Abstract
This article critically explores the notion of those sociopolitical spaces that are ‘disability’, ‘holism’ and ‘genetics’, arguing from the perspectives of someone who identifies as having a disability. Medical genetics is seen to reflect the ideology and dominant biomedical reductionist thought. In contrast with this, it is proposed that disability and health are inherently social. A nursing approach is seen to recognize the social and holistic nature of the human person and to present a critical reflection on the reductionistic applications of medical genetics.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Shakespeare T.
Back to the future? New genetics and disabled people . Crit Soc Policy
1995 ;(44/45 autumn ): 22 -35 .
2.
Shakespeare T.
Choices and rights: eugenics, genetics and disability equality . Disabil Soc
1998 ;13 : 665 -681 .
3.
Shakespeare T.
Manifesto for genetic justice . Soc Alternatives
1999 ; 18 (1 ): 29 -32
4.
Asch A.
Reproductive technology and disability . In:
Cohen S
,
Taub N
eds. Reproductive laws for the 1990s . Clifton, NJ : Humana , 1989 : 69 -124 .
5.
Hume J.
Disability, feminism and eugenics . Quad Wrangle
1996 ; (autumn ): 4 -6 .
6.
Rock PJ.
Eugenics and euthanasia: a cause for concern for disabled people, particularly disabled women . Disabil Soc
1996 ; 11 : 121 -127 .
7.
Kallianes V
,
Rubenfeld P.
Disabled women and reproductive rights . Disabil Soc
1997 ; 12 : 203 -221
8.
Schiliro G
,
Romeo MA
,
Mollica F.
Prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia: the viewpoint of patients . Prenat Diagn
1988 ; 8 : 231 -233 .
9.
Abberley P.
The concept of oppression and the development of a social theory of disability . Disabil Handicap Soc
1987 ; 2 (1 ): 5 -20 .
10.
Kell P
,
Wynter B.
Failing your genetic test . Consuming Interest
1997 ; (summer ): 12 -15 .
11.
Lapham VE
,
Kozma C
,
Weiss JO.
Genetic discrimination: perspectives of consumers . Science
1996 ; 274 : 621 -624 .
12.
Diprose R.
A ‘genetics’ that makes sense . In:
Diprose R
,
Ferrell R
eds. Cartographies post-structuralism and the mapping of bodies and spaces . St Leonards, NSW : Allen and Unwin , 1991 : 65 -76 .
13.
Hubbard R
,
Wald E.
Exploding the gene myth . Boston : Beacon , 1993 : 37 -38 .
14.
Johnson M.
Aborting defective foetuses - what will it do?
Link Disabil J
1990 ; (Aug/Sept ): 14 -14 .
15.
National Health and Medical Research Council
. Discussion paper on the ethics of limiting life-sustaining treatment . Canberra : NHMRC , 1988 : 5 -5 .
16.
Davis A.
From where I sit . London : Triangle , 1989 : 19 -19 .
17.
Kuhse H
,
Singer P.
Should the baby live?
Oxford : Oxford University Press , 1985 .
18.
Davis A.
Yes, the baby should live . New Sci
1985 ; (31 Oct ): 54 -54 .
19.
Bowe F.
Rehabilitating America . New York : Harper and Row , 1980 .
20.
Finkelstein V.
To deny or not to deny disability . In:
Brechin A
ed. Handicap in a social world . London : Hodder and Stoughton , 1981 : 34 -36 .
21.
Clarke A
ed. Genetic counselling: practice and principles . London : Routledge , 1994 .
22.
Drew N.
Challenging a reductionist paradigm as a foundation for nursing . J Holistic Nurs
1995 ; 13 : 332 -345 .
23.
FitzGerald M.
The practical implications of a critique of traditional science . Int J Nurs Pract
1995 ; 1 : 2 -11 .
24.
French S.
Researching disability: the way forward . Disabil Rehabil
1992 ; 14 : 183 -186 .
25.
Goodall CJ.
Clinical disability . Nurs Stand
1994 ; 8 (34 ): 26 -28 .
26.
Tschudin V
ed. Ethics: nursing people with special needs . London : Scutari , 1994 .
27.
Lindsey E.
Health within illness: experiences of chronically ill/disabled people . J Adv Nurs
1996 ; 24 : 465 -472 .
28.
Scullion PA.
Disability in a nursing curriculum . Disabil Soc
1999 ; 14 : 539 -559 .
29.
Anderson G.
Storytelling: a holistic foundation for genetic nursing . Holistic Nurs Pract
1998 ;12 (3 ): 64 -76 .
30.
Anderson G.
Creating moral space in prenatal genetic services . Qual Health Res
1998 ; (2 ): 168 -187 .
31.
Lea D
,
Anderson G
,
Monsen R.
A multiplicity of roles for genetic nursing: building toward holistic practice . Holistic Nurs Pract
1998 ; 12 (3 ): 77 -77 .