The ambiguous meanings of the racial/ethnic categories routinely used in human genetics research
The ambiguous meanings of the racial/ethnic categories routinely used in human genetics research
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DOI：
10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.08.034
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发表时间：
2008-01-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Megyesi, Mary S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hunt, Linda M.;Megyesi, Mary S.
许多研究人员目前正在研究不同群体之间遗传变异的分布，特别是对解释种族/种族健康差异感兴趣。然而，在生物学研究中使用种族/民族类别作为变量是有争议的。种族/民族类别如何概念化、操作和解释是确定其使用合法性的关键考虑因素，但很少受到关注。我们对来自美国和加拿大的 30 名人类遗传学科学家进行了半结构化、开放式访谈，他们在研究中使用了种族/民族变量。他们讨论了所使用的分类类型、分类所依据的标准以及对个体样本和受试者进行分类的方法。我们发现种族/种族变量的定义通常缺乏或不明确，他们使用的具体类别不一致且特定于上下文，并且分类实践通常是隐含的且未经检查的。我们的结论是，此类概念和实际问题是常规使用的种族/民族类别本身所固有的，并且它们缺乏足够的严谨性来用作生物学研究中的关键变量。我们的立场是，坚持根据这些高度模糊的变量来构建科学论证是不可接受的。 (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. 保留所有权利。
Many researchers are currently studying the distribution of genetic variations among diverse groups, with particular interest in explaining racial/etlinic health disparities. However, the use of racial/ethnic categories as variables in biological research is controversial. Just how racial/ethnic categories are conceptualized, operationalized, and interpreted is a key consideration in determining the legitimacy of their use, but has received little attention. We conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 30 human genetics scientists from the US and Canada who use racial/ethnic variables in their research. They discussed the types of classifications they use, the criteria upon which they are based, and their methods for classifying individual samples and subjects. We found definitions of racial/etlinic variables were often lacking or unclear, the specific categories they used were inconsistent and context specific, and classification practices were often implicit and unexamined. We conclude that such conceptual and practical problems are inherent to routinely used racial/ethnic categories themselves, and that they lack sufficient rigor to be used as key variables in biological research. It is our position that it is unacceptable to persist in the constructing of scientific arguments based on these highly ambiguous variables. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.