Heredity and the Human Condition: A Study of 20th Century Genetic Accounts of Alcoholism

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dc.contributor.authorRussell, Mark C.en
dc.contributor.committeechairPitt, Joseph C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFuhrman, Ellsworth R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLa Berge, Ann F.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBurian, Richard M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberJones, Kathleen W.en
dc.contributor.departmentScience and Technology Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2011-08-22T18:53:09Zen
dc.date.adate2003-02-06en
dc.date.available2011-08-22T18:53:09Zen
dc.date.issued2002-11-22en
dc.date.rdate2007-01-21en
dc.date.sdate2002-12-30en
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation takes as its starting point some curious historical parallels in research on the heritability of alcoholism from opposite ends of the 20th century, and the underlying continuity in assumptions implicated by these parallels. Rather than review mainstream historical narratives on the origins of genetic research and alcoholism studies, I examine evidence and developments as yet unexplored by scholars. First I examine the origins of recent research models and diagnostic criteria that provide evidence for the hereditary nature of alcoholism. Then I consider the assumption of genetic determinism and its relationship to strategies of propaganda employed by the Eugenics movement early in the century. Using these historical "snapshots" I draw out conceptual and philosophical problems with the genetic explanation of alcoholism that continue to confront researchers today. These limitations suggest two possible avenues of resolution: either we develop finer-grained strategies for distinguishing social deviance from physical disorders, or we develop an integrated understanding of the complex interplay of human biological and cultural systems by extending the approach known as Developmental Systems Theory. In the conclusion, I explore these options and their potential ramifications for our understanding of alcoholism in hereditary and human contexts.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.otheretd-12302002-135320en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12302002-135320en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/11092en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartcv-jan_03.pdfen
dc.relation.haspartvtbites.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectGeorge Archdall Reiden
dc.subjectdevelopmental systems theoryen
dc.subjectalcoholismen
dc.subjectbehavior geneticsen
dc.subjectdarwinian medicineen
dc.titleHeredity and the Human Condition: A Study of 20th Century Genetic Accounts of Alcoholismen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Technology Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en
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