Citation

Combs-Orme T. Br. J. Soc. Work 2018; 48(2): 531-535.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjsw/bcx049

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The recent article by White and Wastell (2016) poses important questions for the social work profession as we move to integrate scientific knowledge about epigenetics into our knowledge base, arguing that it is too soon to adopt this knowledge and posing ethical questions. In this reply, I take an approach that is more optimistic than that of White and Wastell, emphasising the reversibility of gene expression changes and the importance of social policy and interventions for addressing much of the damage caused by poverty, racism and violence.