DOCSLIB.ORG

Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness BBBEEEYYYOOONNNDDD TTTHHHEEERRRAAAPPPYYY BEYOND THERAPY BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS A Report of The President’s Council on Bioethics Washington, D.C. October 2003 www.bioethics.gov v CONTENTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE PRESIDENT xi MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS xv COUNCIL STAFF AND CONSULTANTS xvii PREFACE xix 1 BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 1 I. THE GOLDEN AGE: ENTHUSIASM AND CONCERN 4 II. THE CASE FOR PUBLIC ATTENTION 7 III. DEFINING THE TOPIC 10 IV. ENDS AND MEANS 11 V. THE LIMITATIONS OF THE “THERAPY VS. ENHANCEMENT” DISTINCTION 13 VI. BEYOND NATURAL LIMITS: DREAMS OF PERFECTION AND HAPPINESS 16 VII. STRUCTURE OF THE INQUIRY: THE PRIMACY OF HUMAN ASPIRATIONS 20 VIII. METHOD AND SPIRIT 21 ENDNOTES 24 2 BETTER CHILDREN 25 I. IMPROVING NATIVE POWERS: GENETIC KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY 28 A. AN OVERVIEW 28 B. TECHNICAL POSSIBILITIES 30 1. Prenatal Diagnosis and Screening Out. 32 2. Genetic Engineering of Desired Traits (“Fixing Up”). 35 3. Selecting Embryos for Desired Traits (“Choosing In”). 38 C. ETHICAL ANALYSIS 42 1. Benefits. 44 vi CONTENTS 2. Questions of Safety. 45 3. Questions of Equality. 49 4. Consequences for Families and Society. 51 II. CHOOSING SEX OF CHILDREN 55 A. ENDS AND MEANS 57 B. PRELIMINARY ETHICAL ANALYSIS 59 C. THE LIMITS OF LIBERTY 64 D. THE MEANING OF SEXUALITY AND PROCREATION 66 III. IMPROVING CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR: PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS 69 A. BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION IN CHILDREN USING STIMULANTS 72 1. What Are Stimulant Drugs? 75 2. Behaviors Inviting Improvement through Stimulant Drugs. 77 3. The “Universal Enhancer.” 81 B. ETHICAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS 83 1. Safety First. 84 2. Rearing Children: The Human Context. 85 3. Social Control and Conformity. 86 4. Moral Education and Medicalization. 89 5. The Meaning of Performance. 90 IV. CONCLUSION: THE MEANING OF CHILDHOOD 92 APPENDIX: DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ATTENTION-DEFICIT/ HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER 93 ENDNOTES 96 3 SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE 99 I. THE MEANING OF “SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE” 100 II. SPORT AND THE SUPERIOR ATHLETE 104 A. WHY SPORT? 104 B. THE SUPERIOR ATHLETE 105 C. DIFFERENT WAYS OF ENHANCING PERFORMANCE 106 1. Better Equipment. 107 2. Better Training. 108 3. Better Native Powers. 108 III. MUSCLE ENHANCEMENT THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGY 109 A. MUSCLES AND THEIR MEANINGS 109 B. MUSCLE CELL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 111 C. OPPORTUNITIES AND TECHNIQUES FOR MUSCLE ENHANCEMENT 113 CONTENTS vii IV. ETHICAL ANALYSIS 121 A. HOW IS BIOTECHNICAL ENHANCEMENT DIFFERENT? 122 B. FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY 129 C. COERCION AND SOCIAL PRESSURE 133 D. ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS: HEALTH, BALANCE, AND THE WHOLE OF LIFE 135 E. THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN ACTIVITY 138 1. The Meaning of Competition. 139 2. The Relationship between Doer and Deed. 141 3. Acts of Humans, Human Acts: Harmony of Mind and Body. 143 F. SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND THE GOOD SOCIETY 149 ENDNOTES 155 4 AGELESS BODIES 157 I. THE MEANING OF “AGELESS BODIES” 158 II. BASIC TERMS AND CONCEPTS 161 III. SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND 166 A. TARGETING SPECIFIC DEFICIENCIES OF OLD AGE 166 1. Muscle Enhancement. 166 2. Memory Enhancement. 167 B. GENERAL (BODY-WIDE) AGE-RETARDATION 170 1. Caloric Restriction. 171 2. Genetic Manipulations. 172 3. Prevention of Oxidative Damage. 175 4. Methods of Treating the Ailments of the Aged That Might Affect Age-Retardation. 176 a. Hormone treatments 176 b. Telomere research 177 IV. ETHICAL ISSUES 179 A. EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL 181 1. Greater Freedom from Constraints of Time. 184 2. Commitment and Engagement. 185 3. Aspiration and Urgency. 185 4. Renewal and Children. 