301 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Invited Session. The Practice of Science, Genomics, and Racial and Ethnic Bias

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Abstract

The recent Time Magazine article written by Nicholas Wade titled, “What Science Says about Race and Genetics,” has re-kindled what was perhaps a never-ending debate as to whether there is a biological basis for race. Despite the fact that many population geneticists (well over 140 according to a recent article in ScienceInsider) have claimed that Wade misinterpreted their work, the more bizarre and concerning issue has to do with the overrepresentation of Wade’s point of view across mainstream media. Less highlighted are sociological research in this arena, a fact which only serves to maintain status quo understandings (i.e., minimize or deny) about the dangers of race and racism as we move forward into the 21st century. This includes not only the misrepresentation of issues pertaining to race and biology, but also, as Troy Duster warned us in the late 1990s, the implications of trying to link DNA markers to ancestral origins and engaging in genetic explanations for current social and structural inequalities. In this session, panelists will engage in this debate and bring back sociology and sociological research to the forefront of this important issue.

Sub Unit

• Section Invited

Session Organizers

• David G. Embrick, Loyola University-Chicago

• Silvia Dominguez, Northeastern University

Presider

• Victor E. Ray, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Individual Presentations

• Asian, African, and European Genomes: The Sociogenomic Paradigm and Race - Catherine Bliss, University of California-Santa Cruz

• The Emperor's New Genes: Science, Policy, and the Allure of Objectivity - Ruha Benjamin, Princeton University

• A Level Playing Field? Media Constructions of Athletics, Genetics, and Race - Matthew W. Hughey, University of Connecticut; Devon R. Goss, University of Connecticut

• Racialization Via Objectivity and Heuristic Practice in Genomics - Johnny E. Williams, Trinity College