Social Science Research and Sickle Cell Disorders

Social science research on sickle cell disorders (SCD), recessively inherited blood conditions, have come of age in the last twenty years from being invisible, neglected, racialized, and mainly medical in focus, to one that is now a global social science priority. In this chapter, an overview is given of sickle cell disorders and the sickle cell trait and why they are important to social science research. It is noted how social science research has had to engage in decolonization of research to uncover and make visible an invisible history as well as to assess policy decisions, like screening, in the present. Theoretical developments are presented but it is noted that social science research on SCD even in theory always has to deal with issues of “race” even in future developments.