Social Sciences in Question: Leading Epistemological and Methodological Controversies
Samy Cohen (Sciences Po-CERI), Nonna Mayer (Sciences Po-CEE,CNRS)
11 years, 59 conferences
Watch the invitations (click on the picture)
The Social sciences in question seminar is a methodological seminar. Methods guarantee the cogency of our research and its conclusions. They are however rarely explicitly discussed in France, there are barely any occasion or places for such debates and there seems to be a gap between France and other countries where there can be fierce debates within universities. The objective of this shared seminar (with the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics) is to offer a place for discussion between researchers, be they senior or junior.
Lundi 22 avril 2024
12h30-14h30
CERI, 28 rue des Saints Pères, 75007 Paris, salle Pierre Hassner
When social sciences meet genomics
Boosted by the recent progress of molecular biology and genome-sequencing projects, sociogenomics research is in full bloom, exploring to what extent genetic differences between individuals can affect social and economic behaviors and outcomes. But it still is either largely ignored, or vigorously opposed, by most social scientists. Franck Ramus, a cognitive scientist, and Zachary Van Winkle, a sociologist, both use genetics in their research. They tell us about the advantages and limitations of such methods and the epistemological and ethical challenge they represent.
Speakers: Franck Ramus (LSCP, ENS Paris, CNRS) studies individual differences in children cognitive development and school learning and their genetic and environmental determinants. Recent publications: “The influence of sibship composition on language development at 2 years of age in the ELFE birth cohort study, Developmental science, 26(4), 2023 (with Gurgand, L. and al.; “Brain volumes, thicknesses, and surface areas as mediators of genetic factors and childhood adversity on intelligence", Cerebral Cortex, 33 (10), 2023, pp. 5885‑5895 (with Camille Williams and Hugo Peyre); « Ethique et génétique », Ramus Méninges.
Zachary Van Winkle (CRIS, Sciences Po) is interested in life courses and the socio-economic impact of family transitions (to parenthood, marriage, maternity, divorce, widowhood). Recent publications: "Genome-Wide Heritability Estimates for Family Life Course Complexity", Demography, 58 (4), p. 1575-1602 (with Dalton Conley); "Does Parental Separation Lower Genetic Influences on Children's School Performance?", Journal of Marriage and Family, 83 (3), p. 898-917 (with Tina Baier).
Chair: Nonna Mayer (Sciences Po, CEE, CNRS)