The next nature/nurture debate; or, should labour place mothers and infants at the heart of public policy?

Political Quarterly

Volumn 72, Issue 2, 2001, Pages 227-238

  Wincott, Daniel ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0035315010     PISSN: 00323179     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/1467-923X.00361     Document Type: Review

References (20)

1. 1 See Charles Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', Prospect, April 2000; Marek Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', Prospect, May 2000. Public debate about the genome and genetics seems to be dominated by a tendency or drift towards assuming that genetics determine (socially significant) individual characteristics and/or behaviour. This tendency may be due to the difficulty of conveying the alternative - that genes combine with each other and interact with the environment in complex ways - simply and clearly. Many of those committed to significant 'heritability' of such characteristics as intelligence may none the less implicitly leave considerable scope for environmental factors, without always drawing sufficient attention to it. If, as Robert Plomin (Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry) claims, intelligence is 50 per cent heritable, presumably it is also (up to) 50 per cent 'environmental'; see his contribution to the round table on 'The Meaning of the Genome', Prospect, October 2000.
2. 1 See Charles Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', Prospect, April 2000; Marek Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', Prospect, May 2000. Public debate about the genome and genetics seems to be dominated by a tendency or drift towards assuming that genetics determine (socially significant) individual characteristics and/or behaviour. This tendency may be due to the difficulty of conveying the alternative -that genes combine with each other and interact with the environment in complex ways - simply and clearly. Many of those committed to significant 'heritability' of such characteristics as intelligence may none the less implicitly leave considerable scope for environmental factors, without always drawing sufficient attention to it. If, as Robert Plomin (Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry) claims, intelligence is 50 per cent heritable, presumably it is also (up to) 50 per cent 'environmental'; see his contribution to the round table on 'The Meaning of the Genome', Prospect, October 2000.
3. 2 Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', p. 29.
4. 3 Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', p. 30; Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', p. 29.
5. 3 Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', p. 30; Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', p. 29.
6. 4 Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', pp. 29, 30.
7. 5 For an important discussion of these topics see Desmond King, In the Name of Liberalism: Illiberal Social Policy in Britain and the United States, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1999.
8. 6 See King, in the Name of Liberalism, on the relationship between expertise and illiberalism. Also note liberalism was classically grounded on a substantive image of the good individual and did not shrink from policy interventions that sought to promote its particular conception of appropriate individuality: see Richard Bellamy, Liberalism and Modern Society: A Historical Argument, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992.
9. 7 Murray, 'The Genetics of the Right', p. 31.
10. 8 Kohn, 'Market Eugenics', p. 29.
11. 9 There is a large literature on the contested significance of the early years of life. For discussion see Lise Eliot, What's Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, London, Penguin, 2000; Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin, Design for a Life: How Behaviour Develops, London, Jonathan Cape, 1999; Ann and Alan Clarke, Early Experience and the Life Path, London, Jessica Kingsley, 2000; John Bruer, The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning, New York, Free Press, 1999.
12. 9 There is a large literature on the contested significance of the early years of life. For discussion see Lise Eliot, What's Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, London, Penguin, 2000; Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin, Design for a Life: How Behaviour Develops, London, Jonathan Cape, 1999; Ann and Alan Clarke, Early Experience and the Life Path, London, Jessica Kingsley, 2000; John Bruer, The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning, New York, Free Press, 1999.
13. 9 There is a large literature on the contested significance of the early years of life. For discussion see Lise Eliot, What's Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, London, Penguin, 2000; Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin, Design for a Life: How Behaviour Develops, London, Jonathan Cape, 1999; Ann and Alan Clarke, Early Experience and the Life Path, London, Jessica Kingsley, 2000; John Bruer, The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning, New York, Free Press, 1999.
14. 9 There is a large literature on the contested significance of the early years of life. For discussion see Lise Eliot, What's Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, London, Penguin, 2000; Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin, Design for a Life: How Behaviour Develops, London, Jonathan Cape, 1999; Ann and Alan Clarke, Early Experience and the Life Path, London, Jessica Kingsley, 2000; John Bruer, The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning, New York, Free Press, 1999.
15. 10 See Forsén et al., 'Growth in utero and during Childhood among Women who Develop Coronary Heart Disease: Longitudinal Study', British Medical Journal, 1999; Barker et al., 'Low Weight Gain in Infancy and Suicide in Adult Life', British Medical Journal, 1995. 11 My discussion of these mechanisms is largely based on Karen Schmidt's article, 'Programmed at Birth', New Scientist, 17 July 1999.
16. 10 See Forsén et al., 'Growth in utero and during Childhood among Women who Develop Coronary Heart Disease: Longitudinal Study', British Medical Journal, 1999; Barker et al., 'Low Weight Gain in Infancy and Suicide in Adult Life', British Medical Journal, 1995. 11 My discussion of these mechanisms is largely based on Karen Schmidt's article, 'Programmed at Birth', New Scientist, 17 July 1999.
17. 10 See Forsén et al., 'Growth in utero and during Childhood among Women who Develop Coronary Heart Disease: Longitudinal Study', British Medical Journal, 1999; Barker et al., 'Low Weight Gain in Infancy and Suicide in Adult Life', British Medical Journal, 1995. 11 My discussion of these mechanisms is largely based on Karen Schmidt's article, 'Programmed at Birth', New Scientist, 17 July 1999.
18. 12 David Barker, 'Commentary: Intrauterine Nutrition May Be Important', British Medical Journal, 1999. It is important to note that this analysis remains a matter of debate in the medical journals. For a general discussion of the significance of benefits for women and children in the development of the French welfare system see Susan Pedersen, Family, Dependence and the Origins of the Welfare State: Britain and France 1914-1945, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993.
19. 12 David Barker, 'Commentary: Intrauterine Nutrition May Be Important', British Medical Journal, 1999. It is important to note that this analysis remains a matter of debate in the medical journals. For a general discussion of the significance of benefits for women and children in the development of the French welfare system see Susan Pedersen, Family, Dependence and the Origins of the Welfare State: Britain and France 1914-1945, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993.
20. 13 R. Anstie et al., Government Spending on Work-Related Childcare: Some Economic Issues, Canberra, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, 1988.