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London, Sunday Times: “They may seem like cultural stereotypes, but the traits of rugged British individualism compared with Chinese conformity may be rooted in genetic differences between races, say scientists.
Their study suggests that the individualism seen in western nations, and the higher levels of collectivism and family loyalty found in Asian cultures, are caused by differences in the prevalence of particular genes. The scientists looked at a gene that controls levels of serotonin, the brain chemical which regulates mood and emotions.
They found one version of the gene was far more common in western populations where, they said, it was associated with individualistic and free-thinking behaviour.
The other version, which was prevalent in Asian populations, was associated with collectivism and a greater willingness to put the common good first. People with this gene appeared to have a different response to serotonin.
If confirmed, the findings would suggest that races may have a number of inherent psychological differences — just as they differ in physique and appearance. “We demonstrate for the first time a robust association between cultural values of individualism–collectivism and the serotonin transporter gene,” said Joan Chiao, from the department of psychology at Northwestern University, in Illinois. …
The findings, published in a paper, and in a new book called Pathological Altruism, found that Asian nations, including China, Japan and Korea tended to have higher proportions of the “collectivist” gene in their population.
Such findings will need further confirmation but could provide a tentative explanation of why the Japanese economy, for example, tends to be based around large companies showing high levels of loyalty between managers and employees. Economists often contrast such enterprises with the hire-and-fire culture of the West.
via Found: genes that make Brits free-thinkers | The Sunday Times.
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