This paper discusses the semantic tools used by technological frontrunners to establish imaginaries in the light of the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. A grounded inspired theory approach is employed to untangle these tools, used in an interview with a leading proponent and researcher in genetic engineering, George Church. The analysis identifies three tools – narration, comparison and enticement – that technological frontrunners utilize to translate their ideas into a convincing vision that has the potential to be incorporated into the collective imagination of sociotechnical futures.
Table of Contents
1. Editing Life
2. Grounding Genetic Vanguards
2.1. Research Question
2.2. Material
2.3. Methodological Approach
3. Conceptualizing Biotechnological Imaginaries
3.1. Co-Producing Biotechnology
3.2. Sociotechnical Imaginaries in the Making
3.3. Sociotechnical Vanguards and Vanguard Visions
4. Imagining the Human Condition
4.1. The Tools of Imagination
4.2. Narrating the Past
4.3. Comparing the Present
4.4. Enticing the Future
5. Crafting Visions of the Future
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper aims to identify and analyze the specific semantic tools utilized by technological frontrunners—termed "sociotechnical vanguards"—to establish collective visions of the future in the context of CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. By examining interviews with leading geneticists, the research seeks to understand how these actors translate complex scientific ideas into persuasive narratives that can be integrated into the broader societal imagination.
- Theoretical concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and vanguards.
- The role of narration, comparison, and enticement in shaping technological futures.
- Methodological analysis of qualitative material through a grounded theory approach.
- The interplay between scientific innovation, societal discourse, and ethical considerations.
- Communication strategies used to establish the attainability and desirability of biotechnological progress.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2. Narrating the Past
Embedding ideas in already existing understandings of how technology and society interacted in similar instances, will make visions easier to connect with. George Church (2016) uses in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a way for making gene editing seem like a more plausible future:
There was a hue and cry about in vitro fertilization. It was pejoratively labeled "test tube babies" [emphasis in original] —some scare quotes around test tube babies as if that was intrinsically yucky and unacceptable. But in ’78 when Elizabeth Brown was born as a beautiful, healthy baby, the first real attempt brought to term, suddenly it looked like it was 100 percent successful and within a few years there were millions. There are now over 5 million test tube babies.
Even though IVF was faced with heavy criticism and is still often discussed controversially, today the technology is standard procedure with millions of users. The analogy helps to disregard critics of gene editing by suggesting that resistance is futile. Even if today genomic engineering is confronted with political and public aversion, it will overcome this phase – like IVF – because it provides so much value that millions of people will be part of the technology eventually.
Summary of Chapters
1. Editing Life: Introduces the emergence of gene-editing technologies like CRISPR/Cas9 and the need to analyze how these powerful innovations are embedded in social imaginaries.
2. Grounding Genetic Vanguards: Outlines the research question and the methodological framework, focusing on the analysis of material from geneticist George Church to understand how vanguards communicate their visions.
3. Conceptualizing Biotechnological Imaginaries: Explores theoretical foundations such as co-production and sociotechnical imaginaries to explain how scientific advancements and social order are reciprocally produced.
4. Imagining the Human Condition: Details the three core semantic tools—narration, comparison, and enticement—used by vanguards to ground their visions in the past, present, and future.
5. Crafting Visions of the Future: Concludes that these communication tools are central to transforming abstract scientific possibilities into widely accepted and desirable sociotechnical futures.
Keywords
Sociotechnical Imaginaries, CRISPR/Cas9, Genetic Engineering, Sociotechnical Vanguards, Co-production, Narration, Comparison, Enticement, Biotechnology, Science and Technology Studies, Innovation, Future Visions, George Church, Genomic Sequencing, Social Consciousness
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
The research explores the semantic tools used by prominent figures in biotechnology to shape collective visions of future genetic engineering developments.
What are the primary themes analyzed in this paper?
Key themes include the communication strategies of technological pioneers, the social embeddedness of scientific innovation, and the use of narratives to guide public perception of new technologies.
What is the main research question?
The paper seeks to answer how sociotechnical vanguards use specific semantic tools to communicate their vision of genetic engineering, particularly in relation to the advent of CRISPR/Cas9.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The analysis utilizes a grounded theory inspired approach to interpret qualitative material, specifically interviews with leading geneticists, to identify recurring communication patterns.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body examines theoretical frameworks like sociotechnical imaginaries and details the three identified communication tools—narration, comparison, and enticement—supported by empirical examples.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Essential keywords include Sociotechnical Imaginaries, CRISPR/Cas9, Genetic Engineering, Sociotechnical Vanguards, and Co-production.
How does the author define a "sociotechnical vanguard"?
A sociotechnical vanguard is defined as a relatively small collective that intentionally acts to realize specific visions of the future that have not yet been accepted by the wider society.
Why is the comparison to IVF significant in the text?
The author uses IVF as an analogy to demonstrate that technologies initially met with strong public resistance can become accepted and standard practice once their benefits are proven.
What is the role of "enticement" in the proposed framework?
Enticement serves to create a compelling picture of a desirable future, often by framing technology as the solution to urgent global issues like climate change or disease.
- Arbeit zitieren
- B.A. Stefan Raß (Autor:in), 2019, Editing Life. How Sociotechnical Vanguards Craft Visions of the Future, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1001845
