Users and uses of the biopolitics of consent: a study of DNA banks.

Pascal Ducournau (1) , Anne Cambon-Thomsen (2)

1 LISST - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Solidarités, Sociétés, Territoires
2 LEASP - Epidémiologie et Analyses en Santé Publique : risques, maladies chroniques et handicap

In this chapter we intend to examine from a sociological perspective the view of a number of participants in a biobank project on the informed consent procedure they were asked to go through. Having carried out observations, conducted interviews and collected questionnaires as part of an empirical survey, we have concluded that a number of participants feel somewhat suspicious where the procedure is concerned. At least they express caution on its ability to actually serve their autonomy and freedom of choice. As they attempt to detect its potentially perverse effects in terms of power asymmetry and the consequences of diverse responsibilities being devolved to them, their perception of it is far from idealized even if they do not contest it radically. This circumambulatory tour of the users' point of view, which will prove useful to improve communication with the general public, can also be of help in understanding how the contemporary evolutions of biopolitics are perceived.

Mots clés: Sociologie; ADN; biopolitiques; banque d'ADN; consentement

Domaines: Sociologie

Pascal Ducournau, Anne Cambon-Thomsen. Users and uses of the biopolitics of consent: a study of DNA banks.. The Ethics of Research Biobanking, Springer US, p. 33-48, 2009. ⟨halshs-00490789⟩