Book Review

Le résumé fourni par la source

This book consists of five chapters addressing a range of social issues arising out of contemporary human genetics.It is a multiauthor work coordinated by a committee and it does betray these origins.Some contributions are focused very specifically on Canadian issues, while others make much greater reference to the wider international context.The chapters also vary greatly in their depth and scope.Despite this, the individual contributions all address important issues and the parent committee -the Medical, Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (MELSI) committee of the Canadian Genome Analysis and Technology (CGAT) Program -deserves great credit for establishing the wide-ranging research projects that have been brought together in this volume.The CGAT-MELSI program was an imaginative effort to address a range of issues that had been relatively neglected elsewhere.After an introduction that explains the CGAT-MELSI framework, the first chapter, by Brunger and Bassett, discusses 'culture and genetics'.This chapter reminds those engaged in genetics that 'we' (i.e.you and I) have culture too -we should develop our self-awareness and avoid the assumption that cultural baggage attaches only to other people.At the same time, and equally necessarily, it challenges the view of culture as a homogenous property linked inextricably to ethnicity.It reminds us that ethnicity is sometimes chosen and is sometimes imposed -it is fluid rather than fixed.Such as approach is not novel but it is heartening to see it displayed so prominently in this volume.Chapter 2, by Stranc and Evans, is introduced by Bartha Knoppers with a reminder of the danger that worthwhile genetic screening programmes may be put in jeopardy if inappropriate programmes bring genetic screening (further) into disrepute.There is a need for perpetual vigilance.The chapter itself competently reviews the criteria by which a genetic screening programme would be assessed from a public health perspective -it introduces the topic for those unfamiliar with it but does not itself develop or extend the field.Chapter 3, by Lemmens and Bahamin, comprises 165 pagesmore than 40% of the volume excluding appendices -and provides a detailed analysis of its subject: 'Genetics in Life, Disability and Additional Health Insurance in Canada: A Comparative Legal and Ethical Analysis'.It contained more on this topic than I wished to learn; it is a scholarly contribution for the legal specialist, useful to others for reference purposes but not so appropriate as a chapter to be read alongside the others in this volume.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.