186 5. Attitudes toward Death and Mortality. 188 6. The Meaning of the Life Cycle. 189 B. EFFECTS ON SOCIETY 190 1. Generations and Families. 191 2. Innovation, Change, and Renewal. 193 3. The Aging of Society. 194 V. CONCLUSION 195 ENDNOTES 200 viii CONTENTS 5 HAPPY SOULS 203 I. WHAT ARE “HAPPY SOULS”? 208 II. MEMORY AND HAPPINESS 212 A. GOOD MEMORIES AND BAD 216 B. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEMORY ALTERATION 219 C. MEMORY-BLUNTING: ETHICAL ANALYSIS 223 1. Remembering Fitly and Truly. 226 2. The Obligation to Remember. 228 3. Memory and Moral Responsibility. 229 4. The Soul of Memory, The Remembering Soul. 231 III. MOOD AND HAPPINESS 232 A. MOOD-IMPROVEMENT THROUGH DRUGS 237 1. Mood-Brightening Agents: An Overview. 238 2. Biological and Experiential Effects of SSRIs. 240 B. ETHICAL ANALYSIS 249 1. Living Truly. 250 2. Fitting Sensibilities and Human Attachments. 253 3. What Sorrow Teaches, What Discontent Provokes. 255 4. Medicalization of Self-Understanding. 258 5. The Roots of Human Flourishing. 261 6. The Happy Self and the Good Society. 263 IV. CONCLUSION 266 ENDNOTES 269 6 “BEYOND THERAPY”: GENERAL REFLECTIONS 273 I. THE BIG PICTURE 273 II. FAMILIAR SOURCES OF CONCERN 277 A. HEALTH: ISSUES OF SAFETY AND BODILY HARM 277 B. UNFAIRNESS 278 C. EQUALITY OF ACCESS 279 D. LIBERTY: ISSUES OF FREEDOM AND COERCION, OVERT AND SUBTLE 281 III. ESSENTIAL SOURCES OF CONCERN 284 A. HUBRIS OR HUMILITY: RESPECT FOR “THE GIVEN” 285 B. “UNNATURAL” MEANS: THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN ACTIVITY 288 C. IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY 291 D. PARTIAL ENDS, FULL FLOURISHING 293 CONTENTS ix IV. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AMERICAN SOCIETY 299 A. COMMERCE, REGULATION, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF DESIRE 301 B. MEDICINE, MEDICALIZATION, AND A STANCE “BEYOND THERAPY” 303 C. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AMERICAN IDEALS 306 ENDNOTES 309 BIBLIOGRAPHY 311 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE PRESIDENT The President’s Council on Bioethics October 15, 2003 The President The White House Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: I am pleased to present to you Beyond Therapy: Biotech- nology and the Pursuit of Happiness, a report of the Presi- dent’s Council on Bioethics. The product of more than sixteen months of research, re- flection, and deliberation, we hope this report will prove a worthy contribution to public understanding of the impor- tant questions it considers. In it, we have sought to live up to the charge you gave us when you created this Council, namely, “to undertake fundamental inquiry into the human and moral significance of developments in biomedical and behavioral science and technology” and “to facilitate a greater understanding of bioethical issues.” Biotechnology offers exciting and promising prospects for healing the sick and relieving the suffering. But exactly because of their impressive powers to alter the workings of body and mind, the “dual uses” of the same technologies make them attractive also to people who are not sick but who would use them to look younger, perform better, feel happier, or become more “perfect.” These applications of biotechnology are already presenting us with some unfamil- iar and very difficult challenges. In this report, we consider such possible “beyond therapy” uses, and explore both xii BEYOND THERAPY their scientific basis and the ethical and social issues they are likely to raise. We have structured our inquiry around the desires and goals of human beings, rather than around the technologies they employ, the better to keep the important ethical ques- tions before us. In a quartet of four central chapters, we consider how pursuing the goals of better children, superior performance, ageless bodies, or happy souls might be aided or hindered, elevated or degraded, by seeking them through a wide variety of technological means. Among the biotechnical powers considered are tech- niques for screening genes and testing embryos, choosing sex of children, modifying the behavior of children, aug- menting muscle size and strength, enhancing athletic per- formance, slowing senescence, blunting painful memories, brightening mood, and