Health and Welfare Research Group

This term examines the way in which abnormal and ‘anti-social’ behaviour has been conceptualised using a biological model of causation. From an historical perspective, we will examine early constructions of abnormal and deviant behaviour and then explore their relation to current research in genetics and biology.  Our aim is to investigate the legal and political implications of psychiatric, neurological and genetic research and treatment, and to examine how such developments have affected the provision of social welfare.