The Effect of Genetic Ancestry Testing on Ethnoracial Network Diversity

• In Event: 1452 - Genetics, Identity, and Other Controversies

Abstract

Genetic ancestry testing is a controversial industry, with scholars questioning the tests legitimacy as well as their potential to increase racial essentialism. Yet despite these controversies, genetic ancestry testing continues to grow in popularity in the United States as a way to either confirm or uncover ethnoracial ancestry. While research is beginning to examine people’s interpretations of their ancestry test results, little consideration has been given to real-world outcomes of taking these tests, like their impact on changes in the ethnoracial make-up of social networks. This paper asks whether (1) taking the test, and (2) receiving results of non-European background impacts ethnoracial network diversity for a sample of White Americans. We address these questions using an original randomized controlled trial of White, non-Hispanic Americans, half of whom received genetic ancestry tests. Unexpected findings show that test-takers network diversity shrinks post-test, and especially for those with more diverse networks to begin with. We further explore these patterns, drawing on 57 qualitative follow-up interviews with study participants, and present three potential theoretical explanations for the finding. We discuss how future research can adjudicate between these explanations.

Authors

• Wendy D. Roth, University of Pennsylvania

• Rochelle R. Cote, Memorial University of Newfoundland