First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Reflecting upon the changing human condition, Palsson addresses various conflated zones of life at particular times and scales. Engaging with topical issues on the public agenda, from personal genomics to human-animal relations to the global environment, the book sets out a compelling case for meaningful change.

Reflecting upon the changing human condition, Palsson addresses various conflated zones of life at particular times and scales.

The so-called science wars pit science against culture, and nowhere is the struggle more contentious—or more fraught with paradox—than in the burgeoning realm of genetics. A constructive response, and a welcome intervention, this volume brings together biological and cultural anthropologists to conduct an interdisciplinary dialogue that provokes and instructs even as it bridges the science/culture divide. Individual essays address issues raised by the science, politics, and history of race, evolution, and identity; genetically modified organisms and genetic diseases; gene work and ethics; and the boundary between humans and animals. The result is an entree to the complicated nexus of questions prompted by the power and importance of genetics and genetic thinking, and the dynamic connections linking culture, biology, nature, and technoscience. The volume offers critical perspectives on science and culture, with contributions that span disciplinary divisions and arguments grounded in both biological perspectives and cultural analysis. An invaluable resource and a provocative introduction to new research and thinking on the uses and study of genetics, Genetic Nature/Culture is a model of fruitful dialogue, presenting the quandaries faced by scholars on both sides of the two-cultures debate.

Ferkiss (emeritus, government, Georgetown U.) delves thoughtfully into how various civilizations and cultures, including Western civilization, have historically looked at humanity, nature, and technology. He then looks at the conflicting attitudes of contemporary thinkers, seeking a balance, but maintaining a bias toward reverence for nature and an unwillingness to allow technology and its owners to set all the terms. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Chronicling the evolution of David Gutmann's cross-cultural, empirical studies on which his developmental theories of aging are based, this volume reveals how descriptions of the developmental sequences (as they show themselves in older men and women) lead to identification of the psychological forces that drive these processes across the years. This book of new and previously published work first reports on the research that buttressed the more hopeful view of aging as a period of growth and then sets forth the broad, unifying ideas that came out of the empirical work. These concepts include the theory of the "Parental Imperative"—the engine of human development in early and later adulthood; observations on the "gentling" of the older man and the increased assertiveness of the older woman; essays about the unique qualities of aging leaders and the special role of the aged as representatives of the community to its gods; and ideas about the evolutionary basis of the third age—aging as a human adaptation, a legitimate life stage, rather than the grim prelude to death. The last group of selections focuses on the clinical perspective, applying developmental insights to the psychological disorders of later life, ultimately leading to a more hopeful view of these conditions as well as more effective approaches to their treatment. Each section contains original commentary placing the material in the context of current research. This text is for gerontologists, for all students of human development, and for all thoughtful readers who are concerned with the great themes of the human life-cycle—in-cluding their own.