Apocalypse... Now? Molecular epidemiology, predictive genetic tests, and social communication of genetic contents

• Hoofdauteur: Luis David Castiel (Auteur)
• Formaat: Boek
• Gepubliceerd in: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz.
• Onderwerpen: article
• Online toegang: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0102-311X; 1678-4464
• Keywords: risco; epidemiologia molecular; genética médica; técnicas genéticas; Medicine; R; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Cadernos de Saúde Pública, Vol 15, Iss suppl 1, Pp S73-S89

The author analyzes the underlying theoretical aspects in the construction of the molecular watershed of epidemiology and the concept of genetic risk, focusing on issues raised by contemporary reality: new technologies, globalization, proliferation of communications strategies, and the dilution of identity matrices. He discusses problems pertaining to the establishment of such new interdisciplinary fields as molecular epidemiology and molecular genetics. Finally, he analyzes the repercussions of the social communication of genetic content, especially as related to predictive genetic tests and cloning of animals, based on triumphal, deterministic metaphors sustaining beliefs relating to the existence and supremacy of concepts such as 'purity', 'essence', and 'unification' of rational, integrated 'I's/egos'.