In this talk, I will argue for a relational account of downward causation (DC) in terms of both its transformational and conditioning effects. Specifically, I shall contend that DC can avoid the main problems traditionally attributed to it, provided that we are able to reconceptualize the notion of whole and that form of causality in a purely relational way. In the second part of the talk, I will show how social neuroscience has been thinking in terms of DC, particularly when studying the impact that ‘socioeconomic status’ has on the brain and cognitive development of children.