altering basic temperaments. In a concluding chapter, we consider together the several “be- yond therapy” uses of these technologies, in order to ask what kinds of human beings and what sort of society we might be creating in the coming age of biotechnology. On the optimistic view, the emerging picture is one of unmitigated progress and improvement. It envisions a soci- ety in which more and more people are able to realize the American dream of liberty, prosperity, and justice for all. It is a nation whose citizens are longer-lived, more competent, better accomplished, more productive, and happier than human beings have ever been before. It is a world in which many more human beings—biologically better-equipped, aided by performance-enhancers, liberated from the con- straints of nature and fortune—can live lives of achieve- ment, contentment, and high self-esteem, come what may. But there are reasons to wonder whether life will really be better if we turn to biotechnology to fulfill our deepest human desires. There is an old expression: to a man armed with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To a society armed with biotechnology, the activities of human life may seem more amenable to improvement than they really are. Or we may imagine ourselves wiser than we really are. Or we may get more easily what we asked for only to realize it is much less than what we really wanted. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE PRESIDENT xiii We want better children—but not by turning procreation into manufacture or by altering their brains to gain them an edge over their peers. We want to perform better in the ac- tivities of life—but not by becoming mere creatures of our chemists or by turning ourselves into tools designed to win or achieve in inhuman ways. We want longer lives—but not at the cost of living carelessly or shallowly with diminished aspiration for living well, and not by becoming people so obsessed with our own longevity that we care little about the next generations. We want to be happy—but not be- cause of a drug that gives us happy feelings without the real loves, attachments, and achievements that are essen- tial for true human flourishing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lovers and Friends; Or Modern Attachments
    Author: Anne Julia Kemble Hatton Title: Lovers and Friends; or, Modern Attachments Place of publication: London Publisher: Printed at the Minerva Press for A. K. Newman and Co. Date of publication: 1821 Edition: 1st ed. Number of volumes: 5 LOVERS AND FRIENDS. A NOVEL. Printed by J. Darling, Leadenhall-street London. LOVERS AND FRIENDS; OR, MODERN ATTACHMENTS. A NOVEL. IN FIVE VOLUMES. BY ANNE OF SWANSEA, AUTHOR OF CONVICTION, GONZALO DE BALDIVIA, CHRONICLES OF AN ILLUSTRIOUS HOUSE, SECRET AVENGERS, SECRETS IN EVERY MANSION, CAMBRIAN PICTURES, CESARIO ROSALBA, &c.&c. “I hold a mirror up for men to see How bad they are, how good they ought to be.” VOL. 1. LONDON: Printed at the Minerva Press for A.K. NEWMAN AND CO. LEADENHALLSTREET. 1821. INSCRIPTION. WITH SINCERE ADMIRATION OF HIS MUSICAL GENIUS, AND THE MOST PERFECT RESPECT FOR HIS HONOURABLE CHARACTER, THESE VOLUMES ARE INSCRIBED TO JOHN EMDIN, ESQ. BY HIS OBLIGED FRIEND AND DEVOTED SERVANT, ANN OF SWANSEA. College-street, Swansea, July 10, 1820. PREFACE. KING Solomon, the very wisest of all wise sages, past, present, and to come, declared, in his day, there was nothing new under the sun: how then can the weak brain of a modern author (ye sons and daughters of fire-eyed Genius, be not, I beseech you, offended; I only mean weak, when compared with the brain of king Solomon) pretend to lead the fastidious critic through paths untrodden before, or present to his lynx-like sight sentiments and incidents unheard of either in prose or verse? The difficulty of twisting, twining, and winding together, three or four volumes, of sufficient interest to attract public attention, is labour that requires an ingenuity few have genius enough to accomplish, and affords a weighty reason why prefaces are growing out of fashion; for an author finds his inventive faculties spun as thin as a cobweb in supplying the requisite number of pages for his story, without wasting his metaphors, sublimity, and brilliance, on a preface.
