First-Year Seminar (FYS): Human Societies and Genomics
Department of Sociology
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Instructor: Guang Guo, Dr. George and Alice Welsh Distinguished Professor of Sociology,
Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center, and Faculty Fellow at Carolina Center for
Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Guang Guo
216 Hamilton Hall
Phone: 962-1246 (o)
Email: guang_guo@unc.edu
Lectures: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays
Office Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 am Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment
Wen Hu
Email: hw3306@gmail.com
OBJECTIVES:
The course focuses on how advances in molecular genomics over the past decades benefit
sociology and other social sciences. The course examines potential ways in which human
genomic and epigenomic information can be incorporated into social sciences. Topics include an
introduction to traditional biometrics (inferring genetic influences using genetically related
individuals without using molecular information); an introduction to basic principles of
molecular genetics; joint influences of social contexts and genetic heritage to human behaviors;
history of human evolution and contemporary race/ethnicity; evolutionary psychology; sex,
gender, and genomics; ethical, legal, and social issues in genetic studies (ELSI); genetic testing;
and epigenetics – the potential links between genes and environment. The course will review the
methods that are used for investigating these topics.
Although the course material includes some of cutting-edge topics in social sciences, it does not
have a prerequisite skill or course as a condition for enrollment. Many topics including health
behaviors, race/ethnicity, gender, and ELSIs are examined around how scholars pose problems,
discover solutions, resolve controversies, and evaluate knowledge. The course is designed to
encourage active learning, self-directed inquiry, and students taking responsibility for producing
knowledge. The course is also designed to develop students’ oral and verbal communication
skills.
PREREQUISITES: No prerequisites. Familiarity with basic genetics or a social science field is
helpful.
GRADING:
 25% Homework (reading notes: a single-spaced half page for each article stating main
ideas and a critique of the main idea] due at the beginning of each class)
 25% Article presentation and critique. The presentation focuses on main ideas especially
when the content is very technical. Each presentation uses 25-35 minutes with the
presenters responsible for posting questions for the class and leading discussion.
 30% A review paper (10-12 double-spaced pages) on a topic chosen by students in
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
coordination with instructor. The paper must consider both social/environmental
influences and genetic influences.
20% Class participation (attendance and participation in class discussion)
PAPER PRESENTATION AND CRITIQUE: All students will have at least one opportunity to
participate in presenting and critiquing a related paper. When you are presenting the paper, you
are responsible for running the discussion of the paper in class
PARTICIPATION: Attending classes and participation in class discussion are particularly
important for first-year seminars. Your active participation in all class discussions is expected.
RESEARCH: Considerable self-directed research is needed to conceive the idea of the review
paper and to develop the content of the paper.
READINGS: Journal articles and books.
COURSE OUTLINE:
1/10
1/12
1/17
1/19
1/24-26
1/31
2/2
2/7
2/9
2/14
2/16
2/21
1. Introduction
2. Genetic Studies before the Current DNA era
Animal studies: Gene-environment interaction (broadly defined)
Readings: Gene-environment interactions for aggression among mice (Ginsburg and Allee
1942)
3. Twin, Adoption, and Other Biometrical Studies
Readings: (Manolio, Collins, Cox et al. 2009): "Finding the missing heritability of
complex diseases." Nature 461:747-753. Twin Studies: How Much Can They Tell us
About Nature and Nurture? (Guo 2005)
4. Introduction to Genetics:
Eric Lander 1 (one class period)
Readings: New York Times article on Lander (2012)
Eric Lander 2 (one class period)
(not required) Strachan, T and A.P. Read. Human Molecular Genetics. 2d ed. Free online.
Also have a newer edition.
Genetic concepts
5. Genes, Social Context, and Human Behaviors: Delinquency and sexual behavior
Readings: gene-environment interactions for antisocial behavior (Caspi, McClay, Moffitt
et al. 2002); age at first sexual intercourse (Guo and Tong 2006).
gene-environment interactions for (Guo, Tong, and Cai 2008a); number of sexual partner;
gene-environment interaction for delinquency (Guo, Roettger, and Cai 2008b).
Culture or genes: a 30 video
Deep Ancestry Chapter two (pages 27-54)
6. History of Human Evolution and Contemporary Race/Ethnicity: an introduction;
Deep Ancestry by Spencer Wells (only required book)
Chapter 3-4 (pages 55-114)
Deep Ancestry: Chapters five and six (pages 115-162)
Readings: Genetic study of the 52 populations in the world (Li, Absher, Tang et al. 2008;
Rosenberg, Pritchard, Weber et al. 2002);
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2/23
2/28
3/1
3/13
3/15
3/20
3/22
3/27
3/29
4/3
4/5
4/10
4/12
4/17
4/19
4/24
Career development section
Readings: commentary (Duster 2005); importance of using race categories (Burchard, Ziv,
Coyle et al. 2003); Guo et al: Bioancestry and Social Construction of Race (instructor will
present this)
7. Sex, Gender, and Genomics
(Gerald N. Callahan. 2009. Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of Two
Sexes: Pages 48-57, 61-67, and 75-78)
David Page’s lecture (1)
David Page’s lecture (2) (Read Udry for next time)
Debate on Dick Udry’s paper on femininity
Udry’s 2000 American Sociological Review article
Risman, Kennelly, and Miller responses (three responses) ASR, 2001
Udry’s 2001 response to responses
8. False positives in genetic studies: New Yorker article: The Truth Wears Off (2010);
(Ioannidis, Ntzani, Trikalinos et al. 2001); The GWAS for longevity paper in Science
(2010) (instructor will discuss longevity paper)
9. Genome-wide Association Studies: the height article and the type II diabetes article
(Allen, Estrada, Lettre et al. 2010; Frayling, Timpson, Weedon et al. 2007);
the GWAS for 250K persons for BMI in Nature Genetics (2010); GWAS for educational
attainment in PLoS ONE
10. Friend networks and genes; genes and pair bonding: (Fowler, Settle, and Christakis
2011); (Walum, Westberg, Henningsson et al. 2008)
11. The Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues in Genetic Studies
(Church 2006); (Angrist and Cook-Deegan 2006)
Charting the Course of DNA Medicine (2011) (we ask two students to present this)
designer babies? Movie: Gattaca
12. Epigenetics and Epigenomics
Readings: Unfinished symphony (excellent nontechnical piece) (Liu 2006); Methylation
and maternal care in mice (Meaney, Szyf, and Seckl 2007);
Epigenetics and Epigenomics: (Cooney 2007)(chiefly on the case of yellow agouti mice)
and [differences in the levels of methylation within identical twin pairs (Fraga, Ballestar,
Paz et al. 2005)]
13. Recent evolutionary selection: (Thompson, Kuttab-Boulos, Witonsky et al. 2004);
(Tishkoff, Reed, Ranciaro et al. 2007). (Thompson is very technical, just the main idea)
Term paper due
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