Narrativization of human population genetics: Two cases in Iceland and Russia

• Published in: Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 370 - 386
• Main Authors: Chaly, Vadim, Popova, Olga V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.04.2024; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Biological Specimen Banks; Commodification; Ethical standards; Genetics; Human populations; Human rights; Humans; Iceland; Narratives; National identity; Population genetics; Russia; Science and technology; Sovereignty; Iceland; Russia; narratives; rhetoric of science and technology; social representations; attitudes on genetics; biotechnology and culture; media representations; ethics; commodification; imaginaries; securitization
• ISSN: 0963-6625; 1361-6609
• DOI: 10.1177/09636625231203481

Using the two cases of the Icelandic Health Sector Database and Russian initiatives in biobanking, the article criticizes the view of narratives and imaginaries as a sufficient and unproblematic means of shaping public understanding of genetics and justifying population-wide projects. Narrative representations of national biobanking engage particular imaginaries that are not bound by the universal normative framework of human rights, promote affective thinking, distract the public from recognizing and discussing tangible ethical and socioeconomic issues, and harm trust in science and technology. In the Icelandic case, the presentation of the project in association with national imaginaries concealed its market identity and could lead to the commodification of biodata. In the Russian case, framing in terms of “genetic sovereignty” and “civilizational code” offers pretexts for state securitization. Adherence to normative framework of human rights and public discussion of genetics in an argumentative and factual mode can counter these trends.