Human Heredity in American Popular Culture

This study will explore the meaning of human genetics in popular culture, within the context of changing ideas about heredity and eugenics since the turn of the century. Drawing on the methods of social historians and communication studies, fiction, film, newspaper accounts and specialized publications will be examined. Key images and ideas about human heredity will be articulated, their meaning interpreted, and their roles in shaping the public response to findings in human genetics suggested. Preliminary work has focused attention on five themes that preoccupy the popular mindset: notions of 'genetic essentialism', the importance of blood relations, the importance of 'nature' in determining individual traits, genetic stereotypes, and a fear of 'tampering' with genes. Preliminary findings also show the renewed popular interest in old claims of behavior psychology, given legitimacy by molecular studies. But the major appeal of genetic explanations lies in their resonance with current social and political concerns. Popular images can help us understand the popular ideas that ultimately affect social policies, human relationships, and health care decisions, as well as public receptivity to genetics research.