title: Genetic Counseling, Professional Values, and Habitus: An Analysis of Disability Narratives in Textbooks.
abstract: This article analyzes narrative illustrations in genetic counseling textbooks as a way of understanding professional habitus--the dispositions that motivate professional behavior. In particular, this analysis shows that there are significant differences in how the textbooks' expository and narrative portions represent Down syndrome, genetic counseling practice, and patient behaviors. While the narrative portions of the text position the genetic counseling profession as working in service to the values of genetic medicine, the expository portions represent genetic counselors as neutral parties. Ultimately, this article argues that this ambiguity is harmful to the production of a professional habitus that is consistent with espoused professional values concerning respect for persons with disabilities and the promotion of psychosocial counseling.
authors.affiliation: Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Rd, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA. reeda@rowan.edu.
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012945:Social Values; D013782:Textbooks as Topic
keywords: Down syndrome; Genetic counseling; Narrative; Prenatal testing