Understanding Society at 10 Years

Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) has now been collecting a range of data from its nationally representative sample of participants for 10 years. This significant ‘birthday’ offers a moment to reflect on its contribution to sociological research, and on its current and future potential for fundamental and cutting-edge sociological analysis. While the study shares many features with other longer-standing household panel studies, including its direct predecessor the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), it incorporated from the outset distinctive features that make it particularly valuable for analysis in specific fields, including biosocial research, ethnicity and migration studies, and analyses of the interplay between environmental, social and institutional contexts and individual characteristics. Understanding Society has incorporated methodological development and innovation since its inception, which has facilitated more extensive forms of data collection.

Epigenetics as an interdiscipline? Promises and fallacies of a biosocial research agenda

Following the spectacular rise of epigenetics since the early 2000s, an increasing number of social scientists have called for it to be recognized as an ‘interdiscipline’, at the crossroads of the life sciences and the social sciences. The aim of this special issue is to advance our knowledge of epigenetics and to address three main issues: the epistemological, conceptual and empirical transformations induced by epigenetic research, the public dissemination of epigenetic knowledge, and finally the normative and sociopolitical implications of epigenetics.

How Biosocial Research Can Improve Interventions for Antisocial Behavior

Biological factors have been found to influence the development of antisocial behavior. These factors also affect how individuals respond to the environment, including how individuals respond to interventions designed to reduce antisocial behavior. Interventions for youth with antisocial behavior may have the greatest impact if they are targeted toward youth who need it the most (e.g., those who are mostly likely to persist in their behavior problems) as well as youth who may benefit the most from the program. This article discusses potential benefits of a biosocial approach to interventions, as well as the potential ethical concerns that arise.