''Misbehaving Science: Controversy and the Development of Behavior Genetics'' is a 2014 book about the history of

behavior genetics Behavioural genetics, also referred to as behaviour genetics, is a field of scientific research that uses genetic methods to investigate the nature and origins of individual differences in behaviour. While the name "behavioural genetics" c ...

. It was written by

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

sociologist Aaron Panofsky, and was published by the

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the university press of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It pu ...

. It won the 2015 President's Book Award from the

Social Science History Association Social Science History Association was formed in 1972 and brings together scholars from numerous disciplines interested in social history. The Social Science History Association's core purpose is: "To bring together members of various disciplines ...

Summary

In ''Misbehaving Science'', Panofsky argues that

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

was reinvented in the mid-20th century as behavior genetics, and that this was done in the hope of curing many social problems such as

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

and

homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

. He refers to behavior genetics as "misbehaving science" because, according to him, the standards of scientific inquiry in this field are vague enough to allow political and social ideologies to affect scientific conclusions. As he put it in the book: "If science is like a machine for resolving controversies, in misbehaving science that machine is broken." Panofsky also contends that behavior geneticists have reacted to disappointing research results in

molecular genetics Molecular genetics is a branch of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the st ...

by simply lowering their expectations.

Reviews

Reviews of ''Misbehaving Science'' were published in ''

the British Journal for the History of Science ''The British Journal for the History of Science'' (''BJHS'') is an international academic journal published quarterly by Cambridge University Press in association with the British Society for the History of Science. It was founded under its pre ...

'', ''

New Genetics and Society ''New Genetics and Society'' is a triannual peer-reviewed scientific journal covering sociological perspectives on contemporary genetics and related biological sciences. It was established in 1999 by Peter Glasner and Harry Rothman, with its first ...

'', ''

Medical Anthropology Quarterly ''Medical Anthropology Quarterly'' (MAQ) is an international peer-reviewed academic journal published for the Society for Medical Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropological Association, by Wiley-Blackwell. It publishes research and th ...

'', the ''

Journal of the History of Biology The ''Journal of the History of Biology'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the history of biology as well as philosophical and social issues confronting biology. It is published by Springer Science+Business Media and the edito ...

'', '' Science, Technology & Society'', and ''

Developmental Psychobiology Developmental psychobiology is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing developmental psychology, biological psychology, neuroscience and many other areas of biology. The field covers all phases of ontogeny, with particular emphasis on prenatal, p ...

''. ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...

''s Kate Douglas wrote that in ''Misbehaving Science'', Panofsky tells the story of the development of behavior genetics "with wonderful insight". Tal Arbel of

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

wrote that the book "offers an original, sharply intelligent and timely analysis of the historical conditions, social mechanisms and cultural forces" that led to the development of behavior genetics. Another favorable review appeared in ''New Genetics and Society'', where

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

sociologist Mariana Craciun described the book as "detailed and compelling". In her review of the book, Nicole C. Nelson of the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

wrote that "The conclusions Panofsky reaches are specific to the field of behavior genetics, but his approach offers insights that are potentially applicable to many other fields. His exemplary handling of different levels of analysis would make this text especially useful for a graduate-level methods course." In a review published in the ''Journal of the History of Biology'', Hallam Stevens also praised the book, writing that Panofsky's "...empirically rich and provocative account of the history of behavior genetics gives us a compelling example of how a discipline can propel itself by courting controversy, drumming up attention, and rehashing old arguments."

References

External links

Book description
at the University of Chicago Press website *{{cite journal, last1=Greenberg, first1=Gary, title=The Case Against Behavior Genetics: Review of Panofsky, A. (2014). Misbehaving Science: Controversy and the Development of Behavior Genetics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press., journal=

, date=November 2015, volume=57, issue=7, pages=854–857, doi=10.1002/dev.21334 2014 non-fiction books University of Chicago Press books Books about the history of science Genetics books Behavioural genetics