592
Views
98
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Zones of Expertise and the Management of Uncertainty in Genetics Risk Communication

Pages 139-171 | Published online: 14 Jun 2010
 

Abstract

In the context of risk communication in genetic counseling, there appears to be a tension between clients seeking an authoritative, definitive risk assessment and the geneticist-expert actively defining the boundaries of his or her (in)expertise through formulation of uncertainty that is such a feature of genetic disorders. In the process of demarcating his or her zone of expertise, he or she defers to the judgment of other medical colleagues with expertise in "adjacent" areas. Our claim is that the genetic counselor delineates his or her (in)expertise through a systematic deployment of a range of modalized discourse strategies (e.g., contrast and hedging) while claiming authority in a limited knowledge field. At the broader professional level, this is motivated in part by the limits to professional knowledge and in part by the desire to maintain a "nondirective" (i.e., neutral) stance. Our analysis focuses on the expert formulation of uncertainty in a single counseling session around 4 strategic moments: (a) display of specialist knowledge, (b) pronouncement of considered judgment, (c) response to clients' volunteered information, and (d) maintenance of a nondirective stance in the face of explicit advice seeking by clients.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.