Emerging Politics of New Genetic Technologies - Flagship Project
Research Approaches and Methods
The research has been primarily qualitative in nature, drawing on documentary and interview data and case study 'participant observation', both online and at specific sites and events. The first phase of the project comprised a broad overview of this complex field, via a review of websites, document outputs and other literature through which core scientific and technological developments, and key regulatory, scientific and ethical/social issues, were identified and 'prime movers' (McAdam 1988) and 'early risers' (Tarrow 1998) in civil society mapped. Interviews were conducted with samples of 'prime movers', in particular amongst NGO and social movement actors, who have been the ethnographic focus of the project. Overall, a broad range of public engagement events, both self-initiated by civil society groups, and initiated by policy processes, have been attended by the research team and the RA in particular as part of a symbiotic process of participant observation and knowledge transfer. These modes of engagement have included policy and protest events.
The second stage of data collection involved focusing on a primary ethnographic site: case study work mapping interactions, and emergent capacity-building, amongst network clusters of core 'oppositional'/ critical actor groups, namely disability rights, social justice, environmental and 'anti globalisation' actors and associated 'watchdog' NGOs such as Human Genetics Alert. Ethnographic 'trails' have been traced out to Europe, Canada and America. Interactions between these groups and other social actors (eg regulators, scientists, other 'interest groups' such as faith groups) have also been mapped.
A second ethnographic cluster consisting of interactions between, and frames raised by, broadly 'supportive' actors such as patient groups, disease communities and charities, and industry representatives, and their engagement with scientific 'producers and with regulators, is also being mapped, although in less detail than the primary case study site.
Other emergent actors, such as advocates of 'open source' within the scientific community, and their network/discursive linkages with other actors, have also been identified.
The project has also sampled other sites of UK public engagement more generally, such as radio four phone-ins and BBC–led email blogs on topics such as 'saviour siblings' and 'designer babies'.
Core network patterns, modes of mobilisation, and discursive framings are being identified through coding all data sources through the qualitative software package Nvivo. These findings will be made available in the form of reports and datasets, and subsequently in stakeholder feedback/ dissemination, and further academic publications.
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