Biomedicine, Genetics and Disability: reflections on nursing and a philosophy of holism

Abstract

This article critically explores the notion of those sociopolitical spaces that are ‘disability’, ‘holism’ and ‘genetics’, arguing from the perspectives of someone who identifies as having a disability. Medical genetics is seen to reflect the ideology and dominant biomedical reductionist thought. In contrast with this, it is proposed that disability and health are inherently social. A nursing approach is seen to recognize the social and holistic nature of the human person and to present a critical reflection on the reductionistic applications of medical genetics.