Dna, Race, and Reproduction - by Emily Klancher Merchant & Meaghan O'Keefe (Paperback)

About the Book

DNA, Race, and Reproduction helps readers inside and outside of academia evaluate and engage with the current genomic landscape. It brings together expertise in law, medicine, religion, history, anthropology, philosophy, and genetics to examine how scientists, medical professionals, and laypeople use genomic concepts to construct racial identity and make or advise reproductive decisions, often at the same moment. It critically and accessibly interrogates how DNA figures in the reproduction of racialized bodies and the racialization of reproduction and examines the privileged position from which genomic knowledge claims to speak about human bodies, societies, and activities. The volume begins from the premise that reproduction, regardless of the means, forces a confrontation between biomedical, scientific, and popular understandings of genetics, and that those understandings are often racialized. It therefore centers reproduction as both a site of analysis and an analytic lens-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more.

DNA, Race, and Reproduction helps readers inside and outside of academia evaluate and engage with the current genomic landscape. It brings together expertise in law, medicine, religion, history, anthropology, philosophy, and genetics to examine how scientists, medical professionals, and laypeople use genomic concepts to construct racial identity and make or advise reproductive decisions, often at the same moment. It critically and accessibly interrogates how DNA figures in the reproduction of racialized bodies and the racialization of reproduction and examines the privileged position from which genomic knowledge claims to speak about human bodies, societies, and activities. The volume begins from the premise that reproduction, regardless of the means, forces a confrontation between biomedical, scientific, and popular understandings of genetics, and that those understandings are often racialized. It therefore centers reproduction as both a site of analysis and an analytic lens.

From the Back Cover

"Rather than approaching DNA, race, and reproduction as isolated topics, this collection integrates insights from various disciplines to offer a holistic perspective. It effectively challenges conventional assumptions about race and genetics and exposes the flaws in using racial, ethnic, and ancestral categories as proxies for genetic variation. The collection does a fantastic job of debunking the notion of genetic determinism."--Kimberly Zayhowski, Assistant Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

"DNA, Race, and Reproduction expertly tackles the troublesome relationship between our genes and our race. Merging critical scientific and humanistic perspectives, this book provides much-needed insights into how society can better construct identity and heredity, as well as re-envision our fundamental understanding of mind and body."--Rina Bliss, Associate Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University and author of Rethinking Intelligence and What's Real about Race?

About the Author

Emily Klancher Merchant is Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the University of California, Davis. She is the author of Building the Population Bomb.

Meaghan O'Keefe is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and leads the Medical Humanities Program at the University of California, Davis.