The Bell Curve publication elaborates on the variations in intelligence in society. Racial differences and genetics have been used as the primary measures in assessing the levels of the intelligence quotient. The authors present an argument that environmental and inherited factors greatly influence human IQ (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994). Based on intelligence levels, human beings have been classified into three, the cognitive elites, the average, and the below average. From the discussion in the Bell Curve, it is evident that though genetics plays a role in determining IQ, it is not the only strict determinant.
Social-economic status, for instance, has been expressed as a significant factor in determining the level of intelligence one can achieve. The study proved that children of wealthy parents had a higher intelligence compared to their poor counterparts. This is because the quality of education provided plays a role in intelligence. The rich can provide their children with a quality education while the poor can only afford low-class education, and in some instances, their children may fail to finish their studies because of school fee constraints (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994). The environment in which one is born and lives is another determinant of Intellectual development. The environment will dictate the interaction and social behaviors one will encounter in their life.
As a parent and a teacher, it is of paramount salience that one understands that a child’s intelligence is not confined to genetics but is developed throughout the child’s development. To maximize the child’s IQ, parents should embrace giving birth to children while they are young, below the age of 35 years (Scherz, 2021). Children born at advanced ages tend to have a slow learning capacity which will affect their IQ. Apart from parents, teachers are relevant as they spend more time with the child. Teachers should help the child in school through programs such as memory and visuospatial activities.
References
Herrnstein, R. J., & Murray, C. A. (1994). The Bell curve: Intelligence and class structure in American life.
Scherz, P. (2021). Life as an Intelligence Test: Intelligence, Education, and Behavioral Genetics. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 1-17. Web.