Rights statement: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in New Genetics and Society on 09/05/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14636778.2017.1320943
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Spitting images
T2 - remaking saliva as a promissory substance
AU - Kragh-Furbo, Mette
AU - Tutton, Richard
N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in New Genetics and Society on 09/05/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14636778.2017.1320943
PY - 2017/6
Y1 - 2017/6
N2 - Of the bodily substances in which STS scholars, anthropologists, sociologists, and medical historians have been interested, saliva has arguably been overlooked. Yet, in the past twenty years, saliva has become important to the development of consumer genetic tests. Historically, expectoration has been associated with the spread of disease and social indecency, but when the personal genomics company 23andMe began hosting spit parties in 2007, the act of spitting was transformed into an act of self-empowerment through which the individual gained new health information and saliva turned into a new biological source for measuring health and illness. Attending to saliva’s social meanings over time, and by analysing 23andMe “unboxing” YouTube videos, we argue that saliva has become a promissory substance whose place is no longer reserved only for the inner spaces of the body, but circulates outside the body, forming an important part of the contemporary bioeconomy.
AB - Of the bodily substances in which STS scholars, anthropologists, sociologists, and medical historians have been interested, saliva has arguably been overlooked. Yet, in the past twenty years, saliva has become important to the development of consumer genetic tests. Historically, expectoration has been associated with the spread of disease and social indecency, but when the personal genomics company 23andMe began hosting spit parties in 2007, the act of spitting was transformed into an act of self-empowerment through which the individual gained new health information and saliva turned into a new biological source for measuring health and illness. Attending to saliva’s social meanings over time, and by analysing 23andMe “unboxing” YouTube videos, we argue that saliva has become a promissory substance whose place is no longer reserved only for the inner spaces of the body, but circulates outside the body, forming an important part of the contemporary bioeconomy.
KW - biocapital
KW - biovalue
KW - bodily commodification
KW - personal genomics
KW - saliva
U2 - 10.1080/14636778.2017.1320943
DO - 10.1080/14636778.2017.1320943
M3 - Journal article
VL - 36
SP - 159
EP - 185
JO - New Genetics and Society
JF - New Genetics and Society
SN - 1463-6778
IS - 2
ER -