BIOSOCIAL MODELS - CAN DEMOGRAPHERS IGNORE THEM

Social demographers must take seriously the challenge to dominant theo retical paradigms that is posed by biosocial models. Accumulating empi rical evidence documents the significant contribution of biological va riables to the determination of social behaviors, including demographi c behaviors. The simplest biosocial models may prove inadequate in soc ial demographic research. More appropriate models may need to allow fo r causal relationships between biological and social determinants, and for effects that are interactive, non-linear, and discontinuous. Whil e the articulation and testing of such models is unattainable at prese nt, considerable insight can be gained by adding selected biological v ariables to ongoing demographic research. Demographic surveys should i ncorporate features of behavioral genetic designs. The chief shortterm obstacles to the application of biosocial models in demography are di sclinary boundaries; that is, the obstacles are institutional, not sci entific.