Choosing the Sexual Orientation of Children

Stein, Elias M.

doi:10.1111/1467-8519.00089

Cited by 21 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…This places regulated eugenics far closer to Shakespeare's position than to that of Buchanan and implies that certain limits should be placed on reproductive rights, e.g. if it were possible to reveal sexual orientation through prenatal testing, then the continuance of homophobic prejudice suggests that testing should not be used for this purpose (Stein, 1998). Second, reproductive decisions should not be a substitute for social justice.…”

Section: Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

After the new social democracy

Fitzpatrick¹

2018

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The welfare of future generations 8 The new genetics 9 Democratising welfare Conclusion This is the story told by those such as Giddens (1998), Dell (2000), Plant (2002) and hints of it can even be heard in Sassoon (1996) and Moschonas (2002). The problem with it is that it tells only one part of the tale. For although the term itself was not conceptualised until the 1870s, significant elements of social democracy predate that period, whether within the trade unions and burgeoning workers' movement or on the Left of the bourgeois liberal movement. So, if social democracy is not a dilution of Marxist Communism, if they share a contemporaneous development, then the history of social democracy is not one of decline but, as with most ideologies, much more complex than this. And what the defenders of the NSD downplay, when they are not omitting it altogether, is the history of capitalism over the last century or more, for if we are to interpret history in terms of either ascent or decline, then it makes as much sense to talk about the decline of capitalism in the century following the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The so-called decline of social democracy might also be written as the decline of capitalism to a point where it would not have been recognisable to its eighteenth-and nineteenth-century forebears. More accurately, we should think of social democratic history as a complex evolution rather than as either an ascent or decline. Ah, say new social democrats, but this only takes the story to the 1980s at best. The resurgence of market capitalism since then means that social democratic traditions have lost their former relevance. So whether the decline is measured in generations or decades there has been a recent decline to which the NSD is the only viable response. Yet what this argument conveniently does is to resurrect the determinism which has usually been employed to caricature Marxism (and which Marxists have often used as caricatures of themselves). If the resurgence of market capitalism was and is inevitable, then what are the laws of history which will make the future an endless reflection of the present? New social democrats are understandably silent on this point. But what really gives the lie to their argument is that this insistence on inevitability ('There Is No Alternative') used to be deployed by conservatives-and often still is, of course-against any form of social democracy. So if the NSD really is a viable option then the resurgence of market capitalism must be political rather than deterministic, i.e. the result of social forces mobilising for ideological ends within particular, conjunctural circumstances, and if it is political, then although the NSD is one viable option it is not necessarily the only one. However, the new social democrat has an additional argument. Even if the NSD is not the only option it is nonetheless the best given the immense problems that we face. Would today's socially excluded really thank us for spending time, energy and resources building radicalism for se...

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Section: Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

After the new social democracy

Fitzpatrick¹

2018

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“…It is beyond the scope of this chapter to explore all of the ethical nuances associated with these issues and the legal strategies that might be necessary depending on the ethical conclusions (for detailed discussions, see Dahl, 2003;Gabard, 1999;Stein, 1998). The arguments, in brief, are as follows.…”

Section: Ethical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetics of Sexual Orientation.

Hyde

2005

Biological Substrates of Human Sexuality.

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We live in the era of the Human Genome Project, and genes are being identified that control everything from full fruit development in strawberries to breast cancer susceptibility in women (Marshall, 1999;Miki et al., 1994). At the same time, this is an era in which issues of sexual orientation have been placed front and center. In 2003 alone, an openly gay man, the Rev. Gene Robinson, was confirmed as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, and an amendment was proposed to the U.S. Constitution specifying that marriage could occur only between a man and a woman. It is therefore not surprising that the lay public, scientists, and practitioners should wonder about the causes of sexual orientation and, specifically, whether there is a genetic basis for sexual orientation.In this chapter I review the evidence on genetic influence on sexual orientation in humans, including evidence from twin and adoption studies, as well as evidence from studies using animal models. (For earlier reviews, see Bailey & Pillard, 1995;Mustanski, Chivers, & Bailey, 2002;Pillard & Bailey, 1998.) I conclude with a consideration of the ethical issues that are raised by this newly emerging science.As we consider the evidence, an important methodological issue is the measurement of sexual orientation. Alfred Kinsey championed a behavioral 9

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“…So, biology may indeed provide comfortable explanations for some; for others, it poses profound threats, with its implications that everything is fixed. Indeed, there is precious little evidence that alleged biological bases help stop bigotry; all kinds of people have been, and continue to be, persecuted because of their 'biology' (Hubbard and Wald, 1993;Stein, 1998).…”

Section: Biology and Homosexualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesbian and Gay Bodies of Law

Moran¹

2002

Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies

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Choosing the Sexual Orientation of Children

Cited by 21 publications

References 1 publication

After the new social democracy

After the new social democracy

The Genetics of Sexual Orientation.

Lesbian and Gay Bodies of Law

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