Evolution, Biology, and Society: A Conversation for the 21st-Century Sociology Classroom

In: Teaching sociology: TS, Volume 38, Issue 1, p. 35-45

Abstract

Recently, a growing contingent of "evolutionary sociologists" has begun to integrate theoretical ideas and empirical findings derived from evolutionary biology, especially sociobiology, into a variety of sociological inquiries. Without capitulating to a naive version of either biological reductionism or genetic determinism, these researchers and theorists have begun to synthesize sociological thought with research produced in various branches of the evolutionary life sciences. These recent developments provide sociology instructors with new opportunities to reconsider how they address the topic of biology's relevance to sociology. In this article, the authors review key issues pertaining to evolutionary explanations of social behavior, offer clarifications and explanations of several issues that are sometimes misrepresented and misunderstood, and provide specific suggestions for instructors who are interested in updating and improving the quality of instruction on this important topic.