With the advent of the Human Genome Project, the new genetics has moved to the cutting edge of science and medicine. The development and use of such genetics will have a profound impact on our understanding of disease and behaviour. This volume presents new sociological research which explores the structure andproduction of genetic knowledge, its social meaning, impact and implication s for society.

Peter Conrad is an American medical sociologist who has researched and published on numerous topics including ADHD, the medicalization of deviance, the experience of illness, wellness in the workplace, genetics in the news, and biomedical enhancements. Jonathan Gabe is the editor of Sociological Perspectives on the New Genetics, published by Wiley.