ASIAN FAMILY STUDY VALUE AIDED BY GENETIC PREDISPOSITIONS zip35\doc\web\99\10\limfam.txt "[genetic] long attention span, greater self-control, and large working memory capacity constitute a recipe for academic success through self-directed study" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898621488/qid%3D932510850/002-6136436-5720019 The Limits of Family Influence : Genes, Experience, and Behavior by David C. Rowe Our Price: $19.95 The Limits of Family Influence argues that socialization science has placed too heavy an emphasis on the family as the bearer of culture. Similarly, it reveals how the environmental variables most often named in socialization science - such as social class, parental warmth, and one- versus two-parent households - may also be empty of causal influence on child outcomes such as intelligence, personality, and psychopathology. From: "Patricia Hausman" To: "David Rowe" , Date sent: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:19:28 -0400 Subject: [h-bd] Re: culturalist view David Rowe wrote: On the culturalist view topic, there is an interesting book by David Putman >1994. Making Democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. He argues >that the poor economic performance of southern Italy is due to differences >between its civic culture (or rather, the lack thereof) and the civic >culture of northern Italy. On the other hand, gene frequency maps of Italy >also show historical differences in genetic heritage between southern and >northern Italy. Once again, nature and nurture are methodologically >confounded in the study of cultural differences . _________ David, OK, will check out the book. But while we're on this subject, let me admit that one of the books I would most recommend is your own--The Limits of Family Influence. It is simply one of the most intellectually honest works I have ever read. One of the most memorable (for me) passages in the book addresses the common view that the high academic achieve- ment of Asian-American children can be explained solely by family environments that stress learning: "Previous chapters have shown that traits emerge through a process of gene x environment correlation . . . In this view, the supportive environments of Asian families *and* a set of genetically based traits lead together to high levels of academic achievement. The Asian children's long attention span, greater self-control, and large working memory capacity constitute a recipe for academic success through self-directed study. Were these traits lacking, the long hours around a dining room table would erupt into family arguments, with jumpy children anxious to break away from the unpleasant duty imposed on them." Somehow the reality check of that last sentence just resonated with me, and I have never forgotten it during the three years since I read the book. Best, Patti