Topics+for+Paper+3

** The Century of the Gene ** ** DUE THURSDAY, May 5 in class ** ** EMAIL AND HARD COPY ** Write a 3-5 page paper (typed, double-spaced) on ONE of the following topics. Your paper will be evaluated on mechanics (spelling, grammar, overall structural soundness) as well as content. You do not have to have “the answer” to everything; a well-framed, detailed essay that explores possible answers to a question (or questions) can be just as strong as a forcefully argued position. In any case, your essay should be grounded in the readings, lectures, and discussions, using the course materials for quotes and more general substantiation and enrichment to your arguments and/or questions. A simple parenthetical reference – e.g., (Paul, 92) – will suffice for any readings from the syllabus, which you cite; if you cite anything else (and you don’t need to), please give the full reference at the end as well. 1. Review (or continue one if you already started) Mawer’s // Mendel’s Dwarf //. Who are the characters that Mawer has created, and why are they interesting? Can you pick out some of the themes or ideas that you think will be interesting to see developed in the remainder of the book? What are some of the techniques used by Mawer in his novel, and what are their effects? What kind of picture do you get of genetics and geneticists? 2. Review Evelyn Fox Keller’s // The Century of the Gene //. How would you summarize the book’s message? What are the major themes, in your view? What’s different about it (if anything) from the way we’ve covered “the century of the gene” in this course? 3. Summarize and respond to the article by Rayna Rapp on “Refusing Prenatal Diagnosis.” Why is it important, in Rapp’s view, to understand genetic testing and counseling in anthropological terms? How would you summarize the roles that economics, gender, religion, and other factors play in the decision to take or refuse a genetic test? Did this article lead to any new understandings of genetics and genetic technology for you? What do you think of Rapp’s term “moral pioneers”? 4. Summarize and respond to the article by Taussig, Rapp, and Heath on “Flexible Eugenics.” What do they mean by this term? What kinds of material do they use to support their claims? Pick one or two terms which may be new to you – “normalization,” “contested identities,” “biosociality,” and others – and discuss their meanings, as well as if you think they are useful or not. Do the authors have a particular point of view – such as, do they think genetic testing is good or bad? Can you draw any connections between this article and Simon Mawer’s novel? 5. Formulate a question of your own and respond to it. Your essay will still need to be grounded in the readings, making use of quotes and detail as necessary for fine-grained historical analysis.
 * Topics for Paper #3 **