Genetics Toolkit: Preventing Misuse of Genetic Science

Publication Date:

Oct 12, 2022

Updated:

Oct 12, 2022

Collection Editor(s):

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science, Purdue University, Department of Sociology; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics; Research Affiliate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University

Introduction

The misuse and distortion of genetic science by white supremacists during the 20th century made genetic essentialism, the belief that genes can accurately predict complex behaviors and traits, a foundation of Western thinking. Today, essentialist assumptions remain embedded in US laws, policies, and cultural artifacts. To grow up in America is to be surrounded by many implicit and explicit messages that suggest genetic essentialism is ontologically accurate and to hear very few messages suggesting otherwise.

Geneticists, especially those who study complex social behaviors, have a duty to make sure that their work is communicated clearly and carefully. They must anticipate the potential misuse of their work for nefarious purposes, such as white supremacism. Genetic scientists have a responsibility to explain, provide context for, and clarify their findings for public audiences.

Those geneticists who wish to engage in public outreach will quickly find themselves combatting a mountain of essentialism. To effectively push back against this type of scientifically incorrect thinking, it is necessary to have the correct tools at one’s disposal. This collection aims to…

SHOW LESS

Taking responsibility for the public interpretation of behavioral genetics

Martschenko, D. O. (2021). “The elephant in the room”: Social responsibility in the production of sociogenomics research. BioSocieties.
Dangerous work. (2013). Nature, 502(7469), 5–6.
Hayden, E. C. (2013). Ethics: Taboo genetics. Nature, 502(7469), 26–28.
Wedow, R., Martschenko, D. O., & Trejo, S. (2022, May 26). Scientists must consider the risk of racist misappropriation of research. Scientific American.

Behavioral genetics, the ethical context

Hepple, B., Bobrow, M., Baldwin, T., Karmiloff-Smith, A., McCall-Smith, S., Moffitt, T., Pharoah, P., Rawlins, N., Richards, M., Saini, P., Shakespeare, T., Thapar, A., & Wilkie, A. (2002). Summary and recommendations. In Genetics and human behaviour: The ethical context (pp. xix–xxxiii). Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Hepple, B., Bobrow, M., Baldwin, T., Karmiloff-Smith, A., McCall-Smith, S., Moffitt, T., Pharoah, P., Rawlins, N., Richards, M., Saini, P., Shakespeare, T., Thapar, A., & Wilkie, A. (2002). Historical context. In Genetics and human behaviour: The ethical context (pp. 11–22). Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Hepple, B., Bobrow, M., Baldwin, T., Karmiloff-Smith, A., McCall-Smith, S., Moffitt, T., Pharoah, P., Rawlins, N., Richards, M., Saini, P., Shakespeare, T., Thapar, A., & Wilkie, A. (2002). Genetics, freedom, and human dignity. In Genetics and human behaviour: The ethical context (pp. 119–130). Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Responsible conduct of genetic studies of intelligence

Parens, E., & Appelbaum, P. S. (2015). An introduction to thinking about trustworthy research into the genetics of intelligence. Hastings Center Report, 45(S1), S2–S8.
Hansen, E. T., Gluck, S., & Shelton, A. L. (2015). Obligations and concerns of an organization like the Center for Talented Youth. Hastings Center Report, 45(S1), S66–S72.
Tabery, J. (2015). Why is studying the genetics of intelligence so controversial? Hastings Center Report, 45(S1), S9–S14.

Tackling the formation of genetic essentialism

Harmon, A. (2019, December 7). Can biology class reduce racism? The New York Times.
Donovan, B. M., Semmens, R., Keck, P., Brimhall, E., Busch, K. C., Weindling, M., Duncan, A., Stuhlsatz, M., Bracey, Z. B., Bloom, M., Kowalski, S., & Salazar, B. (2019). Toward a more humane genetics education: Learning about the social and quantitative complexities of human genetic variation research could reduce racial bias in adolescent and adult populations. Science Education, 103(3), 529–560.
Donovan, B. M., & Martschenko, D. O. (2021, February 18). Race, genetics, and genetics education. Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis.

Science communication by scientists

Benjamin, D. J., Cesarini, D., Chabris, C. F., Koellinger, P. D., Laibson, D., Meyer, M. N., Okbay, A., Turley, P., Visscher, P. M., & Zacher, M. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions to “Gene discovery and polygenic prediction from a 1.1-million-person GWAS of educational attainment”.
Ganna, A., Neale, B., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Zietsch, B., Verweji, K., Abdellaoui, A., Perry, J., Busch, A., Nivard, M., Sanders, A., Martin, E., Beecham, G., Guo, S., Harris, K. M., Sathirapongsasuti, J. F., Auton, A., 23andMe Research Team, Lichtenstein, P., Långström, N., Lundström, S. (2022). Genetics of sexual behavior. Genetics of Sexual Behavior.
Phelps, S. M., & Wedow, R. (2019, August 29). What genetics is teaching us about sexuality. The New York Times.
Martschenko, D. O., Domingue, B. W., Matthews, L. J., & Trejo, S. (2021). FoGS provides a public FAQ repository for social and behavioral genomic discoveries. Nature Genetics, 53(9), 1272–1274.

About ELSIhub Collections

ELSIhub Collections are essential reading lists on fundamental or emerging topics in ELSI, curated and explained by expert Collection Editors, often paired with ELSI trainees. This series assembles materials from cross-disciplinary literatures to enable quick access to key information.