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Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities
PURPOSE: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic ancestry companies have rapidly increased in popularity, with top testing services maintaining genetic databases of several million consumers. While genetic ancestry tests are often characterized as recreational, companies invoke deeply personal concepts of...
Autores principales: | , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
2019
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6642857/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30662065 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41436-018-0429-2 |
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author | Walajahi, Hina Wilson, David R. Hull, Sara Chandros |
author_facet | Walajahi, Hina Wilson, David R. Hull, Sara Chandros |
author_sort | Walajahi, Hina |
collection | PubMed |
description | PURPOSE: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic ancestry companies have rapidly increased in popularity, with top testing services maintaining genetic databases of several million consumers. While genetic ancestry tests are often characterized as recreational, companies invoke deeply personal concepts of individual identity, group membership, and kinship when marketing their services. In particular, many companies claim to be able to determine Native American heritage, claims that are not supported by the state of the science and may have significant cultural and political consequences for U.S. tribal communities. This study aims to fill the gaps in empirical work on this issue and characterize how genetic ancestry companies articulate indigenous identity through their marketing strategies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of the public facing websites for 25 DTC genetic ancestry companies that offer services measuring Native American ancestry. RESULTS: Our findings describe how genetic ancestry companies promote a causal relationship between genetics and self-identity through marketing language such as “Discover Yourself” and “Are you Native American?” and how this implicates U.S. tribal communities. CONCLUSION: Genetic ancestry company claims regarding genetic ancestry, personal identity, and cultural membership are problematic and challenge how U.S. tribal nations currently identify and create potential obstacles for tribal sovereignty. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-6642857 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2019 |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-66428572019-08-07 Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities Walajahi, Hina Wilson, David R. Hull, Sara Chandros Genet Med Article PURPOSE: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic ancestry companies have rapidly increased in popularity, with top testing services maintaining genetic databases of several million consumers. While genetic ancestry tests are often characterized as recreational, companies invoke deeply personal concepts of individual identity, group membership, and kinship when marketing their services. In particular, many companies claim to be able to determine Native American heritage, claims that are not supported by the state of the science and may have significant cultural and political consequences for U.S. tribal communities. This study aims to fill the gaps in empirical work on this issue and characterize how genetic ancestry companies articulate indigenous identity through their marketing strategies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of the public facing websites for 25 DTC genetic ancestry companies that offer services measuring Native American ancestry. RESULTS: Our findings describe how genetic ancestry companies promote a causal relationship between genetics and self-identity through marketing language such as “Discover Yourself” and “Are you Native American?” and how this implicates U.S. tribal communities. CONCLUSION: Genetic ancestry company claims regarding genetic ancestry, personal identity, and cultural membership are problematic and challenge how U.S. tribal nations currently identify and create potential obstacles for tribal sovereignty. 2019-01-21 2019-08 /pmc/articles/PMC6642857/ /pubmed/30662065 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41436-018-0429-2 Text en http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/license.html#terms Users may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use:http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/license.html#terms |
spellingShingle | Article Walajahi, Hina Wilson, David R. Hull, Sara Chandros Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title | Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title_full | Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title_fullStr | Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title_full_unstemmed | Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title_short | Constructing Identities: The Implications of DTC Ancestry Testing for Tribal Communities |
title_sort | constructing identities: the implications of dtc ancestry testing for tribal communities |
topic | Article |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6642857/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30662065 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41436-018-0429-2 |
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