Technology and Social Change: The Impact of Genetic Forecasting on Attitudes and Values

New developments in biotechnology, such as the ability to identify the genetic basis of many single gene disorders, and the progress in identifying the genetic basis for more complex disorders have the potential for bringing about dramatic social changes. The present study, funded by NSF in 1988, is designed to trace the evolution of one set of such changes, namely, changes in attitudes and values related to the ability to diagnose genetic disorders without being able to cure them. It analyzes three interrelated developments: reporting about genetic screening and related issues in the mass media; positions toward genetic screening taken by a variety of interest groups; and public knowledge, attitudes, and values related to prenatal genetic testing and genetic screening in the workplace, as measured by interviews with a national sample of adults. (Co-funded with NSF)