The Nature of Difference Science, Society and Human Biology (PBK)

The Nature of Difference constitutes a ground-breaking discussion of human diversity among biologists, anthropologists, sociologists, lawyers, medics, epidemiologists, and psychologists, among others. Written by a diverse group of highly regarded authors, the result is a fascinating investigation into human biological diversity and the theory and practice of conducting such research. Chapters focus on recognizing diversity in regard to the law, the issue of nature vs. nurture, genetics, eugenics and the construction of disease, the ethics of human experimentation, and whether there is a biological basis for morality.

Unprecedented advances in genetics and biotechnology have brought profound new insights into human biological variation. These present challenges and opportunities for understanding the origins of human nature, the nature of difference, and the social practices these sustain. This provides an opportunity for cooperation between the biological and social sciences – one that is capable of prompting a synergistic exchange of ideas with far-reaching implications.      The Nature of Differencecritically analyses biological explanations for morality, criminality, race, sexuality, and disability. Based on the 45th annual symposium of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, this work synthesizes the perspectives of established experts in the field of human biology with those studying the social meanings of human biological variation and scientific practices in human biological research. Some questions addressed by The Nature of Difference: · Is there a biological basis for morality, criminality, witchcraft, sexuality or disability? · What do comparisons of humans and apes tell us about society? · How do people draw on scientific methods to justify racism? · Why do geneticists continue to use racial categories in their research? · Do ethical guidelines constrain or facilitate research into human biology? · Can science and society escape from biological determinism? As biotechnology expands the frontiers of what we know and what we are able to do, and as the genomic revolution moves out of the laboratory and into our daily lives, we are faced with a number of pressing social issues that need to be resolved. Offering an unparalleled collection of multidisciplinary perspectives on the meanings of biological diversity, this book provides readers with a vibrant analysis which revisits these issues with deepened insight from contrasting yet complementary perspectives.

Introduction: Human Biology and the Embodiment of Difference; George T.H. Ellison and Alan H. Goodman Part 1: Looking for ‘Nature’ in Human Nature Is There a Biological Basis for Morality? Matt Cartmill Biological Determinism and Its Critics: Some Lessons from History; Robert Dingwall, Brigitte Nerlich, and Samantha Hillyard The Scientific and Cultural Meaning of the Odious Ape–Human Comparison; Jonathan Marks Everyday Explanations of Diversity and Difference:  The Role of Lay Ontologizing; Kevin Durrheim and John Dixon Part 2: Geneticisation and the Nature of DIFFERENCE Inventing the History of a Genetic Disorder: The Case of Huntington’s Disease; Alice Wexler Constructing and Deconstructing the “Gay Gene”: Media Reporting of Genetics, Sexual Diversity, and “Deviance”; Jenny Kitzinger The Dilemma of Predictable Disablement: A Challenge for Families and Society; Tom Shakespeare Race in Medicine: From Probability to Categorical Practice; Richard Ashcroft Part 3: Scientific Practice AND THE Pursuit of Difference The Truth Will Out: Scientific Pragmatism and the Geneticization of Race and Ethnicity; Simon M. Outram and George T.H. Ellison Indigenous Peoples, Bioanthropological Research, and Ethics in Brazil: Issues in Participation and Consent; Ricardo Ventura Santos To the Science, to the Living, to the Dead: Ethics and Bioarchaeology; Bethany L. Turner, Diana S. Toebbe, and George J. Armelagos Seeing Culture in Biology; Alan Goodman

George Ellison, Alan H. Goodman