Genotype–environment interaction and sociology: Contributions and complexities
Section snippets
Sociological theories on health and illness
A core principle in sociology is that social experience affects the psychological state of individuals. This social experience is derived from what sociologists refer to as social structure and social interaction. The social structure is stratified in such a way that factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, age, and the life course all have mental health consequences for individuals. Thus, for example, poverty has been a consistent risk factor for such mental disorders as depression,
Genotype–environment interactions
The study of G×E requires information on both genetic vulnerability as well as environmental factors because although a genetic effect can influence the phenotype of an organism, this genetic effect can be altered by environmental conditions. Genetic vulnerability can be inferred from direct analysis of DNA sequence, family history, and phenotype. Environmental factors are typically measured using self-report through such methods as interviews, questionnaires, direct measurement of
Complexities of genotype–environment interactions
One important limitation in G×E research has been the conceptualization and measurement of social context as a cross-sectional phenomenon. Although genes can be expressed at specific times in development, a cross-sectional conceptualization and measurement of social context does not capture the dynamic properties of environment which determine the meaning of social experiences (Shanahan & Hofer, 2005). Turner and colleagues (Turner and Avison, 2003, Turner et al., 1995) report that less than 10
Genetics and social change
Less than two decades ago, Lippman, 1991, Lippman, 1992 used the term ‘geneticization’ to refer to the interplay among genetics, medicine, and culture. According to Lippman and others (Rothman, 1998, Nelkin and Lindee, 1995, Shakespeare, 2006), as the public became more aware of genetic research, relatively uncritical acceptance of the promise of genetics and molecular biology to address problems of disease, health, and ‘deviant’ behaviour resulted in changes in cultural belief systems that
Summary and conclusions
Genotype–environment interaction (G×E) refers to situations in which genetic effects connected to a phenotype are dependent upon variability in the environment, or when genes modify an organism's sensitivity to particular environmental features. The study of G×E requires information on both genetic vulnerability as well as environmental factors. Genetic vulnerability can be inferred from direct analysis of DNA sequence, family history, and phenotype. Environmental factors are typically measured
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2020, Industrial Marketing ManagementCitation Excerpt :Indeed, these genes each have variants such that people holding one variant have greater potential for motivation and satisfaction than people holding other variants. However, genes by themselves are generally not efficacious in individual and social behavior, but rather their effects have been found to depend on certain psychological characteristics of people and the conditions under which their behavior plays out (e.g., Belsky & Pluess, 2009; Duncan, Pollastri, & Smoller, 2014; Seabrook & Avison, 2010; Senior, Lee, & Butler, 2011). Genetic researchers term the facilitators or inhibitors of the effects of genes, phenotypes (e.g., psychological traits or states) and the environment (e.g., working conditions).
Associations between neighborhood built environment and cognition vary by apolipoprotein E genotype: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
2019, Health and PlaceCitation Excerpt :If BE-cognition associations do in fact frequently vary depending on individual-level characteristics such as sex, race, and genetics, it is important to study and acknowledge this variation to inform future interventions and policies that may be unsuccessful without considerations of this potential variation. Gene-environment interactions (Seabrook and Avison, 2010), previously associated with health indicators such as smoking (Boardman et al., 2010), alcohol consumption (Heath et al., 1989), and depression (Kendler et al., 1995), may be important to consider in neighborhood environment and cognition studies. Genetic risk factors for dementia disorders may be associated with residential location (e.g., certain neighborhoods have racial/ethnic compositions from historic migration, mobility, and access patterns; prevalence of Alzheimer's disease related genetic risks differs by race/ethnicity (Farrer et al., 1997)).
Neighborhood crime and depressive symptoms among African American women: Genetic moderation and epigenetic mediation of effects
2015, Social Science and MedicineCitation Excerpt :The extra-long variant, however, is not associated with reduced expression, suggesting that contrasting the response of those carrying one or more short alleles to all others is appropriate in an African American Sample. In the past decade, a number of social scientists have provided models of the manner in which genetic variations combine with environmental context to shape behavior (Shanahan and Hofer, 2005) and health outcomes (Seabrook and Avison, 2010). Indeed, research on this polymorphism indicates that the short allele does not directly affect depression.
Socioeconomic status and adverse birth outcomes: A population-based Canadian sample
2018, Journal of Biosocial Science