The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities

Book flyer
MS Word
International
MS Word

The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities Ethical, Social, and Political Dilemmas

(Click to Enlarge)

Raymond A. Zilinskas, ed., Peter J. Balint, ed.

ISBN: 0-275-96961-4

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-96961-5

DOI:

160 pages

Praeger Publishers

Publication: 11/30/2000

List Price: $106.95 (UK Sterling Price: £73.95)

Availability: Print on demand

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4

Subjects:

Health/Medicine » Public Health
Sociology » Race Relations

Description: Zilinskas and Balint and their contributors examine the divisions between minority groups and the scientific community, particularly in the area of medical and genetic research. Minorities have reasons to be skeptical of medical research in general and genetics research in particular. The sad history of the Tuskegee experiment, in which black men with syphilis were left untreated so that the course of the disease could be studied, undermined confidence in the ethics of medical researchers. More recently, publication of The Bell Curve reanimated controversy over purported genetic distinctions among the races that could have powerfully negative social implications.

In contrast, as the essays make clear, the Human Genome Project, conducted in accordance with the highest ethical standards, has the potential to make dramatic positive contributions to the health of all human beings. Members of minority communities in particular—who statistically are at high risk of adverse health outcomes in the United States—have much to gain from innovative medical diagnostics and therapies that will result from the study of human genetics. Therefore, if we are to benefit fully from this new knowledge, it is vital that the distrust, skepticism, and misconceptions relating to genetics research be overcome. This is a provocative collection for scholars, students, researchers, and community leaders involved with minority and public health issues.

Table of Contents:

Preface
The Age of Biology and the Responsible Ancestor by Martha A. Krebs and Daniel Drell
The Human Genome Project: Hereditary Diseases and Implications for Gene Therapy by Karen E. Nelson
The Genetics of Human Behavior: Lessons from the Human Genome Project by Jonathan Beckwith
The Human Genome Project and the African American Community: Race, Diversity, and American Science by Fatimah Jackson
Scientific and Folk Ideas about Heredity by Jonathan M. Marks
Social and Medical Implications of New Genetic Techniques by Robert F. Murray, Jr.
Genetic Education to African American and Russian Immigrant Communities in Northwest Baltimore by Ilana Suez Mittman
The Human Genome Project and Buddhism by Akey C. F. Hung
Thoughts on the Human Genome Project and Maryland by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
The Human Genome Project: Reaching Minority Communities in Maryland, A Report of Results of the Conference Evaluation Study prepared by the Survey Research Center
The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities: The Importance of Dialogue and Access to Information by Raymond A. Zilinskas and Peter J. Balint

About the Author: RAYMOND A. ZILINSKAS is a Senior Scientist at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA. Dr. Zilinskas has worked for the Office of Technology Assessment, the UN Industrial Development Organization, and the Center for Public Issues in Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. He is an adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University. Among his earlier books is Biological Warfare: Modern Offense and Defense.

PETER J. BALINT is an Adjunct Lecturer in Quantitative Methods at the University of Maryland. He has published on such subjects as biotechnology policy, US trade policy, and drinking water and sanitation in the developing world. Along with Dr. Zilinskas, he coedited Genetically Engineered Marine Organisms: Environmental and Economic Risks and Benefits.

LCC Class: 599


All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2010 ABC-CLIO 130 Cremona Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93117, 805-968-1911