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Technology and Health

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Abstract

This chapter begins from the starting point that technology and the social world are co-constituted. It addresses several lively areas of technological development in medicine. The chapter begins by examining the complicated and highly mediated way Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images are produced. It then discusses the dramatic increase in genetic testing and genetic screening. It considers the concept of ‘somatic individuality’ and recent developments in genomics. A case study is discussed of the growing transnational reproductive market and the rapid growth of gestational surrogacy in India. Finally, the chapter turns to the new health and well-being apps created for mobile phones that apparently ‘empower’ health consumers. The chapter concludes that new health technologies have and will be co-constituted along with new forms of contemporary sociality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Kevin Dew & Allison Kirkman

  2. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

    Anne Scott

Authors
  1. Kevin Dew
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  2. Anne Scott
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  3. Allison Kirkman
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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Dew, K., Scott, A., Kirkman, A. (2016). Technology and Health. In: Social, Political and Cultural Dimensions of Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31508-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31508-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31506-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31508-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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