ABSTRACT
The Human Genome Project (HGP), which in the United States is largely institutionalized in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy (DoE), has as one of its stated goals to map and sequence "the" entire human genome. The human genome refers to the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes (an estimated three billion base pairs of DNA) that are a part of every human cell. The HGP has become a convenient focal point for discussions about human genetics and its medical applications as they have developed over the last decade and will continue to develop in the years to come. Prominent figures in molecular biology have argued for the importance of the HGP as a foundation for progress in biology and medicine. The news media have headlined the almost weekly reports of "discoveries" of genes for conditions ranging from cystic fibrosis, cancer, and heart disease, to schizophrenia, homosexuality, and "cuddling." 1 While recognizing the potential value of knowing which gene or genes are involved in the initiation and development of conditions such as cystic fibrosis, many social scientists, medical ethicists, and bioethicists have apprehensions about much of the HGP. These concerns include the privacy of information, the efficacy of genetic screening and its social impact, the "geneticization" of social and behavioral disorders, and the social construction of definitions of disease and health. 2
