Through
a series of interviews we've learned that women are eager to discuss
bioethical issues if the issues are put in a context that directly
affects their lives—if it doesn't require additional time away from
their already loaded schedules, and if it allows them to go beyond
merely raising difficult questions to taking action on issues that are
meaningful.
Based
on this feedback, we created a virtual book club which enables us to
connect to women individually or through new and existing book clubs.
First, our team of scholars selected widely accessible, beautifully
written books that illuminate the implications of biotechnology. We
then provide book club support materials that go beyond just asking the
typical literary questions and topics (such as "what was the author
trying to communicate?")
Instead,
we foster discussion on bioethical issues by raising such questions as
"How does technology shape our society?," "What does it mean to be
human?," and "What kind of future do we want to create?" A set of
twenty "bioethical" questions are developed for each book selected. The
questions are designed to educate you about issues in technology we'll
be facing. They were written to be educational as well as provocative.
The
questions were developed by Women's Bioethics Project advisory board
member and bioethics researcher
Sue Trinidad. They were tested and
revised based on feedback from book clubs around the country. The
questions are arranged in three sections: Organ
Transplantation/Donation, Genetics Testing/IVF, and "Designer Babies."
They are designed to raise key ethical issues, provide important
information on the science, and help you get in touch with your own
moral compass. With a nod to the realities of many women's lives, we
have written them in such a way that you can participate in the
discussion even if you haven't read the books.
Then,
most importantly, we tie these questions to public policies that are
currently being considered and provide specific information on how to
get involved in the shaping of such legislation. The first policy we
will focus on, Human Germline Genetic Modification (HGGM), is a perfect
target because the issues surrounding "designer babies" have profound
implications for women and their families and it is just now being
considered by policy makers.
To learn more about the program, please visit our newly designed website at:
www.womensbioethics.org
A conversation on the implications of
emerging technologies with New York Times
Best Selling Author, Jodi
Picoult and bioethics researcher, Sue Trinidad.
The top of the Smith Tower is the venue for celebrating the launch of the book club program with guest of honor, Jodi Picoult.
