Teaching developmental biology to drive social change: Pedagogy that challenges biologically deterministic views on phenotypic variation

Abstract

Discrimination against groups of people based on socially-normed phenotypic variations is commonplace in many societies. The stigmatized phenotypic variations are dependent on specific societal norms but might include features that align with social constructs of race, phenotypic variations that may result in different ability levels, or those that align with social constructs of sex and/or gender identity. Science has contributed to this discrimination through biological essentialism, either by assigning specific undesirable biological characteristics to socially-normed phenotypic groupings, or more recently by assigning a genetic basis for these phenotypic differences. Biological essentialism can promote deterministic views lead to alienation and the persistence of social hierarchies. To overcome this, scientists have a responsibility to create positive changes to decenter practices that contribute to such discrimination. The study of developmental biology straddles the intersection of many biological concepts that have social and political ramifications. This paper outlines a pedagogical approach to create connections between concepts central to developmental biology and broader social issues to which they relate using a biocultural perspective. Specifically, the focus will be on understanding how phenotypes are generated through a combination of biological, environmental and social factors; exploring how deterministic views of biological essentialism contribute to social hierarchies and discrimination (such as racism, sexism, genderism and ableism); and understanding how this discrimination can become embodied through negative chronic and transgenerational biological consequences for stigmatized groups.