The New Genetics and The Public's Health

The rapid development of genetic science fuelled by the Human Genome Project and other related initiatives promises a new kind of public health practice. The technological achievements and genetic information now available have completely revolutionized the possibilities for medical practice and the treatment of illness as we have previously known it. "New Genetics and the New Public Health" explores the implications this new body of knowledge has for the public health arena. This insightful new contribution to the ongoing controversy on genetic sciences situates the debate in relation to health care, providing a stimulating critique of current research and practice.

The rapid advancement of genetic science, fuelled by the Human Genome Project and other related initiatives, promises a new kind of public health practice based on the pre-detection of disease according to calculations of genetic risk.This book by two well-known sociologists explores the implications of the new genetics for public health as a body of knowledge and a domain of practice. It assesses the impact of new genetic information and technologies on conceptions of health, illness, embodiment, self and citizenship and critically examines the complex discourses surrounding human genetics and public health. The New Genetics and The Public's Health addresses the emerging social and political consequences of the new genetics and provides a stimulating critique of current research and practice in public health.

1. Introduction: The Geneticisation of Health 2. Representing Genetics 3. Genetic Risk 4. Health, Consumption and Genetics 5. Global Flows of Genes and Bio-coloialism 6. Cloning, Therapeutics and Public Health 7. Conclusion

Robin Bunton, Alan Petersen