ABSTRACT

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part suggests that young scholars who are interested in the study of human social behavior and who manage to receive a grounding in biological training will be absorbed eventually into departments of sociobiology rather than sociology. It explains sociobiology might contain the germ of a new paradigm for the social science community. The part addresses the broader question of biological explanations in sociology. It explores evolutionary, genetic, and neurophysiological approaches to the study of human social behavior. The part presents a rational research strategy for sociologists who are interested in pursuing biosocial theories of explanation. It also explains criteria for what they call “balanced biosocial theory,” balanced in the sense of integrating both genetic and environmental determinants of social behavior.