Is social status gene related?

[chris]

In biology in 10th grade, we were learning about aquiring traits and what not. And someone brought up if your social status can be inherited. I think it can be. But not directly. I mean with like your personality and stuff. Maybe if your parent were 'cool' or what not or 'nerds' would you be one to? your thoughts >

[mike]

I don't think you can inherit a personality. You're just born with one. Your parents can influence your personality by teaching you morals and what not.

[blike]

Ahh, the classic struggle commonly dubbed "nature vs nuture". Alot of studies have been done on this, especially with separated twins. Currently its believe that while nature (genes) play a role in physical ability, and some mental capacity, nurture(your environment) plays a big role in personality and your character traits.

[chris]

Your not just born with a personality. You have to inherit it. If both of your parents are quiet, meek people. Most likly you will be too. If your parents are outgoing, you probably are too. You can inherit personality. Why can't you inherit your social status too.

[aman]

I have a supposition. The genes we call junk genes which have no relationship to other comparisons of important genes but are individual to each person. They are long strings we can't attach any significance to. I don't believe they do not have a purpose but might have a large effect on who we are expressed as.

Just for conjecture.

Just aman

[Morat]

(junk genes is an oxymoron btw, genes by definition are expressed as proteins and junk by definition isn't - altho it's a little more complicated than that).

 

junk dna is pretty individual because it contains a lot of transposons ('jumping' dna) and long sequence repeats which confuse the copying mechanisms, and cause trouble with chromosomal crossing over.

 

but there's no reason to suppose this dna affects our individuality directly (it can have an indirect effect by damaging other genes). Most of that comes from mixing up of parental genes/chromosomes.

[aman]

If it is confusing our makeup and mobile then it sounds like the perfect defininition of where a personality might reside if it is inhereted. At least a few clues. maybe stable personalities have less "jumping". Just for thought.

Just aman

[Morat]

the elements are mobile between generations of individual organisms, not particularly within generations of cells in an individual (mobile in the germ line but not in the somatic cells if you like).

 

Even if there were a great deal of disruption between generations of body cells, cell turnover (especially in nerve cells, which are pretty much permanent) isn't fast enough to generate any kind of erratic personality.

[Glider]

Personality is one thing, social status is another. Social status is certainly not an hereditory factor. Factors defining social status change much faster than evolution can adapt. More and more, social status seems to be defined by money. Specifically, how much of it one has. Whilst money may be in a certain sense hereditory, it is not gentetic.

[Guest icemaiden]

if you take animals, not specifically humans, a female, in a polygamous society always picks the male with the 'good genes' he is the one with the best colouring, the longest tail, the best fighter, the fastest runner or the best mating performance. this is the same as social status becuase herd rank always has the fittest individuals at the top. becuase only the fittest individuals will be sucessful breeders, ocial standing are genetic traits.

[Skye]

It's like saying 'success' can be inherited. Social status is a form of success, much like getting food, establishing a territory, finding a good mate, etc are all successes. Traits that have led to success in the past (i.e during the ancestors lives) can be inherited but the actual success depends on the interaction of those traits with the offspings environment. If the environment, society in this case, changes then those traits mightn't lead to the success that the ancestors had with them.

[Raider]

chris,

 

I think 'learn' would do much better than 'inherit.'

[Guest biodharani]

genes have same chemeical proportion,but the characters are acquired how? every body has rational thinking (ie) sixth sense

we have decide and imply in our day o day life that get stored and inherited. when the next generation acquires it they too have their own rational thinking and move their life.some environment factors too dominate the personality.and their guts raises their social status.

[Guest KatieDoll]

I'll have to agree with what blike already said.

I remember in Biology class we watched a video on identical twins seperated at birth. Although they of course look identical, they had just as many differences in interests as similarities, therefore enviroment most play a role in your "social status" and other such non-genetic things.