Genetic nature - culture : anthropology and science beyond the two-culture divide

The so-called science wars pit science against culture, and nowhere is the struggle more contentious--or more fraught with paradox--than in the burgeoning realm of genetics. A constructive response, and a welcome intervention, this volume brings together biological and cultural anthropologists to conduct an interdisciplinary dialogue that provokes and instructs even as it bridges the science/culture divide. Individual essays address issues raised by the science, politics, and history of race, evolution, and identity; genetically modified organisms and genetic diseases; gene work and ethics; and the boundary between humans and animals. The result is an entree to the complicated nexus of questions prompted by the power and importance of genetics and genetic thinking, and the dynamic connections linking culture, biology, nature, and technoscience. The volume offers critical perspectives on science and culture, with contributions that span disciplinary divisions and arguments grounded in both biological perspectives and cultural analysis. An invaluable resource and a provocative introduction to new research and thinking on the uses and study of genetics, Genetic Nature/Culture is a model of fruitful dialogue, presenting the quandaries faced by scholars on both sides of the two-cultures debate. Genetic Nature/Culture : Anthropology and Science beyond the Two-Culture Divide 1 Genetic Nature/Culture: Anthropology and Science beyond the Two-Culture Divide 4 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 6 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 8 FOREWORD 10 PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 16 Introduction: Anthropology in an Age of Genetics Practice, Discourse, and Critique 20 PART I. NATURE/CULTURE 40 SECTION A. Human Populations/Genetic Resources 40 Chapter 1. Indigenous Peoples, Changing Social and Political Landscapes, and Human Genetics in Amazonia 42 Chapter 2. Provenance and the Pedigree: Victor McKusick's Fieldwork with the Old Order Amish 60 Chapter 3. Flexible Eugenics: Technologies of the Self in the Age of Genetics 77 Chapter 4. The Commodi.cation of Virtual Reality: The Icelandic Health Sector Database 96 SECTION B. Animal Species/Genetic Resources 112 Chapter 5. Kinship, Genes, and Cloning: Life after Dolly 114 Chapter 6. For the Love of a Good Dog: Webs of Action in the World of Dog Genetics 130 Chapter 7. 98% Chimpanzee and 35% Daffodil: The Human Genome in Evolutionary and Cultural Context 151 PART II. CULTURE/NATURE 172 SECTION A. Political and Cultural Identity 172 Chapter 8. From Pure Genes to GMOs: Transnationalized Gene Landscapes in the Biodiversity and Transgenic Food Networks 174 Chapter 9. Future Imaginaries: Genome Scientists as Sociocultural Entrepreneurs 195 Chapter 10. Re.ections and Prospects for Anthropological Genetics in South Africa 219 SECTION B. Race and Human Variation 236 Chapter 11. The Genetics of African Americans: Implications for Disease Gene Mapping and Identity 238 Chapter 12. Human Races in the Context of Recent Human Evolution: A Molecular Genetic Perspective 253 Chapter 13. Buried Alive: The Concept of Race in Science 277 Chapter 14. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Promise and Problems of Ancient DNA for Anthropology 297 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS 316 INDEX 318 Anthropology and the age of genetics: practice, discourse, and critique / M. Susan Lindee, Alan Goodman, and Deborah Heath Indigenous peoples, changing social and political landscapes, and human genetics in Amazonia / Ricardo Ventura Santos Provenance and the pedigree: Victor McKusick's fieldwork with the old order Amish / M. Susan Lindee Flexible eugenics: technologies of the self in the age of genetics / Karen-Sue Taussig, Rayna Rapp, and Deborah Heath The commodification of virtual reality: the Icelandic health sector database / Hilary Rose Kinship, genes, and cloning: life after Dolly / Sarah Franklin For the love of a good dog: webs of action in the world of dog genetics / Donna Haraway 98% chimpanzee and 35% daffodil: the human genome in evolutionary and cultural context / Jonathan Marks From pure genes to GMOs: transnationalized gene landscapes in the biodiversity and transgenic food networks / Chaia Heller and Arturo Escobar Future imaginaries: genome scientists as sociocultural entrepreneurs / Joan H. Fujimura Reflections and prospects for anthropological genetics in South Africa / Himla Soodyall The genetics of African Americans: implications for disease gene mapping and identity / Rick Kittles and Charmaine Royal Human races in the context of recent human evolution: a molecular genetic perspective / Alan R. Templeton Buried alive: the concept of race in science / Troy Duster The good, the bad, and the ugly: promise and problems of ancient DNA for anthropology / Frederika A. Kaestle. The so-called science wars pit science against culture, and nowhere is the struggle more contentious--or more fraught with paradox--than in the burgeoning realm of genetics. A constructive response, and a welcome intervention, this volume brings together biological and cultural anthropologists to conduct an interdisciplinary dialogue that provokes and instructs even as it bridges the science/culture divide.

Individual essays address issues raised by the science, politics, and history of race, evolution, and identity; genetically modified organisms and genetic diseases; gene-work and ethics; and the human/animal boundary line. The result is an entree to the complicated nexus of questions prompted by the power and importance of genetics and genetic thinking, and the dynamic connections linking culture, biology, nature, and technoscience at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

On June 26, 2000, the rival scientific factions vying to complete the DNA sequencing of the human genome declared a truce.