Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A sociological perspective on genetic screening

  • Chapter
The Ethics of Genetic Screening

Abstract

Social science has an acknowledged role in carrying out empirical research on the effects of screening programmes which provides data for medical professionals and resource managers. However, it will be argued that sociology can contribute to discussion in ethics not simply by the provision of empirical data but also by the different theoretical frameworks it employs which lead to different perspectives on the same topics as those which engage philosophy and psychology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bekker, H., Modell, M., Denniss, G., Silver, A., Mathew, C., Bobrow, M., Marteau, T., 1993. Uptake of cystic fibrosis testing in primary care. Supply push or demand? British Medical Journal, 306, pp. 1584–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barns, I., 1996. ‘Manufacturing consensus. Reflections on the UK National Consensus Conference on Plant Biotechnology’ Science as Culture, 5.2, 23, pp. 199–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruce, S., 1996. Religion in the Modern World from cathedrals to cults,Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmi, R., 1991. ‘Genetic counselling in a traditional society’, Letter in Lancet, 337, pp. 306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chadwick, R. and Levitt, M., 1997. ‘Mass media and public discussion in bioethics’ R. Chadwick, M. Levitt and D. Shickle (eds), The Right to Know and the Right Not to Know, Avebury, Aldershot, pp. 79–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., 1991. ‘Is non-directive counselling possible?’ Lancet, 338, pp. 998–1001.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., 1992. ‘Children with genetic diseases who should pay?’ Lancet, 339. pp. 1614–1615.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green, J.M., 1992. ‘Principles and practicalities of carrier screening. Attitudes of recent parents’, Journal of Medical Genetics, 29, pp. 313–319.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodey, C., 1996. ‘Genetic markers for intelligence’ Bulletin of Medical Ethics, pp. 13–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodhart, C.,1994. ‘Does a brighter future beckon’, New Scientist, 144, 1948, pp. 50–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, M., 1997. ‘Boozing flies expose ‘alcoholic genes’, New Scientist, 154, 2078, p. 20

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm, S., 1994. ‘Genetic Engineering and the North-South Divide’ in A. Dyson and J. Harris (eds), Ethics and Biotechnology, Routledge, London, pp. 47–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Layton, D., Jenkins, E., MacGill, S., Davey, A., 1993. Inarticulate science? Perspectives on the public understanding of science and some implications for science education, Studies in Science Education Ltd, Driffield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, M. and Whitelegg, M., 1996. ‘Empirical Research Findings’ in R. Chadwick, H. Häyry, M. Häyry, M. Levitt, J. Lunshof and M. Whitelegg, BIOCULT. Cultural and social objections to Biotechnology. Analysis of the arguments with special reference to the views of young people, Report of a project funded by the Commission of the European Communities under the BIOTECH programme, Centre for Professional Ethics, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, pp. 118–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lippman, A. and Wilfond, B.S., 1992. ‘Twice-told Tales. Stories about Genetic Disorders’, American Journal of Human Genetics, 51, pp. 936–937.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lippman, A., 1994. ‘Pre-natal genetic testing and screening. Constructing needs and reinforcing inequalities’, in A. Clarke (ed), Genetic Counselling. Practice and Principles. Routledge, London, pp. 142–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maddox, J., 1993. ‘Has nature overwhelmed nurture?’, Nature, 336, pp. 107.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarrick, P.M., 1993. ‘Genetic Testing and Genetic Screening’, Scope Note 22, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 3, 3, pp. 333–354.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mestel, R., 1994. ‘Does the ‘aggressive gene’ lurk in a Dutch family?’, New Scientist, 141, 1914, pp. 31–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michie, S., Bron, F., Bobrow, M. and Marteau, T., 1997. ‘Nondirectiveness in Genetic Counselling. An Empirical Study’, American Journal of Human Genetics, 60, pp. 40–47.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naveed, M., Phadke S., Sharma, A. and Agarwal, S., 1992. ‘Sociocultural problems in genetic counselling’, Journal of Medical Genetics, 29, pp. 140.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 1996. Animal-to-Human Transplants. The ethics of xenotransplantation, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pembrey, M., 1991. ‘Non-directive genetic counselling’, Letter in Lancet, p. 1267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, M.P.M., 1993. ‘The new genetics. some issues for social scientists’, Sociology of Health and Illness, 15, 5, pp. 567–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shickle, D. and Chadwick, R., 1994. ‘The ethics of screening. Is ‘screeningitis’ an incurable disease?’, Journal of Medical Ethics, 20, pp. 12–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Somer, M., Mustonen, H and Norio, R., 1988. ‘Evaluation of genetic counselling. Recall of information, post-counselling reproduction, and attitude of the counsellees’, Clinical Genetics, 34, pp. 352–365.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart-Brown, S. and Farmer, A.., 1997. ‘Screening could seriously damage your health’, Letter in British Medical Journal, 314, 22 February, p. 533.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment Genetic monitoring and screening in theworkplace,OTA-BA-455, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., p.148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vines, G., 1996. ‘The Search for the Clever Stuff’, Guardian Newspaper, G2 section, 1 February, p. 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vines, G., 1997. ‘Genetics. let the public decide’, British Medical Journal, 314, pp. 1055.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webb, J.,1993. ‘A fragile case for screening?’, New Scientist,25 December, pp. 10–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wertz, D.C. and Fletcher, J.C., 1988. ‘Attitudes of Genetic Counsellors. A Multinational Survey’, American Journal of Human Genetics, 42, pp. 592–600.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woolf, S., 1997, ‘Should we screen for prostate cancer? Men over 50 have a right to decide for themselves’, British Medical Journal, 314, pp. 989–990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Professional Ethics, University of Central Lancashire, England

    Mairi Levitt

Authors
  1. Mairi Levitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Professional Ethics, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK

    Ruth Chadwick

  2. School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Darren Shickle

  3. School of Medical Sciences, Catholic University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Henk Ten Have

  4. Medical Ethics, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany

    Urban Wiesing

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Levitt, M. (1999). A sociological perspective on genetic screening. In: Chadwick, R., Shickle, D., Ten Have, H., Wiesing, U. (eds) The Ethics of Genetic Screening. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9323-6_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9323-6_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5178-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9323-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation