Dismissing racial-profiling in intelligence
- Denying differences in intelligence between ethnic groups
Claim
The overwhelming consensus of experts in the field of intelligence is that environmental conditions account for most disparity when the test results of large groups are compared. Yes, in the USA, Black Americans score about 15 points lower than White Americans, whilst Asians score about 10 point higher than White Americans, on intelligence tests. These figures (not in dispute), can easily be misinterpreted as a link between intelligence and race. In northern Ireland, Catholics (mostly white) scored about 15 points lower on IQ tests than Protestants, who are also mostly white. In comparing group and race intelligence the only common denominator is environmental conditions. Northern Irish white Catholics just as African Americans have a long history of being subjected to discrimination and oppression. African Americans have been denied the means to climb out of their socio-economic conditions. Environmental conditions such as inadequate or no prenatal care, inadequate education, health care and nutrition, being frozen out of the job market, lack of father figures, the negative self-destroying psychological effects that may accompany such environmental factors (e.g. feelings of inferiority and depression) have an impact on intelligence. Asian Americans, on the other hand, tend to grow up more in nurturing environments than other groups. They can expect more family support, and are pushed harder and/or motivated more to do well. Of course there are individual genetic differences in intelligence, but those differences are larger from individual to individual than from group/race to group/race, as with other traits. Thus, naturally, black people can be more intelligent than Asians and white people, and so on.