Search

Genetics and the Identity Politics of Parenthood and Family: We are family?

Event: Workshop
Start date: 19 Feb 2009 12:30
End date: 20 Feb 2009 13:30


** PAST EVENT **

Please note this is a past event.

View Report from the 'We Are Family?' workshop

View Video from the 'We Are Family' workshop

Speaker(s):

• Monica Bonaccorso-Rothe, Lecturer in Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London.
• Katie Featherstone, Senior Lecturer, Nursing Health and Social Care Research Centre, Cardiff University.
• Natalie Gamble, Associate, Lester Aldridge LLP.
• Martin Richards, Emeritus Professor of Family Research, University of Cambridge. 
• Jennifer Speirs, Research Fellow, INNOGEN, University of Edinburgh.
• Carol Smart, Professor of Sociology, The Morgan Centre for the Study of Relationships and Personal Life, University of Manchester.

Organised by:

Gill Haddow (INNOGEN) and Katie Featherstone (CESAgen)

To view the Report from this workshop

Venue:
ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum
The University of Edinburgh
College of Humanities and Social Science
St John's Land
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh EH8 8AQ

Details:

This workshop will raise questions about how family and parent-child relationships are constructed, resisted or affirmed, and the role of genetics in that process.  The discussions will be based around three inter-linked themes:

1) Reproducing the family: Children of your “own” or “your own” children?

2) Children’s “need” for a father and mother: Who’s the Daddy?

3) What and who is family in the context of genetic and biological citizenship?

Issues for discussion include:

•  What implications does the recent recommendation by the HFEA to remove reference to the “need for a father” have for lesbian and gay couples wishing to have a child?

• How has the need for couples to have their “own” children interacted with technological and medical advances?

• Should children born from donated eggs or sperm be able to source this information from their birth certificates?

• What is family in the context of genetic risk information?

• In the absence of a biological connection to a parent, does a social connection suffice?  In what ways is genetic inheritance important? 

• How do we recognise and maintain family relationships? For example, what is the role of character traits and physical resemblances in maintaining relations?

Day 1 Programme:  Thursday 19th February 2009:

12.30 – 1.30: Lunch and Registration

Session 1: Family Secrets.
1.30-2.00: Speaker 1 Katie Featherstone
2.00-2.30: Speaker 2 Carol Smart
2.30 -3pm: Janet Carsten comments and leads round-table discussion.
3pm -3.30: Tea and coffee

Session 2: Who are Family?:
3.30-4.00: Speaker 3 Martin Richards
4.00-4.30: Speaker 4 Natalie Gamble
4.30-5.00: Caroline Jones comments and leads round-table discussion.
1830: Dinner @ Vittorias, George V Bridge, Edinburgh.

Day 2 Programme: Friday 20th February 2009:

9.00 – 9.30: Tea and Coffee

Session 3: Family Matters?
9.30 -10.00: Speaker 5 Monica Bonaccorso-Rothe.
10.00 – 10.30: Speaker 6 Jennifer Speirs.
10.30 – 11.00 Susan Kelly comments and leads round-table discussion.
11.00 – 11.30: Tea and coffee.
11.30 – 12.30 Workshop: Exploring how we can use fiction to explore the concept of family (led by Pippa Goldschmidt, writer-in-residence, Genomics Forum)
12.30 – 12.45 Summing up and Close.

12.45 – 1.30 Lunch and departures.

Further details: Please note this event is now fully booked.
For further information please contact Dr Gill Haddow: gill.haddow@ed.ac.uk

back