Eliciting situated knowledges about new technologies

Abstract

This paper explores the use of "situated knowledges" as a means of grounding debates about "scientific citizenship" within practical research interventions. We describe the development of a focus group methodology that uses opportunities for storytelling to elicit the situated knowledges of research participants regarding human genetic testing. The application of this methodology is illustrated by attention to the potential construction of what Irwin and Michael have referred to as "ethno-epistemic assemblages." Methodological discussion is preceded by a critical review of recent public participation and "dialogue" initiatives that aim to develop scientific citizenship and more accountable technology decision-making.

‘Information is information’: a public perspective on incidental findings in clinical and research genome‐based testing

“…Impeding the public's access to their information limits their role in healthcare decisions . Further, disclosure provides opportunities to inform members of the public about genetics and genomics within a personally relevant context .…”

GMO regulation and civic participation at the “edge of the world”: the case of Australia and New Zealand

“…In the broader New Zealand context, a set of well-developed social technologies exist for public participation in discussion, debate and policymaking with respect to science and technology (Goven 2003, Cronin and Jackson 2004, Lyver et al 2004, Toi te Taiao: the Bioethics Council 2004b, Scott and Du Plessis 2008. As Cronin indicates in this volume, experimentation in the use of dialogic technologies to consider controversial science and technology issues was supported in 2003-2004 by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) through its Dialogue Fund, 12 but was later defined as a strategy to foster trust and understanding in science rather than a device to facilitate public participation in the development of science and technology policy or the regulation of GM.…”

Informed Consent in Forensic DNA Databases: Volunteering, Constructions of Risk and Identity Categorization

“…This is especially important because genetic information may have far-reaching repercussions, not only for the individual but also for the individual's immediate and extended family, and because uncertainties about DNA profiling and the uses and applications of this information still exist (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 2007). It is also essential to take into account the constructive nature of risk and its implications for the mobilizations and courses of action taken by different political groups and distinct social groups (Lentzos, 2006;Rowe and Frewer, 2000), in order to develop more accountable technology decision-making (Scott and Du Plessis, 2008) to enhance decision-making based on the assessment of expectations, limitations, risks and uncertainties of technologies carried out either by experts or lay persons.…”