Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309101964
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309101964
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

Get Book Here

Book Description
Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.

Assessing Genetic Risks

Assessing Genetic Risks PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309047986
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Raising hopes for disease treatment and prevention, but also the specter of discrimination and "designer genes," genetic testing is potentially one of the most socially explosive developments of our time. This book presents a current assessment of this rapidly evolving field, offering principles for actions and research and recommendations on key issues in genetic testing and screening. Advantages of early genetic knowledge are balanced with issues associated with such knowledge: availability of treatment, privacy and discrimination, personal decision-making, public health objectives, cost, and more. Among the important issues covered: Quality control in genetic testing. Appropriate roles for public agencies, private health practitioners, and laboratories. Value-neutral education and counseling for persons considering testing. Use of test results in insurance, employment, and other settings.

Socio-Genetics

Socio-Genetics PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 008095393X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 123

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Book Description
Socio-Genetics seeks to understand both the genetic and environmental contributions to individual variations in behavior. Behaviors, like all complex traits, involve multiple genes, a reality that complicates the search for genetic contributions. As with much other research in genetics, studies of genes and behavior require analysis of families and populations for comparison of those who have the trait in question with those who do not. The result commonly is a statement of "heritability," a statistical construct that estimates the amount of variation in a population that is attributable to genetic factors. The explanatory power of heritability figures is limited, however, applying only to the population studied and only to the environment in place at the time the study was conducted. If the population or the environment changes, the heritability most likely will change as well. Focused on the genetics of complex traits in a variety of organisms—honeybees, mice, and nematodes—this volume discusses environmental influence on genetic programs and evolutionary genetics. Such research is proving important in furthering our understanding of the genetic basis of such diseases as obesity, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, and autism, to name a few. Most recent research findings on gene-environment interaction and complex behavior, allows researchers to make predictions about the genetic mechanisms that underlie some basic behaviors—eating, for example—leading to new and novel treatments for some genetically based abnormal behaviors Reviews environmental programming of phenotypic diversity in female reproductive strategies, providing important insight into fertility and in developing therapeutic strategies to treat infertility

Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog

Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog PDF Author: John Paul Scott
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022619082X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 503

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Book Description
The classic study of canine behavior: “A major authoritative work…Immensely rewarding reading for anyone concerned with dog-breeding.”—Times Literary Supplement Based on twenty years of research at the Jackson Laboratory, this is the single most important and comprehensive reference work on the behavior of dogs ever compiled, written by geneticist and comparative psychologist John Paul Scott, known for his research into social behavior and aggression. “One of the most important texts on canine behavior published to date. Anyone interested in breeding, training, or canine behavior must own this book.”—Wayne Hunthausen, D.V.M., Director of Animal Behavior Consultations “This pioneering research on dog behavioral genetics is a timeless classic for all serious students of ethology and canine behavior.”—Dr. Michael Fox, Senior Advisor to the President, The Humane Society of the United States “Comprehensive…[a] seminal work.”—Mark Derr, The Atlantic Monthly “Essential reading for anyone involved in the breeding of dogs. No breeder can afford to ignore the principles of proper socialization first discovered and articulated in this landmark study.”—The Monks of New Skete, authors of How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend and the video series Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete

Social by Nature

Social by Nature PDF Author: Catherine Bliss
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 1503603962
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 359

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Book Description
Sociogenomics has rapidly become one of the trendiest sciences of the new millennium. Practitioners view human nature and life outcomes as the result of genetic and social factors. In Social by Nature, Catherine Bliss recognizes the promise of this interdisciplinary young science, but also questions its implications for the future. As she points out, the claim that genetic similarities cause groups of people to behave in similar ways is not new—and a dark history of eugenics warns us of its dangers. Over the last decade, sociogenomics has enjoyed a largely uncritical rise to prominence and acceptance in popular culture. Researchers have published studies showing that things like educational attainment, gang membership, and life satisfaction are encoded in our DNA long before we say our first word. Strangely, unlike the racial debates over IQ scores in the '70s and '90s, sociogenomics has not received any major backlash. By exposing the shocking parallels between sociogenomics and older, long-discredited, sciences, Bliss persuasively argues for a more thoughtful public reception of any study that reduces human nature to a mere sequence of genes. This book is a powerful call for researchers to approach their work in more socially responsible ways, and a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the scholarship that impacts how we see ourselves and our society.

