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Let's (not) talk about synthetic biology: Framing an emerging technology in public and stakeholder dialogues.

ABSTRACT: Synthetic biology is an emerging technoscience, which, so far, lacks a broader public debate. To foster early societal dialogue, a range of public engagement events have been initiated over the past decade. This article discusses the configurations of the emerging debate on synthetic biology in the context of the EU FP7 project SYNENERGENE. Drawing on notions of frames and framing in media studies and policy analysis, we ask which distinct frames are invoked and become dominant in current discussions about synthetic biology. Our analysis indicates significant reconfigurations in the framing of synthetic biology compared with previous biotechnology debates. Frames that traditionally served to problematize biotechnology, that is, ethics, risks, and economics, become less dominant. Instead, the potential to contribute to social progress is placed in the foreground. Moreover, discussions on ethics, risks, and governance frequently occur on an abstract level, invoking generic statements that could be made for any new technology.

SUBMITTER: Bauer A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7411530 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Let's (not) talk about synthetic biology: Framing an emerging technology in public and stakeholder dialogues.

Bauer Anja A Bogner Alexander A

Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) 20200303 5

Synthetic biology is an emerging technoscience, which, so far, lacks a broader public debate. To foster early societal dialogue, a range of public engagement events have been initiated over the past decade. This article discusses the configurations of the emerging debate on synthetic biology in the context of the EU FP7 project SYNENERGENE. Drawing on notions of frames and framing in media studies and policy analysis, we ask which distinct frames are invoked and become dominant in current discus ...[more]

PMID: 32122265

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Project description:Background and objectiveCare partners of people living with dementia require support to knowledgeably navigate decision making about how and when to use monitoring technologies for care purposes. We conducted a pilot study of a novel self-administered intervention, "Let's Talk Tech," for people living with mild dementia and their care partners. This paper presents preliminary efficacy findings of this intervention designed to educate and facilitate dyadic communication about a range of technologies used in dementia care and to document the preferences of the person living with dementia. It is the first-of-its-kind decision-making and planning tool with a specific focus on technology use.Research design and methodsWe used a 1-group pretest-post-test design and paired t tests to assess change over 2 time periods in measures of technology comprehension, care partner knowledge of the participant living with mild Alzheimer's disease's (AD) preferences, care partner preparedness to make decisions about technology use, and mutual understanding. Thematic analysis was conducted on postintervention interview transcripts to elucidate mechanisms and experiences with Let's Talk Tech.ResultsTwenty-nine mild AD dementia care dyads who live together completed the study. There was statistically significant improvement with medium and large effect sizes on outcome measures of care partners' understanding of each technology, care partners' perceptions of the person living with dementia's understanding of each technology, knowledge of the person living with dementia's preferences, decision-making preparedness, and care partners' feelings of mutual understanding. Participants reported that it helped them have important and meaningful conversations about using technology.Discussion and implicationsLet's Talk Tech demonstrated promising preliminary efficacy on targeted measures that can lead to informed, shared decision making about technologies used in dementia care. Future studies should assess efficacy with larger samples and more diverse sample populations in terms of race, ethnicity, and dementia type.

Dataset Information

Let's (not) talk about synthetic biology: Framing an emerging technology in public and stakeholder dialogues.

Publications

Let's (not) talk about synthetic biology: Framing an emerging technology in public and stakeholder dialogues.

Similar Datasets

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