A historical view of social responsibility in genetics

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bioscience; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1312065· OSTI ID:6501860

Beckwith, J ^[1]

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1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

Today the science of genetics presents society with a double-edged sword between scientific research and social responsibility. There are parallels between conditions no and in the early part of the century in the USA. In both periods dramatic breakthroughs generated highly productive genetics research. In the early 1900s, this was accompanied by a powerful eugenics movement; today public attention is shifting to genetic explainations and genetic solutions to health and social problems. The article gives an overview of the eugenics movement, summarizes the changes in views and the growth of molecular biology in the 1950s and 1960s, mentions the technical breakthroughs of the 1970s, and summarizes the attitudes during the recominant DNA era and about the Human Genome Project. The author points out that the overextension of the applications of genetics can have profound effects on society. He concludes that concerns about the social consequences of the new genetics and the Human Genome project are being relegated to ethicists, social scientists, lawyers, and other nonscientists. Scientists have a key role to play and a responsibility to ensure that progress in their field is not used to harm rather than benefit people. 57 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6501860
• Journal Information: Bioscience; (United States), Journal Name: Bioscience; (United States) Vol. 43:5; ISSN 0006-3568; ISSN BISNAS
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550400* -- Genetics
552000 -- Public Health
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ATTITUDES
BIOLOGY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DNA
GENE RECOMBINATION
GENETICS
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
HUMAN FACTORS
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PUBLIC HEALTH
SOCIAL IMPACT
USA