Evan Charney, Associate Professor of the Practice of Public Policy and Political Science; Fellow, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences  

Office Location: 250 Rubenstein Hall
Office Phone: (919) 208-8691
Duke Box: 90239
Email Address: echar@duke.edu
Web Page: http://www.duke.edu/~echar/

Areas of Expertise

  • Science, Genomics and Genetics

Education:
PhD, Harvard University, 2000

Research Categories: Behavioral Genetics

Research Description: Behavioral genetics, psychology and political psychology, theories of personality, methodology of the social sciences, philosophy of science

Typical Courses Taught:

  • Pubpol 116d, Pol choice/val conflict
  • Pubpol 316, Ethics and policy-making
  • Pubpol 316, Ethics and policy-making

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

  1. E. Charney. "Cytoplasmic Inheritance Redux." Advances in Child Development and Behavior. Embodiment and Epigenesis:Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Understanding the Role of Biology within the Relational Developmental System (Forthcoming).
  2. E. Charney. "Behavior Genetics and Post Genomics." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 35.6 (December, 2012): 1-80. [open]  [abs]
  3. E. Charney and W. English. "Candidate Genes and Political Behavior." American Political Science Review 106.1 (February, 2012). [open]  [abs]
  4. E. Charney. "Political Science and Behavior Genetics: Rethinking Foundational Assumptions." Biology and Politics: The Cutting Edge. Ed. Albert Somit and Steven A. Peterson 2011  [abs]
  5. E. Charney. "Physiology may not be (political) destiny." PsyCrit (February, 2009). [politics-reflexes]  [abs]
  6. E. Charney. "Genes and Ideologies." Perspectives on Politics 6.2 (June, 2008): 299-319.  [abs]
  7. E. Charney. "Politics, Genetics, and 'Greedy Reductionism'." Perspectives on Politics 6.2 (June, 2008).

Highlight:
Charney's research concerns genetic, biological, and evolutionary explanations of human psychology and behavior, ranging from personality to political orientation. His current focus is on the methodologies (in particular twin, adoption, and gene association studies), presuppositions, and findings of the hybrid discipline known as behavioral genetics. He is engaged in a critical reexamination of these methodologies, presuppositions, and findings in light of 1) current research in molecular genetics and epigenetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory, along with the rise of the field of evolutionary developmental biology ("evo-devo"); and 2) methodological questions relating to a) the widespread use of widely available data sets in twin and gene association studies; and b) the employment of underspecified phenotypes and/or phenotypes that are value-laden and/or historically culturally contingent. Related research concerns the philosophy of biology and the philosophy and sociology of science. Charney has published articles in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (forthcoming), Scientific American (forthcoming), The American Political Science Review, Perspectives on Politics, and PsyCrit, and a book chapter, "Political Science and Behavior Genetics: Rethinking Foundational Assumptions" in Biology and Politics: The Cutting Edge. Ed. Albert Somit and Steven A. Peterson. He has received fellowships from the Mellon, Jacob Javits, and Earhardt Foundations, and was the recipient of the first Susan Tift Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring Award.

Evan Charney