Playing God?- Cultural Change and the Ethics of Human Genetic Engineering

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9701966 Wuthnow In recent years there has been a renaissance in the sociological examination of cultural changes in society such as the increase in individualism at the expense of collectivism (e.g., Bellah et al., 1985) and in people's use of human centered over theistic legitimization for their actions (e.g., Hunter 1991). However, in these studies society-wide level of analyses, macro-level explanations, and lack of comparable measurements of the past and present culture prevent deeper understanding of the processes underlying cultural change. This Doctoral Dissertation research investigates the micro-foundations of this broader cultural change through examining one limited public issue --the debates about the propriety of the genetic modifications of humans. The primary data are from a systematic study of the printed debates on this topic from 1958 to present. Specifically, a sample of all books, book chapters, and articles produced on this subject will be analyzed using the citation study method. In this method patterns (or raw numbers of instances) among citations are used to evaluate hypotheses about the construction of knowledge. Additional information will be collected through interviews with writers of books and articles that are most cited during specific time periods. Lastly, case studies will be done on two commissions, one state created (The President's Commission) and one voluntary sector created (The United Methodist Church), that were empowered to discuss this issue. Through examining changes in the debate on genetic engineering, this research will increase our understanding of the processes involved in broader social change. ****