How to Explain Diversity: A Cultural problem The history of humanity has shown that the influences of a select few, charting their ideas of what is right and wrong, pure or dirty, black or white may all influence cultures; but these principles do not follow a certain direction. Rather, with the continuance of culture through time, the principles have diverged human experience into thousands of different cultures. In Biology as Ideology, the argument of genetic determinism arises; ones genetic makeup and other biological factors are the main determinants of individual behavior. This theory is greatly reliant on a culture looking for a direct cause and effect relationship between the genetic makeup of humans and social ability. Like this belief, the Origin Myth in Malanowski’s “Magic, Science, and Religion” explains how a certain Indonesian culture, namely the Trobrianders, explains their creation by using stories, experience and presentation. They argue there was an underworld world previous to life on Earth where social inequality already existed. Moreover, the channel that molds human behavior in “Magic, Science, and Religion” and Biology as Ideology as well, is seen to be internal; although the striking difference is that the Trobrianders rely on past events to establish truths in their lives while biological determinism finds truth by arguing genes determine cultural differences.Both texts read that the creation of culture stems from psychological factors that are innate, but the important difference lies in why these myths were created and the cultural significance they hold. The concept of genetic determinism in Biology as Ideology is explained by how, “We differ in fundamental abilities because of innate differences that are biologically inherited.” Genetic Determinism argues that human genes cause inequality, in turn causing social clines and cultural diversity. Moreover, it tries to c...
