Retooling the Imagination

Abstract

In the previous chapters, I have tried to analyse the transformation of genetics as a group of complex conceptual shifts, scaffolded by images and imagination, rather than as a succession of scientific discoveries. Popular images of genetics are not created by either social or professional groups, but evolve from the continuous interaction between these groups in the realm of culture. In order to discern the shaping and reshaping of images in popular gene stories, I proposed the metaphor of the theatre. Viewing genetics as a theatre of representation enabled me to distinguish three analytical layers: the layer of performance, i.e. the debate in which various images of genetics are put forth; the layer of production which helps understand how professional groups mediate the production of images, while demarcating and contesting each other’s authority and responsibility; and the cultural subtext that forms the backdrop for various shifting images and imaginations. This analysis helped us examine the intricate process of knowledge dissemination.