ABSTRACT
We are living in the century of the gene.1 This is a period of considerable change in the world of genetic science and of efforts to refigure life (Keller 1995). As the new genetics transforms traditional sectors, from food, crops and livestock to industrial and medical products and their associated practices, frequently posed questions about risks and responsibilities, the boundaries between nature and culture, knowledge production and ownership are also being reframed. Underlying the various discussions and debates associated with these developments in
genomics are questions about what is at stake, who defines the stakes and how these stakes are represented. This chapter explores several terrains in the landscape of stakeholder research in genomics and biotechnology. It will critically examine the concept of ‘stakeholder’ and notions of representation. Two streams of representational activities will be discussed: speaking of through representations as portrayals and speaking for through various activities around delegation or voice.
