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Response to comments on 'A post-genomic surprise'.

¹Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy, University of California; Berkeley and Department of Sociology, New York University.

The British Journal of Sociology

|March 20, 2015

Summary

This paper synthesizes commentary on the molecular reinscription of race, urging sociology and related fields to anticipate its implications in medicine and forensics. It cautions social scientists about collaborations with geneticists using pre-fabricated racial categories.

Keywords:

Admixture ancestry-testing personalized medicine pharmacoethnicity race

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Area of Science:

Sociology
Social Studies of Science
Anthropology of Medicine
Critical Race Theory

Background:

The molecular reinscription of race is an emerging trend with significant implications.
Commentary highlights the need for interdisciplinary engagement and sociological response.
Existing racial categories in genetic databases pose challenges for research.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize common themes from author commentary on the molecular reinscription of race.
To explore the future implications of this phenomenon in forensics and clinical medicine.
To propose a sociological response and suggest interdisciplinary research avenues.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of commentary from seven authors.
Analysis of potential collaborations between sociology and human molecular genetics.
Identification of sociologically informed reasons for caution in interdisciplinary research.

Main Results:

The molecular reinscription of race necessitates forward-looking analysis in sociology.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial, involving fields like social studies of science, anthropology of medicine, and critical race theory.
Caution is advised regarding collaborations with human molecular geneticists who utilize pre-fabricated racial categories, to avoid genetic explanations for social outcomes.

Conclusions:

Sociology must proactively address the molecular reinscription of race.
Coordinated empirical investigation across multiple disciplines is essential.
Careful consideration of collaborative projects with human molecular geneticists is necessary to mitigate risks associated with pre-defined racial categories.