Determinants of genetic essentialist beliefs about race: a comparison of Canada and the United States

With the rise of genomics, beliefs about the relationship between race and genetics are increasingly important. Genetic essentialist beliefs - the idea that races have core essences determined by their genes - are associated with prejudice and justification of racial inequalities. Yet research to understand these beliefs is hampered by a lack of measures across nations. This exploratory study uses the newly-developed Genetic Essentialism Scale for Race to compare genetic essentialist beliefs and their determinants in samples of native-born White Canadians and Americans. We find higher average genetic essentialism among Canadian respondents than their American counterparts. However, examining subdimensions of genetic essentialism shows some of the views that contribute to it are held more strongly in the U.S., and others in Canada. We compare the determinants of genetic essentialism and its subdimensions across these national contexts and suggest further research into the role of multiculturalist policies, educational curricula, and religiosity.