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Sociogenomics in the 21st Century: An Introduction to the History and Potential of Genetically-informed Social Science.

David B Braudt
Published in: Sociology compass (2018)
This article reviews research at the intersection of genetics and sociology and provides an introduction to the current data, methods, and theories used in sociogenomic research. To accomplish this, I review behavioral genetics models, candidate gene analysis, genome-wide complex trait analysis, and the use of polygenic scores (sometimes referred to as polygenic risk scores) in the study of complex human behaviors and traits. The information provided is meant to equip readers with the necessary tools to: (1) understand the methodology employed by each type of analysis, (2) intelligently interpret findings from sociogenomic research, and (3) understand the importance of sociologists in the ever-growing field of sociogenomics. To unify these three tasks, I rely on various examples from recent sociogenomic analyses of educational attainment focusing on social stratification and inequality.
Keyphrases
  • genome wide
  • healthcare
  • dna methylation
  • public health
  • endothelial cells
  • mental health
  • randomized controlled trial
  • gene expression
  • systematic review
  • machine learning
  • copy number
  • social media
  • artificial intelligence