Promoting Positive Development, Health, and Social Justice Through Dismantling Genetic Determinism

In this chapter the author presents a view of the role of genes, and of biological processes more generally, within what is, present day, the cutting-edge theoretical approach within the study of human development, that is, relational developmental systems theories. Throughout the discussion, he contrasts this relational developmental systems approach with genetic determinist thinking. In his view, social justice focuses on the rights of all groups in a society to have fair access to and a voice in policies governing the distribution of resources essential to their physical and psychological well-being. There are more recent manifestations of genetic determinist ideas, such as behavioral genetics, heritability analyses of human behavioral attributes, human sociobiology, and evolutionary developmental psychology. The link between developmental and biological science enables scholars using relational developmental systems-based research to enact applications to optimize human health and development and to promote the social justice.