    [Show full text]
  • Eros, Storge, Phileo, and Agape
    Eros, Storge, Phileo, and Agape INTRODUCTION II. Storge Love is ambiguous in the English language. A. This is natural affection—family, kin, the There is “Strawberry Shortcake Love.” We love humblest of loves. We love each other simply cats, dogs, and ice cream. This is trite and with- because we are of the family. B. It is negative in Romans 1:31 and 2 Timothy out depth or permanence. There is “Aunt Minnie 3:3, used regarding homosexuals. Love” which is reserved for “special” people C. It is used in withdrawal in 2 Timothy 3:14, 15. who are sweet and lovable. Sometimes it is con- Withdrawal is not excommunication, put- descending. There is “Bowling Team Love” for ting one out of the church. It is what it says, “buddies” in a reciprocal way. Moderns do not withdrawal of fellowship. zero in on “Tough Love.” So there is a Greek word study. However, the III. Phileo Bible is not learned in a seminary; it is learned A. This is tender affection and brotherly love. out on the street with people in local work. (Philadelphia is the city of “brotherly love.”) Footnotes will not preach. Also, the Bible must B. However, sometimes we make too clear a not be reduced to word studies. You can get so distinction between phileo and agape. Be care- ful. There are surprises. Read Titus 2:3, 4; far out on a limb looking at a leaf you forget the Romans 12:9, 10; 1 Corinthians 16:22; He- tree. Word studies can be helpful, but they can brews 13:1; John 16:27; and 1 Peter 1:22.
    [Show full text]
  • Marriage in Christ Seminar Follow up Gatherings
    Marriage in Christ Seminar Follow Up Gatherings 1 Contents Simple Instructions ......................................................................................................................... 3 Ordinary life in Christ: “It’s about the little things.” ...................................................................... 4 Protecting Unity by Negotiating Differences ................................................................................. 5 Thinking the Best: Part One ............................................................................................................ 7 Thinking the Best, Part Two ........................................................................................................... 8 The Story of Mother Gerda ............................................................................................................. 9 2 Simple Instructions Schedule about 1 – 1½ hours Gathering Opening prayer Food and conversation o Simple, e.g., potluck, dessert and coffee, wine and cheese, simple brunch, etc. o Sharing about how things have gone for the past several weeks. Share bright spots Highlights of the last week or two Changes that have occurred over time Break into discussion groups o Read the discussion topic (topics can be found on the alumni page of the website) o Discuss the questions Get back together o When do we want to meet next? o Agree to keep praying, talking and acting in your marriages Final Prayer 3 Ordinary life in Christ: “It’s about the little things.” As God's chosen ones,
    [Show full text]
  • Plutarch on the Role of Eros in a Marriage
    1 2 3 4 Plutarch on the Role of Eros in a Marriage 5 6 Jeffrey Beneker 7 8 Plutarch’s thinking on marital relationships has attracted a significant amount 9 of interest in recent years and has been approached from a variety of 10 perspectives. Some scholars have studied the societal aspect of marriage in 11 Plutarch’s works, raising questions about the role of women in the household, 12 in the community, and especially in their interactions with men, and therefore 13 they have tended to address larger social issues, such as gender, sexuality, and 14 equality.1 Others have taken a philosophical tack and have examined Plutarch’s 15 writing, especially as it concerns the nature and value of marriage, in terms of 16 the broader philosophical traditions to which it is related.2 However, my focus 17 in this paper is much more narrow. I intend to explore one particular 18 component of the marital relationship itself: the erotic connection that exists, 19 or might exist, between a husband and wife. Looking first to the Moralia and 20 the dialogue Amatorius, I will argue that Plutarch describes the eros shared 21 between a married couple as an essential prerequisite for the development of 22 philia and virtue. Then, turning to the Lives, I will demonstrate how the ideas 23 found in the Amatorius are fundamental to Plutarch’s representation of 24 marriage in the biographies of Brutus and Pompey. 25 In the Amatorius, Plutarch, who is himself the principal speaker, touches on 26 a variety of topics related to eros, but the discussion itself is motivated by a 27 single event: the wealthy widow Ismenodora has expressed her desire to marry 28 the ephebe Bacchon, who comes from a family of lower social standing.
