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In the late 1970s, the media debate about recombinant DNA technology was Sweden’s first, but far from last, controversy about the risks and possibilities of genetic engineering. Based on the concept of knowledge cartographies, this study highlights how the main actors in the debate tried to make se...

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Main Author: Jenny Eklöf
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Lärdomshistoriska samfundet 2024-12-01
Series:Lychnos
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tidskriftenlychnos.se/article/view/26591
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author Jenny Eklöf
author_facet Jenny Eklöf
author_sort Jenny Eklöf
collection DOAJ
description In the late 1970s, the media debate about recombinant DNA technology was Sweden’s first, but far from last, controversy about the risks and possibilities of genetic engineering. Based on the concept of knowledge cartographies, this study highlights how the main actors in the debate tried to make sense of what gene technology entailed, but also, and more importantly, how knowledge about the technology and its consequences should be communicated and disseminated in society. The article shows that the combination of a relatively unanimous research community with the absence of an organized and engaged public meant that the communicative line of conflict mainly came to stand between researchers on one side and the mass media and individual politicians on the other. Here, long-established trust in experts stood against a new approach in which the research community was held democratically and morally accountable. The whole debate can be understood as being placed in a transitional period in which the previously dominating authoritative knowledge cartography began to make room for a burgeoning public sphere cartography. The debate was also colored by its contemporary context; by other ongoing science-related controversies, such as that of nuclear power, and not least by the emergence of new journalistic ideals and broader public discussions about academic freedom and scientists’ communicative obligations.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0076-1648
2004-4852
language Danish
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Lärdomshistoriska samfundet
record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-1e1843b5e9244bdeb7ce05631a4ce9122025-02-11T12:36:47ZdanLärdomshistoriska samfundetLychnos0076-16482004-48522024-12-01Debatten i debattenJenny Eklöf In the late 1970s, the media debate about recombinant DNA technology was Sweden’s first, but far from last, controversy about the risks and possibilities of genetic engineering. Based on the concept of knowledge cartographies, this study highlights how the main actors in the debate tried to make sense of what gene technology entailed, but also, and more importantly, how knowledge about the technology and its consequences should be communicated and disseminated in society. The article shows that the combination of a relatively unanimous research community with the absence of an organized and engaged public meant that the communicative line of conflict mainly came to stand between researchers on one side and the mass media and individual politicians on the other. Here, long-established trust in experts stood against a new approach in which the research community was held democratically and morally accountable. The whole debate can be understood as being placed in a transitional period in which the previously dominating authoritative knowledge cartography began to make room for a burgeoning public sphere cartography. The debate was also colored by its contemporary context; by other ongoing science-related controversies, such as that of nuclear power, and not least by the emergence of new journalistic ideals and broader public discussions about academic freedom and scientists’ communicative obligations. https://tidskriftenlychnos.se/article/view/26591hybrid-DNA-teknikhögrisklaboratoriumgenteknikkunskapskartografimedierad vetenskapvetenskapsjournalistik
spellingShingle Jenny Eklöf
Debatten i debatten
Lychnos
hybrid-DNA-teknik
högrisklaboratorium
genteknik
kunskapskartografi
medierad vetenskap
vetenskapsjournalistik
title Debatten i debatten
title_full Debatten i debatten
title_fullStr Debatten i debatten
title_full_unstemmed Debatten i debatten
title_short Debatten i debatten
title_sort debatten i debatten
topic hybrid-DNA-teknik
högrisklaboratorium
genteknik
kunskapskartografi
medierad vetenskap
vetenskapsjournalistik
url https://tidskriftenlychnos.se/article/view/26591
work_keys_str_mv AT jennyeklof debattenidebatten