Hope and Despair in Pandora's Box: Perceiving Reproductive Reward and Risk of Genetics Technologies and Information

Creator(s)

Kelly A. Dorgan, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
Sandra L. Williams, East Tennessee State University
Roxanne L. Parrott, Pennsylvania State University
Tina M. Harris, University of Georgia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2003

Description

African American and white women (N = 39) were interviewed about reproductive rewards and risks regarding genetics information and technologies. Analysis of their talk reflected several important themes. Emergent “reward” themes included the would-be parents' reproductive decision-making, preparation, and prevention. “Risk” themes, which were more predominant than reward themes, included genetic information as stress producing, “child-designing” as a likely outcome, and the creation of a superior race as probable. Findings are discussed within a Problematic Integration Theory framework.

Citation Information

Dorgan, Kelly A.; Williams, Sandra L.; Parrott, Roxanne L.; and Harris, Tina M.. 2003. Hope and Despair in Pandora's Box: Perceiving Reproductive Reward and Risk of Genetics Technologies and Information. Women's Studies in Communication. Vol.26(1). 88-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/07491409.2003.10162453 ISSN: 0749-1409