Following technologies, understanding governance: A bio-moralities approach to emerging reproductive genetic technologies

This chapter introduces the concept of biomoralities. Our argument builds on three research perspectives developed in studies of the governance of reproductive genetic testing: a first one that sheds light on how biomedical technologies govern life, a second one that explored how state authorities govern technologies, and a more recent third one that drew attention to the significance of informal authorities in technological governance. Building on these perspectives, the concept of biomoralities invites scholars to follow emerging biomedical technologies to sites where the technologies are developed, used, and problematized, and to examine the often competing biomoralities at work in these spaces. By shedding light on how different actors understand human nature and appropriate governance measures, and exploring how these competing understandings relate, we can better understand why governance takes particular configurations in contemporary healthcare.