Risky Relations Family, Kinship and the New Genetics

More and more conditions are now identified as having a genetic component, and controversial new genetic technologies potentially have major consequences for social relations and self-identity. How do family members respond to the information that they have a genetically transmitted disease or condition? How do they communicate (or not communicate) about their shared heritage? How do they decide who to tell and who not to tell within their family? Richly illustrated with the real experiences of individuals and families, "Risky Relations" is essential reading for anthropologists and sociologists of health and medicine, specialists in family and kinship, and health professionals concerned with the treatment and counseling of clients with genetic conditions. The lived impact of genetic technology on understanding within families with genetic conditions has never been systematically explored.

Increasingly more conditions are now being identified as having a genetic component, and controversial new genetic technologies potentially have major consequences for social relations and self-identity. How do family members respond to the information that they have a genetically transmitted disease or condition? How do they communicate (or not communicate) about their shared heritage? How do they decide who to tell and who not to tell within their family? Richly illustrated with the real experiences of individuals and families, Risky Relations is essential reading for anthropologists and sociologists of health and medicine, specialists in family and kinship, and health professionals concerned with the treatment and counselling of clients with genetic conditions. The lived impact of genetic technology on understanding within families with genetic conditions has never been systematically explored. This book fills a major gap by placing ethical, medical and social debates surrounding this charged issue firmly in context.

Chapter 1: Risky Relations and Other Complexities Chapter 2: Accomplishing Kinship Chapter 3: Routes and Journeys: Beliefs about Inheritance and Routes of Transmission Chapter 4: Mutual Surveillance Chapter 5: Practical Ethics and Disclosure Chapter 6: Family Narratives Chapter 7: Risky Relations Appendix: Summary of Conditions.

Katie Featherstone is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Social and Economic Aspects of Genomics, Cardiff University.Aditya Bharadwaj is a Research Associate in the Centre for Social and Economic Aspects of Genomics, Cardiff University.Angus Clarke is Professor and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics at the University of Wales College of Medicine.Paul Atkinson is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Cardiff University, and Associate Director of the ESRC Centre for Social and Economic Aspects of Genomics.