic research will play a huge role in this journey.

References:

Dunphy, S. (2019, April 15). The Link between Socioeconomic Status and Genes. European Scientist.

www.europeanscientist.com/en/public-health/the-link-between-socioeconomic-status-and-genes/.

Hernandez, L. M. (2006). Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment: Moving Beyond the Nature/Nurture Debate. NCBI. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19912/.

Socioeconomic Status Leaves a Mark on the Genome. (2019, April 8). Technology Networks. www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/socioeconomic-status-leaves-a-mark-on-the-geno me-317826.