[lbo-talk] Grant Application (was woj and America)

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

At 3:07 PM -0700 5/8/03, Miles Jackson wrote:
>  > > Most humans appear to be quite hierarchical
>>
>  > So do most apes--thus I draw the inference that social hiearchies 
>are almost
>>  certainly manifestations of particular genetic traits.
>>
>  > -- Luke
>
>Sorry, I gotta put up an empirical roadblock here.  First, the 
>degree of social stratification and hierarchy varies dramatically in 
>human societies, ranging from minimal in hunting and gathering 
>societies to severe in agrarian societies (ancient Egypt).  You're 
>confusing the social structure you're used to with what humans are 
>capable of creating.
>
>Second, the prevalence of social hierarchies among primates vary 
>dramatically across species and environmental conditions. Just as 
>with humans, the key to survival in many primate groups is 
>cooperation, not domination and control of others.
>
>Given the plasticity of social arrangements in many primates, 
>including us, I think it's a little silly to make strong statements 
>about the genetic basis of any individual or social characteristics. 
>At best, genetics could predispose individuals to certain behaviors, 
>but social hierarchies can only exist if there are social mechanisms 
>for establishing and maintaining power.  Thus if genetic research 
>discovers the gene cluster for "domination"-- which I doubt--we 
>still can't understand social hierarchies without analyzing the 
>social scaffolding that makes it possible for a person to act on 
>their genetic dispositions.
>
>Miles

One of these days, we'll have to write up a grant application 
requesting funds to investigate if there are any gene clusters 
responsible for an oft-observed human propensity to come up with an 
endless variety of tortured justifications -- including "biological 
justifications" -- for exploitation and oppression.
-- 
Yoshie

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