INQ-120 | Social Inequality & Eugenics

Full Title: Social Inequality & Eugenics

Topic Description:

What meanings do genes hold in our society? How do our cultural understandings of genetics shape the way we think about inequality? Will you someday be discriminated against based on your genes? If you could choose the personality or athleticism of your unborn child, would you? Using a sociological lens, this course will examine how genetic technologies and cultural understandings of genetics perpetuate social inequalities. We will discuss the social meanings assigned to genes, as well as the social consequences of genetic advances for inequality. For example, we will consider how the cultural meanings assigned to genetics shape discourse on race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic inequality. We will also explore genetics in relation to discrimination, stigma, and inequalities in healthcare. Ultimately, we will ask: what role does genetics play in inequality, and what can we do to mitigate these inequalities?

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: December 2017