The Hazards of Studying Human Genetic Variation

I would like to thank all of the scholars who wrote commentaries on my essay “The Human Genome Diversity Project: Ethical Problems and Solutions.” I welcome the criticism and have learned a great deal from such thoughtful analysis and commentary. Since I am replying to comments about my paper, I am in the unique position of having the last word (at least temporarily!). Since I now have the opportunity to learn from criticism, I reserve the right to modify my position or change my views.

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The Human Genome Diversity Project: Ethical Problems and Solutions

Politics and the Life Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0730938400023510 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 15-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

David B. Resnik

Keyword(s):

Human Genome ◽

Human Genetics ◽

Cultural Imperialism ◽

Human Populations ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Human Genome Diversity Project ◽

Cultural Issues ◽

Genome Diversity ◽

Ethical Problems ◽

Problems And Solutions

The goal of the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) is to provide a comprehensive study of genetic diversity across different human populations. Scientists working on the HGDP plan to collect samples from all 400 to 500 geographically isolated or culturally unique human populations that desire to participate in the project. Few people have questioned the scientific merits of the HGDP and its potential contribution to our understanding of human genetics, but the project has created a storm of moral, cultural, and political controversy during its brief existence. Opponents have argued that the HGDP smacks of racism, commercialism, exploitation, and cultural imperialism. Critics have also found fault with the informed consent process proposed by organizers of the HGDP. Opposition to the HGDP has succeeded in impeding (but not derailing) this project. The essay explores some of the key moral, political, and cultural issues raised by the HGDP and argues that the project should be implemented and should be funded, provided that researchers and organizers take steps to address the issues it raises.

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Framing Whiteness: The Human Genome Diversity Project (As Seen On TV)

Science as Culture ◽

10.1080/09505430120074154 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 411-438 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kath Cross

Keyword(s):

Human Genome ◽

Human Genome Diversity Project ◽

Genome Diversity

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Revitalizing Difference in the HapMap: Race and Contemporary Human Genetic Variation Research

The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics ◽

10.1111/j.1748-720x.2008.293.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 471-477 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Jennifer A. Hamilton

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Human Genome ◽

Genetic Research ◽

The United States ◽

Genome Project ◽

Human Genetic Variation ◽

Early 21St Century ◽

The Social ◽

English Speaking ◽

The Human Genome Project

In 2000, researchers from the Human Genome Project (HGP) proclaimed that the initial sequencing of the human genome definitively proved, among other things, that there was no genetic basis for race. The genetic fact that most humans were 99.9% the same at the level of their DNA was widely heralded and circulated in the English-speaking press, especially in the United States. This pronouncement seemed proof that long-term antiracist efforts to de-biologize race were legitimized by scientific findings. Yet, despite the seemingly widespread acceptance of the social construction of race, post-HGP genetic science has seen a substantial shift toward the use of race variables in genetic research and, according to a number of prominent scholars, is re-invoking the specter of earlier forms of racial science in some rather discomfiting ways. During the past seven years, the main thrust of human genetic research, especially in the realm of biomedicine, has shifted from a concern with the 99.9% of the shared genome — what is thought to make humans alike — towards an explicit focus on the 0.1% that constitutes human genetic variation. Here I briefly explore some of the potential implications of the conceptualization and practice of early 21st century genetic variation research, especially as it relates to questions of race.

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