Since conception, research into the genetics of human behavior has generated controversy.
Too often, behavioral genetics has been used to justify racism, classism, sexism,
and ableism and to reinforce existing sociopolitical disparities in wealth, health,
and education. Whether to conduct such research, how its scope ought to be affected
by sociopolitical concerns, and what its implications are for individuals, communities,
and society at large, have all captivated scholarly attention. Central to these debates
are worries that emphasis on the genetic underpinnings of behavior will distract from
important environmental or structural factors (eg, systemic inequities) that play
crucial roles in human behavioral development.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 20, 2023
Accepted:
April 16,
2023
Received in revised form:
April 14,
2023
Received:
July 4,
2022
Footnotes
Lucas J. Matthews and Daphne O. Martschenko are co–first authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
