Meloni Maurizio, Müller Ruth
Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS), Technical University of Munich, Augustenstraße 46, Munich, Germany.
Environ Epigenet. 2018 Jul 31;4(2):dvy019. doi: 10.1093/eep/dvy019. eCollection 2018 Apr.
Research in environmental epigenetics explores how environmental exposures and life experiences such as food, toxins, stress or trauma can shape trajectories of human health and well-being in complex ways. This perspective resonates with social science expertise on the significant health impacts of unequal living conditions and the profound influence of social life on bodies in general. Environmental epigenetics could thus provide an important opportunity for moving beyond long-standing debates about nature versus nurture between the disciplines and think instead in 'biosocial' terms across the disciplines. Yet, beyond enthusiasm for such novel interdisciplinary opportunities, it is crucial to also reflect on the scientific, social and political challenges that a biosocial model of body, health and illness might entail. In this paper, we contribute historical and social science perspectives on the political opportunities and challenges afforded by a biosocial conception of the body. We will specifically focus on what it means if biosocial plasticity is not only perceived to characterize the life of individuals but also as possibly giving rise to semi-stable traits that can be passed on to future generations. That is, we will consider the historical, social and political valences of the scientific proposition of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The key question that animates this article is if and how the notion of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance creates new forms of responsibilities both in science and in society. We propose that, ultimately, interdisciplinary conversation and collaboration is essential for responsible approaches to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in science and society.
环境表观遗传学的研究探讨了诸如食物、毒素、压力或创伤等环境暴露和生活经历如何以复杂的方式塑造人类健康和幸福的轨迹。这一观点与社会科学专业知识相呼应，即不平等的生活条件对健康有重大影响，以及社会生活总体上对身体有深远影响。因此，环境表观遗传学可能提供一个重要机会，超越学科间关于先天与后天的长期争论，转而以跨学科的“生物社会”视角进行思考。然而，除了对这种新颖的跨学科机会充满热情之外，反思身体、健康和疾病的生物社会模型可能带来的科学、社会和政治挑战也至关重要。在本文中，我们从历史和社会科学的角度探讨了身体的生物社会概念所带来的政治机遇和挑战。我们将特别关注如果生物社会可塑性不仅被认为是个体生命的特征，而且可能产生可遗传给后代的半稳定性状意味着什么。也就是说，我们将考虑跨代表观遗传继承这一科学命题的历史、社会和政治意义。本文所探讨的关键问题是跨代表观遗传继承的概念是否以及如何在科学和社会中创造新的责任形式。我们认为，最终，跨学科的对话与合作对于科学和社会中负责任地对待跨代表观遗传继承至关重要。
