Genetics of behaviour and psychiatric disorders: from the laboratory to society and back

Behavioural genetics aims to explain in genetic and molecular units mental dysfunctions that carry heavy societal burdens, and behavioural patterns that are pertinent to a vast array of an individual’s social competences. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to briefly assess the current conceptual and technological framework of this branch of experimentation, and to remind of its contextualization in contemporary society. Medicalizing forces in our society increasingly bring non-pathological conditions under the scrutiny of medicine and genetics. Reflexivity is required among practitioners of behavioural genetics, who need to be aware of how social norms and context can influence the selection of traits and behaviours as objects of their investigations.