This book is a comprehensive empirically-grounded exploration of the relationship between
bioethics culture and the perspective of being affected. It provides a new outlook on how
complex bioethical issues become questions of everyday life. The authors focus on two contexts
genetic testing and end-of-life care to locate and demonstrate emerging themes of
responsibility such as self-responsibility responsibility for kin and the responsibility of
society. Within these themes the duty to know versus the right not to know one's genetic fate
(in the context of genetic testing) or the sanctity of life versus self-determination (in the
context of end of life care) are identified as culturally embedded dilemmas that are very much
relevant for lay persons. Furthermore cultural factors such as religion history utopian and
dystopian views of biomedical technologies outlooks on the body and on health illness and
citizenship are examined. Health issues are increasingly becoming a question of assessing risk
and responsibility: How can we better prepare ourselves for the future? We all make such
assessments in a way that combines personal inclinations professional recommendations and
cultural framings. There is still much to be learned about the interplay between these three
dimensions.
