Why Sociology Matters to Race and Biosocial Science

Roberts, Dorothy E.; Rollins, Oliver

doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-121919-054903

Cited by 52 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…Influenced by when in development racialized traumatic experiences occur, by the integrity of one’s premorbid personality structure, and by accessible ego resources, a range of pathological manifestations result from withstanding racially traumatic attacks. Symptomatic manifestations include depression, substance abuse, and an array of other psychological and physical symptoms (Roberts and Rollins, 2020; Hart 2021; Stoute in press). A racist society presents ongoing threats, so the allostatic load of enduring these racially traumatic experiences provokes post-traumatic reactions (Hart 2021).…”

Section: Clinical Extensions Of Black Rage As a Culturally Contextualized Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Rage: The Psychic Adaptation to the Trauma of Oppression

Stoute¹

2021

J Am Psychoanal Assoc

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Integrating the story of a young Freud’s racial trauma with a novel application of the concept of moral injury has led to a realization and conceptual formulation during the pandemic uprisings of the mental construct of Black Rage as an adaptation to oppression trauma. As formulated here, Black Rage exists in a specific dynamic equilibrium as a compromise formation that is a functional adaptation for oppressed people of color who suffer racial trauma and racial degradation, an adaptation that can be mobilized for the purpose of defense or psychic growth. Black Rage operates as a mental construct in a way analogous to the topographical model, in which mental agencies carry psychic functions. The concept of Black Rage is crucial to constructing a theoretical framework for a psychology of oppression and transgenerational transmission of trauma. Additionally, in the psychoanalytic theory on oppression suggested here, a developmental line is formulated for the adaptive function of Black Rage in promoting resilience in the face of oppression trauma for marginalized people.

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Section: Clinical Extensions Of Black Rage As a Culturally Contextualized Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Rage: The Psychic Adaptation to the Trauma of Oppression

Stoute¹

2021

J Am Psychoanal Assoc

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“…Critics of biosociology are concerned about what they perceive as a lack of recognition of power relations that may hurt vulnerable groups, and that biosociology may bring about negative social consequences in terms of increased suppression and discrimination (Bliss, 2018 ; Breen & Goldthorpe, 1999 ; Fullwiley, 2015 ; Gillborn, 2016 ; Gillborn & Youdell, 2001 ; Lawler, 2005 , 803; Lucal, 2010 ; Meloni, 2017 ; Phelan et al, 2013 ; Risman, 2001 ; Roberts & Rollins, 2020 ). These contrasting concerns seem to constitute an ethical dilemma, where the proponents’ focus on the ethical obligation to pursue the best possible understanding of societies conflicts with the critics’ emphasis on social responsibility for vulnerable groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sociological community has been ambivalent to this invitation, to put it gently. Some sociologists speak in favor of integrating biological knowledge (Adkins & Vaisey, 2009 ; Barkow, 2005 ; Bell & Kandler, 2017 ; Braudt, 2018 ; Freese et al, 2003 ; Hannigan, 2014 ; Hopcroft, 2016 ; Kowal & Petersen, 2015 ; Ladd, 2003 ; Liu, 2018 ; Machalek & Martin, 2004 ; McEwen & McEwen, 2017 ; McLaughlin, 2012 ; Runciman, 2008 ; Wedow et al, 2018 ), while others explicitly express concerns about negative social consequences of this development (Bliss, 2018 ; Breen & Goldthorpe, 1999 ; Fullwiley, 2015 ; Gillborn, 2016 ; Gillborn & Youdell, 2001 ; Lawler, 2005 , 803; Lucal, 2010 ; Meloni, 2017 ; Phelan et al, 2013 ; Risman, 2001 ; Roberts & Rollins, 2020 ). However, most sociologists avoid engaging in this debate.…”

