Abstract
In this paper, we attempt to elucidate a "public" that has emerged in response to the work of the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC)-an expert body appointed by the Singapore Government-that culminated in the publication of two reports relating to stem cell science and technology. We follow Annelise Riles in explicating a recursive form from which both the "public" and stem cell science and technology draw reference in their co-production. In this regard, we borrow Sheila Jasanoff's terminology of "civic epistemology" in explicating this form, with focus on the practices institutionalised in the BAC and the ways in which knowledge claims are presented, tested and put to use in the public domain. We further attempt to provide an analysis of particular ethical constructs (such as "embryo" and "egg") that have emerged. In so doing, we illustrate the development and refinement of a "civic epistemology" since 2001 whilst setting out the current ethical landscape in Singapore.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7-29 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | East Asian Science, Technology and Society |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgements W Calvin Ho and Benjamin Capps would like to express their gratitude to Professor Terence Tai and Associate Professor Wenmay Rei for their immaculate hospitality, introducing them to the vibrant scholarship in Taiwan and their very helpful comments on this paper. They are grateful for the travel grant that was generously provided by the National Science Commission, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. The authors would also like to thank Dr Kevin Chien-Chang Wu for his comments on the initial draft of this paper.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- General Social Sciences