    [Show full text]
  • From Romantic Jealousy to Sympathetic Joy: Monogamy, Polyamory, and Beyond Jorge N
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by California Institute of Integral Studies libraries Digital Commons @ CIIS International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive 2019 From Romantic Jealousy to Sympathetic Joy: Monogamy, Polyamory, and Beyond Jorge N. Ferrer Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/advance-archive Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Philosophy Commons, Religion Commons, and the Transpersonal Psychology Commons From Romantic Jealousy to Sympathetic Joy: Monogamy, Polyamory, and Beyond Jorge N. Ferrer. Cailornia Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco, CA, USA This paper explores how the extension of contemplative qualities to intimate relationships can transform human sexual/emotional responses and relationship choices. The paper reviews contemporary findings from the field of evolutionary psychology on the twin origins of jealousy and monogamy, argues for the possibility to transform jealousy into sympathetic joy (or compersion), addresses the common objections against polyamory (or nonmonogamy), and challenges the culturally prevalent belief that the only spiritually correct sexual options are either celibacy or (lifelong or serial) monogamy. To conclude, it is suggested that the cultivation of sympathetic joy in intimate bonds can pave the way to overcome the problematic dichotomy between monogamy and polyamory, grounding individuals in a radical openness to the dynamic unfolding of life
    [Show full text]
  • Johnson Production Group Press Kit
    Johnson Production Group Press Kit One-Liner When a struggling housewife poses as a potential buyer to help her boss close real estate transactions, she discovers her boss will do anything to close a deal - even murder. Synopsis Shelby Adams and her husband, Grant, struggled to get by. They had a hard time paying the rent on their house and keeping up with the bills in today’s economy. Something had to be done and Shelby was the one that took the initiative. Getting her real estate license, Shelby wanted to make money while Grant’s indecisions and insecurities caused friction between them. He had a low paying job and was resigned that it would be his lot in life. They were feeling the strain on their relationship. However, everything changed when Paulette entered their lives. Paulette was a successful realtor that claimed she saw something in Shelby that she admired. She offered Shelby a job to assist Paulette with her real estate ventures. It would be the opportunity Shelby had been waiting for. Yet Paulette’s business practices seemed unconventional. She had Shelby pretend to be potential buyer to pressure sales. She also had Shelby pretend to be expert on mold in order to claim there were no problems with a property. Shelby was wary but Paulette always had an answer. There was always an excuse. Paulette was good at manipulating people - including Shelby. After all, Paulette had a dream project she wanted to do and wanted Shelby to be part of it. Paulette had a financial backer and all she needed was time to put the deal together.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Science-Based Bioethics?
    Science-based Bioethics Ch. 1 Introduction Loike & Fischbach Chapter One What is Science-based Bioethics? Introduction Each year, biotechnology bravely ventures into unexplored scientific territory. The year 2016 was no exception: The number of scientific breakthroughs that emerged during this year is overwhelming with gene editing (CRISPR) technologies, gene drives to eliminate harmful mosquitos, and synthetic DNA topping the list. As will be discussed in Chapter Eight, scientists have developed ingenious methods to edit the DNA code of the human genome in cells, embryos, and human beings. Equally astonishing are the reports of two new synthetic DNA bases that have been synthesized. Applying this synthetic biology technology, scientists have expanded the DNA code from 4 to 6 base pairs (Malyshev et al., 2014). Yet, the real dangers of gene editing, synthetic biology, and the creation of a synthetic human genome remain unknown, raising the question whether humankind is dramatically overstepping innate ethical boundaries. In May of 2016, a closed door meeting convened to discuss the issue of constructing an entire human genome in a cell line, a project prospectively titled ‘HGP-Write: Testing Large Synthetic Genomes in Cells’. As the New York Times reports, the meeting was invite-only and “The nearly 150 attendees were told not to contact the news media or to post on Twitter during the meeting.” In the past year, neuroscience research has led to countless innovations as well. Selected examples include: a) stem cell and genetic technologies to enhance the cognition and learning potential of mice, b) brain rejuvenation of older mice to their youthful plasticity with stem cell technologies, c) artificial intelligence in human-like robots (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0_DPi0PmF0 for a dramatic video about human-like robots), and d) genetically modified bacteria that can function as biological circuits.
