Not an innocent pursuit: the politics of a 'Jewish' genetic signature.
This commentary questions the presumption in genetic research that a biological connection exists between populations identified as Jewish. The author emphasises that identifying individuals as Jewish based on biological criteria is a sociological process that can draw attention away from other social mechanisms affecting identity construction. She also encourages critical consideration of the possible racialised thinking behind genetic anthropology studies, and the language used to express genetic findings. In conclusion, she calls for a radical cultural shift in the kind of knowledge valued as significant, relevant, and beneficial to the people on whom genetic ancestry studies are carried out and she asks for attention to the political contexts surrounding all such research.
Azoulay
Katya Gibel
KG
Anthropology & Africana Studies, Grinnell College, Goodnow Hall, Grinnell, IA 50112, USA. azoulay@Grinnell.edu
D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D036281:Genetic Research; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011057:Politics; D011287:Prejudice; D012933:Social Identification