Newsflash: wealthy people have higher IQs
According to Dr. Bruce Charlton, working class people are underrepresented at elite universities because working class people have lower IQs than those from wealthier backgrounds, and not because of any bias against the working class.
The working classes have lower IQs than those from wealthier backgrounds and should not be expected to win places at top universities, an academic has claimed.
Bruce Charlton, reader in evolutionary psychiatry at Newcastle University, suggested that the low numbers of working-class students at elite universities was the “natural outcome” of IQ differences between classes.
Yahoo News – Working class ‘has lower IQ’
In other words, meritocracy works.
The U.K. government is not pleased.
The Government criticised Dr Charlton’s comments. Higher education minister Bill Rammell said: “These arguments have a definite tone of ‘people should know their place’.
The arguments don’t have a “tone” at all. They’re a factual analysis of the situation. Sometimes when you approach a problem scientifically, you get results that make people uncomfortable — that doesn’t mean that the uncomfortable feeling was the goal of the research.
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “It should come as little surprise that people who enjoy a more privileged upbringing have a better start in life.
“It is up to all of us to ensure that not having access to the social and educational benefits that money provides is not a barrier to achieving one’s full potential.”
Erm, no it isn’t. The education of others is none of my concern. And I think Ms. Hunt is missing the point here in thinking that people have high IQs because they’re rich. Also consider that they could be rich because they have high IQs. Current research shows that IQ is between 40 and 80% based on genetics (i.e. independent of upbringing or education).