    [Show full text]
  • December 6, 2019 | Volume XVII, Issue 14
    December 6, 2019 | Volume XVII, Issue 14 oped an eclectic collection of music that understanding. Joining the chorus in his promotes justice, peace, and the cele- new position as accompanist is Christo- Holiday Choral Extravaganzas bration of life,” says Gillham, who helms pher Schroeder. Sweep aside the crass consumerism, in song during the holidays. If you hav- the ensemble celebrating 35 years in The Baltimore Men’s Chorus (Bal- mindless bustle, canned Christmas “mu- en’t heard them, now’s the perfect time! 2020. “We sing music in a wide variety timoremenschorus.org), also celebrating zak,” and family tensions often rising Baltimore’s New Wave Singers of styles, languages, and traditions each 35 years, will present two winter concerts to a pitch, and there’s one authentical- (Newwavesingers.org) – which bills it- year. Through songs of hope, diversity, featuring – dig the gallantry! – music by ly good thing about self as “Maryland’s gay, les- inclusion, and humor, we celebrate all women composers and arrangers. the holidays – how it New Wave Singers bian, bisexual, transgender, of humanity in its infinite variations and The first performance of “Women’s brings together peo- and straight mixed chorus, challenge our communities to embrace Works” is Saturday, December 14th at ple in song. Even if and Baltimore Men’s welcoming members of all equality, harmony, and —continued on page 4 spontaneous neigh- genders, identities, and sex- borhood wassailing is Chorus whip up ualities” – will present its hard to come by now seasonal song winter concerts Saturday De- (who wants to get cember 7th at 7 pm at Epiph- busted for public drinking?), hundreds of any Episcopal Church (2216 Pot Spring millions around the world look to choral Road, Timonium) and Sunday, Decem- forces this time of year to embody ide- ber 8th, 4 pm, at Grace United Methodist als of camaraderie in pursuit of beauty, Church (5407 North Charles Street, Bal- concord, and maybe even a spark of the timore).
    [Show full text]
  • Values of Happiness: Toward an Anthropology of Purpose in Life
    Values of Happiness Toward an Anthropology of Purpose in Life Edited by Iza Kavedžija and Harry Walker Afterword by Joel Robbins VALUES OF HAP P INESS Hau BOOKS Executive Editor Giovanni da Col Managing Editor Sean M. Dowdy Editorial Board Anne-Christine Taylor Carlos Fausto Danilyn Rutherford Ilana Gershon Jason Troop Joel Robbins Jonathan Parry Michael Lempert Stephan Palmié www.haubooks.com VALUES OF HAP P INESS TOWARD AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF PURPOSE IN LIFE Special Issues in Ethnographic Teory Series Edited by Iza Kavedžija and Harry Walker Hau Books Chicago © 2016 Hau Books Hau Books Special Issues in Ethnographic Teory Series (Volume 2) Te HAU Books Special Issues in Ethnographic Teory Series prints paperback versions of pathbreaking collections, previously published in HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Teory. Cover and layout design: Sheehan Moore Cover Photo © Skye Hohmann Typesetting: Prepress Plus (www.prepressplus.in) ISBN: 978-0-9861325-7-5 LCCN: 2016959208 Hau Books Chicago Distribution Center 11030 S. Langley Chicago, IL 60628 www.haubooks.com Hau Books is marketed and distributed by Te University of Chicago Press. www.press.uchicago.edu Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. Table of Contents List of Contributors vii introduction Values of happiness Harry Walker and Iza Kavedžija 1 chapter one Ambivalent happiness and virtuous sufering C. Jason Troop 29 chapter two Being careful what you wish for: Te case of happiness in China Charles Staford 59 chapter three Te good life in balance: Insights from aging Japan
    [Show full text]
  • Arts and Social Sciences Journal
    Schwartz, Arts Social Sci J 2016, 7:4 Arts and Social Sciences Journal http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2151-6200.1000201 Research Article Open Access Lesbian 's Representation Evolution in Mainstream Media Schwartz M* Department of sociology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania *Corresponding author: Schwartz M, Department of sociology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Tel: +972542222040; E-mail: [email protected] Received date: June 09, 2016; Accepted date: July 01, 2016; Published date: July 07, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Schwartz M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract This article aims to show the integration of Lesbians in a western context through all types of mainstream media such as film, prime-time television shows and Internet based web series. These aims were followed by means of a research conducted on exploring Lesbians' evolution from niche margins and stereotypes into modern mainstream media, by shattering the “Butch & Femme” distribution patterns, negative and prejudice stigmas while showing the advancement of modern society with regard to this issue. Most researchers found in this area focus on the gay male media influences and not on female. Researches that do focus on the female issue focus on traditional culture in women’s genre, such as: soap operas, novels, women’s journals and female studies. Thus, a gap in knowledge exists regarding the evolution of lesbian character’s evolution representation in the various media. The study used a mixed research methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods.
