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Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT) asserts that both genetic and environmental factors have a formative impact on the physical as well as psychological upbringing of people. Audre Lorde, a famous Afro-American poet and a model (according to DIT) has influenced Afro-German women writers. For the forging of a collective Black German consciousness of identity, Audre Lorde's connections with Black Germans were pivotal and marked the beginning of a cross-cultural movement that was seminal for the building of various organizations like the Initiative of Black Germans (ISD), ADEFRA (Afro-German Women) and Home story Deutschland. This paper argues that Afro-Germans, and Afro-Americans, who share much in common, are part and parcel of the environment they have been raised in; therefore, according to genetic-cultural coevolution, subsequent generations are fully developed Homo sapiens whose biological and cultural genes are every inch (Afro-)Germans (and (Afro-)Americans). Moreover, the paper argues that a model, Audre Lorde in this case, who shares genetic roots with others, such as May Opitz, alias May Ayim-a palindrome that underscores her fascination of word play-, and who lives somewhere else can transfer some of his/her environmental practices such as protest against racism and give voice to the marginalized. Analysis and comparison of some poems by Lorde and Ayim will prove the DIT model's influence on others.
Keywords: Dual Inheritance Theory, Audre Lorde, May Ayim, Afro- German literature.
Dual Inheritance Theory
The study of genetic information and its modes of operation and transmission along with socio-cultural systems stresses the formative impact of the two different kinds of constructions (environmental and biological) necessary for creating fully cultured human societies with human beings that can reflect the material out of which these societies are constructed (See: Paul 2-3). Transmission of cultural practices and models resembles DNA's: "[W]hereas culture is transmitted by way of sensory perception, DNA is transmitted by means of copulation. This basic difference turns out to have enormous consequences for how the two channels influence the organization of human socio-cultural system" (Paul 11). Moreover, and in terms of promoting pro-social behavior such as gratitude, "it can be said that biology and culture colluded and constituted a powerful "dual-force" that was likely to have activated a stream of serial reciprocity" (Machalek and Martin 23).
The impact of cultural models...