Section: Recent Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This concern seems to be particularly pronounced in debates about gender, race, and socioeconomic differences. There is a worry that biosociology increases racism in society (Fullwiley, 2015 ; Gillborn, 2016 ; Meloni, 2017 ; Phelan et al, 2013 ; Roberts & Rollins, 2020 ), ignores the historical, geographical, and social variation in gender roles documented in previous research (Risman, 2001 ), and legitimates the subordination of women (Kennelly et al, 2001 ). Other critics of biosociology claim that research on the impact of intelligence on inequality legitimates policies that enhance poverty and class differences, rather than developing an understanding of the issues which could facilitate more just societies (Breen & Goldthorpe, 1999 ; Gillborn, 2016 ; Gillborn & Youdell, 2001 ; Lawler, 2005 , 803).…”

Section: The Concept Of Biosociology and Its Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Quiet is the New Loud”: The Biosociology Debate’s Absent Voices

Ariansen

2021

Am Soc

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In 2000, a controversial article about hormones and gender roles was published to stimulate debate about whether and how biological knowledge should be integrated in sociological research. Two decades later, this so-called biosociology debate is more relevant than ever, as biological knowledge has become widespread across societies and scientific disciplines. Hence, we as sociologists are regularly confronted with biological explanations that challenge our own explanations. Whether this happens in the scientific arena, the classroom, media, or even at social events, these situations often force us, individually, to take a stance on whether to meet such explanations with dialogue or opposition. One could therefore expect that sociologists have an interest in discussing these issues with their peers, but their lack of participation in the biosociology debate suggests otherwise. This paper explores possible reasons for this absence and how sociologists’ views on biosociology are influenced by key agents – sociological associations and journals. Smith’s “A Sacred project of American Sociology”, and Scott’s “A Sociology of Nothing” served as theoretical tools in the paper. A qualitative content analysis of presidential addresses of four sociological associations was conducted. The analyses suggest that sociologist avoid biosociology for widely different reasons, including fear that biosociology legitimizes oppression. This avoidance is probably reinforced by the leftish politization of the sociological discipline and the rightish politization of society. Overcoming obstacles to engagement in biosociology is required to safeguard the scientific integrity of sociology and enable sociologists to provide relevant contributions to research on the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

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“…Thus, providing out-of-home safe quarantine space for those with COVID-19 can potentially prevent the spread of COVID-19. We interpret the significance of percent of population who are racial/ethnic minority as a proxy measure of systematic racism, and not as any inherent biological differences (Roberts and Rollins, 2020 ). Second, somewhat unsurprisingly, percent of population without health insurance was a significant factor associated with COVID-19 cases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 in New Mexico Tribal Lands: Understanding the Role of Social Vulnerabilities and Historical Racisms

2020

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The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally affected Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, there is no accurate understanding of COVID-19's impacts on Indigenous Peoples and communities due to systematic erasure of Indigenous representation in data. Early evidence suggests that COVID-19 has been able to spread through pre-pandemic mechanisms ranging from disproportionate chronic health conditions, inadequate access to healthcare, and poor living conditions stemming from structural inequalities. Using innovative data, we comprehensively investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous Peoples in New Mexico at the zip code level. Specifically, we expand the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to include the measures of structural vulnerabilities from historical racisms against Indigenous Peoples. We found that historically-embedded structural vulnerabilities (e.g., Tribal land status and higher percentages of house units without telephone and complete plumbing) are critical in understanding the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 that American Indian and Alaska Native populations are experiencing. We found that historically-embedded vulnerability variables that emerged epistemologically from Indigenous knowledge had the largest explanatory power compared to other social vulnerability factors from SVI and COVID-19, especially Tribal land status. The findings demonstrate the critical need in public health to center Indigenous knowledge and methodologies in mitigating the deleterious impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous Peoples and communities, specifically designing place-based mitigating strategies.

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Why Sociology Matters to Race and Biosocial Science

Cited by 52 publications

References 123 publications

Black Rage: The Psychic Adaptation to the Trauma of Oppression

Black Rage: The Psychic Adaptation to the Trauma of Oppression

“Quiet is the New Loud”: The Biosociology Debate’s Absent Voices

COVID-19 in New Mexico Tribal Lands: Understanding the Role of Social Vulnerabilities and Historical Racisms

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