Kirsh N. Population genetics in Israel in the 1950s. The unconscious internalization of ideology.
ISIS; AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND ITS CULTURAL INFLUENCES 2003;
94:631-655. [PMID:
15077535 DOI:
10.1086/386385]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This essay describes the effects of Zionist ideology on research into human population genetics carried out in Israel during the 1950s and early 1960s. I argue that the internalization of the dominant Zionist narrative is reflected in the articles that were written by Israeli geneticists and physicians during these years. My claim is based on a comparison of articles about human population genetics written and published by Israeli scientists between 1951 and 1963 with similar articles written by non-Israelis. The comparison reveals that during this period the Israeli human geneticists and physicians emphasized the sociological and historical aspects of their research and used their work, among other things, as a vehicle for establishing a national identity and confirming the Zionist narrative.
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