    [Show full text]
  • 2000 Highlights
    from the 2000 Annual Report HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR The research and education programs at the Laboratory continue their strong momentum. The Watson School of Biological Sciences recruited its second class of students this year, and the DNA Learning Center underwent extensive renovations that will further its educa- tional objectives. The Meetings and Courses program and Banbury Center continue to be invaluable resources for scientific information, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press added new projects and properties to its long list of titles. In this, the year of the Human Genome, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory was a bustling center of scientific activity. Research Cancer Malignant melanoma is an aggressive, deadly cancer that does not respond to conventional chemotherapy. Other aggressive, chemoresistant can- cers—and approximately half of all cancers—are characterized by muta- tions in the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Malignant melanomas, however, do not typically display mutations in the p53 gene. To explore alternative explanations for the origins and properties of malignant melanoma, and to identify potential targets and strategies for therapy, Scott Lowe and his colleagues have examined the status of other genes known to function downstream from p53 in a pathway leading to Scott Lowe “apoptosis” or “programmed cell death.” When intact, this pathway rids the body of abnormal, precancerous cells by triggering a cellular self-destruct mechanism. When this pathway is disrupted (by the loss of p53 function, for example), precancerous cells sur- vive and proliferate, resulting in cancer. This year, Scott and postdoctoral fellow Marisol Soengas found that malignant melanomas often lose a key trigger of programmed cell death, a protein called Apaf-1 (apop- tosis activation factor-1).
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Extreme As Cult Cinema: the Transnational Appeal of Excess and Otherness Jessica Anne Hughes BA English and Film Studies
    Asian Extreme as Cult Cinema: The Transnational Appeal of Excess and Otherness Jessica Anne Hughes BA English and Film Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University MA Film Studies, University of British Columbia A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2016 School of Communications and Arts Hughes 2 Abstract This thesis investigates the way Western audiences respond to portrayals of excess and otherness in Japanese Extreme cinema. It explores the way a recent (2006-2016) cycle of Japanese Splatter (J-Splatter) films, including The Machine Girl (Noboru Iguchi, 2008) and Tokyo Gore Police (Yoshihiro Nishimura, 2008), have been positioned as cult due to their over-the-top representations of violence and stereotypes of Japanese culture. Phenomenological research and personal interviews interrogate Western encounters with J-Splatter films at niche film festivals and on DVD and various online platforms through independent distributors. I argue that these films are marketed to particular Western cult audiences using vocabulary and images that highlight the exotic nature of globally recognised Japanese cultural symbols such as schoolgirls and geisha. This thesis analyses J-Splatter’s transnational, cosmopolitan appeal using an approach informed by the work of Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton, Matt Hills, Henry Jenkins, and Iain Robert Smith, who read the relationship between Western audiences and international cult cinema as positive and meaningful cultural interactions, demonstrating a desire to engage in more global experiences. The chapters in this thesis use textual analysis of J-Splatter films and case studies of North American and Australian film festivals and distribution companies, which include interviews with festival directors and distributors, to analyse the nature of the appeal of J- Splatter to Western audiences.
    [Show full text]