Heald, L: The Diffusion of Genetic Technologies

The human genome enjoys considerable stature in society, both in terms of potential health benefits and in solving complex social problems. While respect for genetic research is obvious, people are still leery about some of the more controversial techniques. The purpose of this research is to assess the support for and the diffusion of three genetic technologies: genetic testing, gene therapy and cloning. Utilizing diffusion theory, I test the impact of personal characteristics (gender, race, education levels, political philosophy and information resources) on support for the technologies. However, we do not form opinions or decide to support technologies devoid of the social world we live in, so I include four social influences as well: knowledge and awareness levels, access to medical data, industry regulation and the social importance people place on genetics. These social influences strongly impact support for and the potential diffusion of genetic technologies.