Genetic Databases

Genetic Databases PDF Author: Oonagh Corrigan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134373341
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Genetic Databases offers a timely analysis of the underlying tensions, contradictions and limitations of the current regulatory frameworks for, and policy debates about, genetic databases. Drawing on original empirical research and theoretical debates in the fields of sociology, anthropology and legal studies, the contributors to this book challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of informed consent and explore the relationship between personal privacy and the public good. They also consider the multiple meanings attached to human tissue and the role of public consultations and commercial involvement in the creation and use of genetic databases. The authors argue that policy and regulatory frameworks produce a representation of participation that is often at odds with the experiences and understandings of those taking part. The findings present a serious challenge for public policy to provide mechanisms to safeguard the welfare of individuals participating in genetic databases.

The Genome Factor

The Genome Factor PDF Author: Dalton Conley
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691183163
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
"For a century, social scientists have avoided genetics like the plague. But in the past decade, a small but intrepid group of economists, political scientists, and sociologists have harnessed the genomics revolution to paint a more complete picture of human social life than ever before. The Genome Factor describes the latest astonishing discoveries being made at the scientific frontier where genomics and the social sciences intersect. The Genome Factor reveals that there are real genetic differences by racial ancestry--but ones that don't conform to what we call black, white, or Latino. Genes explain a significant share of who gets ahead in society and who does not, but instead of giving rise to a genotocracy, genes often act as engines of mobility that counter social disadvantage. An increasing number of us are marrying partners with similar education levels as ourselves, but genetically speaking, humans are mixing it up more than ever before with respect to mating and reproduction. These are just a few of the many findings presented in this illuminating and entertaining book, which also tackles controversial topics such as genetically personalized education and the future of reproduction in a world where more and more of us are taking advantage of cheap genotyping services like 23andMe to find out what our genes may hold in store for ourselves and our children. The Genome Factor shows how genomics is transforming the social sciences--and how social scientists are integrating both nature and nurture into a unified, comprehensive understanding of human behavior at both the individual and society-wide levels."--

New Directions in the Sociology of Aging

New Directions in the Sociology of Aging PDF Author: Panel on New Directions in Social Demography, Social Epidemiology, and the Sociology of Aging
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309292979
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
The aging of the population of the United States is occurring at a time of major economic and social changes. These economic changes include consideration of increases in the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare and possible changes in benefit levels. Furthermore, changes in the social context in which older individuals and families function may well affect the nature of key social relationships and institutions that define the environment for older persons. Sociology offers a knowledge base, a number of useful analytic approaches and tools, and unique theoretical perspectives that can facilitate understanding of these demographic, economic, and social changes and, to the extent possible, their causes, consequences and implications. The Future of the Sociology of Aging: An Agenda for Action evaluates the recent contributions of social demography, social epidemiology and sociology to the study of aging and identifies promising new research directions in these sub-fields. Included in this study are nine papers prepared by experts in sociology, demography, social genomics, public health, and other fields, that highlight the broad array of tools and perspectives that can provide the basis for further advancing the understanding of aging processes in ways that can inform policy. This report discusses the role of sociology in what is a wide-ranging and diverse field of study; a proposed three-dimensional conceptual model for studying social processes in aging over the life cycle; a review of existing databases, data needs and opportunities, primarily in the area of measurement of interhousehold and intergenerational transmission of resources, biomarkers and biosocial interactions; and a summary of roadblocks and bridges to transdisciplinary research that will affect the future directions of the field of sociology of aging.

Genetics, Health, and Society

Genetics, Health, and Society PDF Author: Brea L. Perry
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1783505680
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
This volume focuses on critical issues surrounding the intersection of genetics, health, and society. It provides a critical examination of sociological and biomedical approaches to genomics, including strengths and limitations of each perspective.

The Double-Edged Helix

The Double-Edged Helix PDF Author: Joseph S. Alper
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press+ORM
ISBN: 080187758X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
This bioethics anthology exploring the questions and controversies surrounding the innovations of 21st century genetics. When the Human Genome Project completed its work in the early 2000s, it was hailed as a watershed moment in the history of medicine. But not everyone felt the same optimism about where the breakthrough might lead. The Double-Edged Helix explores the impact of recent genetic discoveries on society as a whole as well as individual populations and communities. This volume outlines potential positive and negative effects of genetic research on minorities, individuals with disabilities, and those of diverse sexual orientations. Presenting a wide array of perspectives, contributors address the medical and ethical implications of newly available technologies, from prenatal genetic screenings to the so-called “gay gene” debates. They emphasize the need to ensure that genetics research does not lead to discrimination against people on the basis of their DNA. A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title