Stories about cloning and “designer babies” bring bioethical issues to life
SEATTLE, April 10, 2006—The Women’s
Bioethics Project (WBP) today announced the launch of a book club
program designed to empower women to explore the dramatic ways in which
emerging biotechnologies are affecting peoples’ lives. The program
provides book club support materials that go beyond asking literary
questions to promote discussion of bioethical issues, raising
provocative questions such as, “Is it ethical to conceive a child as an
organ donor for her sister?”
The format of the WBP book club program is designed to inspire participants to draw their own
conclusions about the kind of world they would like to live in. It also
encourages readers to consider some of the proposed advantages of new
technological advances in biomedicine and genetic engineering, as well
as to look at whether it would be possible to minimize the undesirable
effects these technologies may have on individuals and society at large.
“Through a series of interviews we’ve learned that women are eager to
discuss bioethical issues if they are put in a context that shows how
they directly affect their lives,” said Kathryn Hinsch, founder of the
Women’s Bioethics Project. “Many women we spoke with said they wanted
to participate in discussions about these topics, but only if it didn’t
require additional time away from their families and their already
loaded schedules. Furthermore, many said they wanted to go beyond
merely raising difficult questions to actually taking action on issues
that they found personally meaningful.”
The first novels in this book club series chosen by the WBP for this program include the following:
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, which explores the impact of embryo
selection and “designer babies” on one family and the heart-wrenching choices
that ensue.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro goes a step further, examining human
cloning and organ donation from the perspective of an isolated community of
human clones.
Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood presents a world so altered by the effects
of genetic engineering that both society and the natural environment are
profoundly affected.
When read in this order, the selected novels take readers along a
continuum from technologically feasible issues surrounding organ
transplants and genetic engineering
to futuristic scenarios involving advanced applications of these and
other biotechnologies that force us to examine many of the implications
of what it means to be human.
Public Policy Implications of Bioethical Issues
Beyond the literary analysis and examination of important bioethical
issues, another important aspect of the WBP book club program is that
it ties the issues raised in these three books to current public policy
debates. The book club materials provide women with guidance on how to
get involved, share their thoughts with their legislators and help
shape legislation.
The most pressing public policy issue the WBP would like to see women
take a closer look at after reading these books is human germline
genetic modification, which is sometimes referred to as producing
“designer babies.” The WBP believes the application of genetic
engineering in this area will have profound implications for women and
their families. Whether they feel limits should be placed on this
technology or believe it should be banned outright, this book club
forum offers women a unique opportunity to discuss these issues with
one another and explore their feelings about genetic engineering and
other biomedical advances on both a personal and policy level.
“We hope that women will come away from this experience feeling
informed and motivated to get involved,” said Hinsch. “Although we have
included three novels in our campaign, Jodi Picoult’s book My Sister’s
Keeper was really our original inspiration. The way she captures the
real-life
ethical issues around ‘designer babies’ from the perspective of one
family really demonstrates the power literature has to let us explore
unfamiliar situations and reach our own conclusions.”
Jodi Picoult, author of 12 other novels in addition to My Sister’s
Keeper, including the recently published The Tenth Circle, shares this
goal. “I was honored when Kathryn asked me to participate in this book
club campaign,” Picoult said. “I truly believe the time to address the
impact of these emerging technologies is now, and I think this program
offers an accessible and relevant way for women to begin engaging with
others on these issues. I’m pleased that my novels can play a small
part in that effort.”
All book club program materials are available on the Women’s Bioethics
Project Web site. More information is available online at
http://www.womensbioethics.org.
The Women’s Bioethics Project is an independent, nonpartisan,
public-policy think tank based in Seattle. WBP is dedicated to ensuring
that women’s voices, health concerns and unique life experiences will
be represented in discussions and decisions about ethical issues in
health care and biotechnology.
Women’s Bioethics Project
WEBSITE: http://www.womensbioethics.org
CONTACT: Kathryn Hinsch at 206-200-1101 or email info@womensbioethics.org
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