About the book
Over the past twenty years, DNA ancestry testing has morphed from a niche market into a booming international industry that encourages members of the public to answer difficult questions about their identity by looking to the genome. At a time of intensified interest in issues of race and racism, the burgeoning influence of corporations like AncestryDNA and 23andMe has sparked debates about the commodification of identity, the antiracist potential of genetic science, and the promises and pitfalls of using DNA as a source of “objective” knowledge about the past.
This book engages these debates by looking at the ways genomic ancestry testing has been used in Brazil and the United States to address the histories and legacies of slavery, from personal genealogical projects to collective racial politics. Reckoning with the struggles of science versus capitalism, “race-blind” versus “race-positive” public policies, and identity fluidity versus embodied experiences of racism, Permanent Markers seeks to explain why societies that have broadly embraced the social construction of race continue to search for, and find, evidence that our bodies are indelibly marked by the past.
Editions of Permanent Markers
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469665146
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469665153
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469665177
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890860934
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469665160
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890860927
Read an Excerpt
Over the past twenty years, DNA ancestry testing has morphed from a niche market into a booming international industry that encourages members of the public to answer difficult questions about their identity by looking to the genome. At a time of intensified interest in issues of race and racism, the burgeoning influence of corporations like AncestryDNA and 23andMe has sparked debates about the commodification of identity, the antiracist potential of genetic science, and the promises and pitfalls of using DNA as a source of “objective” knowledge about the past.
This book engages these debates by looking at the ways genomic ancestry testing has been used in Brazil and the United States to address the histories and legacies of slavery, from personal genealogical projects to collective racial politics. Reckoning with the struggles of science versus capitalism, “race-blind” versus “race-positive” public policies, and identity fluidity versus embodied experiences of racism, Permanent Markers seeks to explain why societies that have broadly embraced the social construction of race continue to search for, and find, evidence that our bodies are indelibly marked by the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Permanent Markers about?
Over the past twenty years, DNA ancestry testing has morphed from a niche market into a booming international industry that encourages members of the public to answer difficult questions about their identity by looking to the genome. At a time of intensified interest in issues of race and racism, the burgeoning influence of corporations like AncestryDNA and 23andMe has sparked debates about the commodification of identity, the antiracist potential of genetic science, and the promises and pitfalls of using DNA as a source of “objective” knowledge about the past.
This book engages these debates by looking at the ways genomic ancestry testing has been used in Brazil and the United States to address the histories and legacies of slavery, from personal genealogical projects to collective racial politics. Reckoning with the struggles of science versus capitalism, “race-blind” versus “race-positive” public policies, and identity fluidity versus embodied experiences of racism, Permanent Markers seeks to explain why societies that have broadly embraced the social construction of race continue to search for, and find, evidence that our bodies are indelibly marked by the past.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Permanent Markers?
History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Social and cultural history
Where can I read a sample of Permanent Markers?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469665146
How long is Permanent Markers and how many pages does it have?
Permanent Markers has 272 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Permanent Markers?
Sarah Abel
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Permanent Markers is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469665146) and paperback(ISBN 9781469665153) and ebook(ISBN 9781469665177) and ebook(ISBN 9798890860934) and ebook(ISBN 9781469665160) and pdf(ISBN 9798890860927)
Where can I buy Permanent Markers online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Permanent Markers from below
Where can I buy Permanent Markers?