Nature of Difference Science, Society and Human Biology

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 a unique opportunity for cooperation between the biological and social sciences - one that is capable of prompting a synergistic exchange of ideas with far-reaching implications for science, society, and human biology. Written for students, scholars and a wider audience interested in human evolution, genetics and biological diversity, The Nature of Difference critically analyses biological explanations for morality, criminality, witchcraft, 'race', sexuality and disability. Integrating perspectives drawn from the biological and social sciences provides insights into the practices that sustain such claims, their impact on science and society, and how networks of ideology and practice might be exposed and addressed. Based on the 45th annual symposium of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, and sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, 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 of the 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? Who was responsible for sensational reports of the 'gay gene'? 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 growing number of pressing social issues that need to be resolved - not least how we integrate new information and new practices into the way we conceptualize human nature and the nature of difference. Offering an unparalleled collection of multidisciplinary perspectives on the scientific, social, and political meanings of human biological diversity, The Nature of Difference provides readers with a vibrant analysis which revisits these issues with deepened insight from a range of contrasting yet complementary perspectives.Goodman, Alan H. is the author of 'Nature of Difference Science, Society and Human Biology', published 2006 under ISBN 9780849327209 and ISBN 0849327202.