Born and Raised What are your genes doing in social science? Abdel Abdellaoui on an emerging science
Jan 23, 2026
Abdel Abdellaoui, behavioral geneticist and associate professor at Amsterdam UMC, talks about how migration, mate choice and fertility shape genetic variation and social inequality. He explains the rise of social science genetics and how the field navigates criticism. There are also candid stories about media communication and a surprising past life as a hip-hop artist.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Genes And Social Processes Are Bidirectional
- Genetics and social processes influence each other bidirectionally, not just genes affecting behavior.
- Demographic processes like migration and mate choice change population genetics and are driven by social inequality.
Social Science Genetics Is Interdisciplinary And Young
- Social science genetics links low-level genetics to high-level culture and outcomes across many intermediate processes.
- The field is young, interdisciplinary, and naturally open to criticism due to its complexity.
Pushback Stemmed From History And Misunderstanding
- Early pushback arose because people feared genetic explanations due to historical misuse and perceived immutability.
- Over time scientific resistance has eased as studies clarify nuanced, non-deterministic findings.
