Watanabe, Maiko (2007) Social acceptance of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome in Britain : a case study on the public legitimization of technology. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

PDF WRAP_Theses_Watanbe_2007.pdf - Submitted Version Embargoed item. Restricted access to Repository staff only - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (13Mb)

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to discuss the issue of public legitimization of new medical technology, through a case of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome in Britain. It is based on ethnographic study of agents involved with the technology; inventors of the technology, medical practitioners, pregnant women, and people with disability and their families, especially parents. The thesis is interdisciplinary based on mainly two frames of reference; Science and Technology Studies and Disability Studies. The former equips the thesis with the basis to understand the process of invention and promotion of the technology, in the social context I will especially focus on transformation of rhetoric to legitimate the technology in its process. The latter provides the critical standpoint to observe the fundamental idea of antenatal screening that it is better to prevent life with disability. Today, provision of antenatal screening is commonly legitimated for its ability to enhance autonomous decision of women in the clinical setting. However it is questionable whether women can make reliable autonomous decisions, when they can only imagine the immediate consequences of their decision (Rapp and Ginsburg, 2(01). Based on the idea of disability studies, I will argue that the key to the public legitimization of antenatal screening technology lies in the approach towards life with disability that society should take. I will show that an important problem in the process of social acceptance of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome in Britain is the lack of serious examination of alternatives to the preventive medical approach towards disability that this technology offers. I conclude that in order to generate the public legitimization of antenatal screening technology in the future, it is necessary for the public to consider a variety of possible approaches that society can take towards life with the targeted condition.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Prenatal diagnosis, Down syndrome
Official Date:	2007
Dates:	Date Event 2007 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Sociology
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	339 leaves
Language:	eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item