ABSTRACT

This collection reviews developments in DNA profiling across jurisdictions with a focus on scientific and technological developments as well as their political, ethical, and socio-legal aspects. Written by leading scholars in the fields of social studies of forensic science, science and technology studies and socio-legal studies, the book provides state-of-the-art analyses of forensic DNA practices in a diverse range of jurisdictions, new and emerging forensic genetics technologies and issues of legitimacy.

The work articulates the various forms of technolegal politics involved in the everyday, standardised and emerging practices of forensic genetics and engages with the most recent scholarly and policy literature. In analyses of empirical cases, and by taking into account the most recent technolegal developments, the book explores what it means to live in a world that is increasingly governed through anticipatory crime control and its related risk management and bio-surveillance mechanisms, which intervene with and produce political and legal subjectivities through human bodies in their DNA.

This volume is an invaluable resource for those working in the areas of social studies of forensic science, science and technology studies, socio-legal studies, sociology, anthropology, ethics, law, politics and international relations.

part |20 pages

Introduction

part I|69 pages

DNA profiling and database governance

chapter 2|15 pages

Technolegal worlds in an armed conflict

The forensic making of victims in Colombia*

chapter 3|18 pages

Travelling promises

Forensic DNA databases in Brazil's technolegal setting

chapter 5|18 pages

Legislating forensic genetics in South Africa

Science, justice and the occlusion of race in postapartheid DNA databasing

part II|53 pages

New and emerging innovations and applications

chapter 6|18 pages

From promise to practice

Anticipatory work and the adoption of massive parallel sequencing in forensics

chapter 7|16 pages

Deliberating forensic genetics innovations

The case of rapid DNA technologies in England and Wales

chapter 8|17 pages

Emerging forensic genetic technologies

Contested anticipations of legitimation, caution and social situatedness

part III|89 pages

Issues of legitimacy

chapter 9|18 pages

Systemic (mis)trust in technolegal worlds

Three key trust relationships in forensic genetics

chapter 10|18 pages

Why is DNA not enough?

The multiple temporalities of family reunification in Finland

chapter 12|16 pages

The stakes of forensic phenotypic profiling

Can solidarity help?

part |10 pages

Epilogue

chapter 14|8 pages

Technolegal policies and practices

Studying the past, present and future of forensic genetics