BIOL 413 - Seminar: Molecular Basis of Social Identity

FC NSMA

4 credits
Biologists have remained curious, often in problematic ways, how much the molecular machinery that governs our ability to live impacts the traits we socially use to form groups and determine place in society. Despite the potential public health benefits of this research, sociologists and historians often critique the use of these scientific practices to assess these traits. In this seminar, we will utilize a multidisciplinary approach to answer one central question: how much of either our biological make-up and/or the society we live in determine the social identities and disparities that manifest and that we study in research. Some of these identities include race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality as well as traits we have pondered if they have molecular mechanisms (e.g., intelligence and criminality). Students will be expected to read primary and secondary literature in biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and history and use these readings to inform class discussion as well as develop an independent research paper.

Prerequisites: BIOL 213.