Genetic Data and Social Science: Challenges and Prospects

Séminaire scientifique de l’OSC

Vendredi 11 avril 2014, 9h30-11h, salle Annick Percheron, 98 rue de l’Université Paris 7e

Jeremy Freese, Ethel and John Lindgren Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University, Invité par le Département de sociologie de Sciences Po

Genetic Data and Social Science: Challenges and Prospects

Genomic data is becoming increasingly available for use by social scientists. Much evidence exists that genetic differences play some role in many individual-level outcomes studied by social scientists, and one can make a strong argument that failing to consider genetic differences may distort and limit social science findings. I argue that social scientists should view newly available genetic data as potentially strengthening the mission of social science, and not as weakening it. At the same time, existing studies using genetic data highlight how difficult it will be to incorporate genetic information into social science studies in a useful and non-coarse way. While I will highlight the considerable challenges that are involved in using this data, I will also discuss some of the most prominent directions forward for social science.

Séminaire scientifique de l’OSC, 2013-2014