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Creating identity with biotechnology: the xenotransplanted body as the norm

Lundin, Susanne LU orcid (2002) In Public Understanding of Science 11(4). p.333-345
Abstract
One of todays great issues is how an advanced medical technology like xenotransplantation should be applied. It is well known that medicine brings not only potential but also risk. On the cultural level, xenotransplantations are equally complicated; they arouse thoughts about whether our outlook on humanity will be influenced now that modern techniques can correct our defective bodies. The article asks whether xenotransplantation creates new cultural meanings. That is, how do newly emerging ideas of a technologically created normality raise a set of moral questions about nature and culture, mind and body? The discussion is based on interview studies with patients suffering from diabetes and Parkinsons disease. The former have been given... (More)
One of todays great issues is how an advanced medical technology like xenotransplantation should be applied. It is well known that medicine brings not only potential but also risk. On the cultural level, xenotransplantations are equally complicated; they arouse thoughts about whether our outlook on humanity will be influenced now that modern techniques can correct our defective bodies. The article asks whether xenotransplantation creates new cultural meanings. That is, how do newly emerging ideas of a technologically created normality raise a set of moral questions about nature and culture, mind and body? The discussion is based on interview studies with patients suffering from diabetes and Parkinsons disease. The former have been given porcine islets, while the others have had human fetal cells transplanted into the brain; the latter are also potential recipients of xenotransplants. This empirical material becomes the basis for discussing how diseases can lead to a crisis in which it is essential - on a concrete, everyday level - to find strategies for dealing with the consequences. In this process of identity and normalization, advanced biomedicine is an important factor. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Public Understanding of Science
volume
11
issue
4
pages
333 - 345
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000180252700003
  • scopus:0345754593
ISSN
0963-6625
DOI
10.1088/0963-6625/11/4/302
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
87fd0482-cfb9-42cb-bc96-776fe44dd45d (old id 131680)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:48:18
date last changed
2022-01-28 07:11:27
@article{87fd0482-cfb9-42cb-bc96-776fe44dd45d,
  abstract     = {{One of todays great issues is how an advanced medical technology like xenotransplantation should be applied. It is well known that medicine brings not only potential but also risk. On the cultural level, xenotransplantations are equally complicated; they arouse thoughts about whether our outlook on humanity will be influenced now that modern techniques can correct our defective bodies. The article asks whether xenotransplantation creates new cultural meanings. That is, how do newly emerging ideas of a technologically created normality raise a set of moral questions about nature and culture, mind and body? The discussion is based on interview studies with patients suffering from diabetes and Parkinsons disease. The former have been given porcine islets, while the others have had human fetal cells transplanted into the brain; the latter are also potential recipients of xenotransplants. This empirical material becomes the basis for discussing how diseases can lead to a crisis in which it is essential - on a concrete, everyday level - to find strategies for dealing with the consequences. In this process of identity and normalization, advanced biomedicine is an important factor.}},
  author       = {{Lundin, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{0963-6625}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{333--345}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Public Understanding of Science}},
  title        = {{Creating identity with biotechnology: the xenotransplanted body as the norm}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0963-6625/11/4/302}},
  doi          = {{10.1088/0963-6625/11/4/302}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}