About the Book
This book considers screening policies for sickle cell and thalassemia. It asks what types of ethnicity information are relevant for health professionals to ask as part of this screening and why. Through extensive use of interview material, the book draws upon the experiences of sickle cell and thalassemia counsellors who have been at the forefront of understanding in this area. The book:
? Demonstrates how screening in a multi-ethnic society benefits from a better understanding of 'race', the meanings of concepts such as ethnicity and racialization, and the relation of race to cultural competency.
? Shows how learning from best practice for screening could be a model for developing cultural competency across all types of health care provision.
? Clarifies, through the use of the biologically-grounded exemplar of sickle cell and thalassemia, debates of 'race' and ethnicity for those working in social sciences.
? Listens to the voices of experience and validates the hitherto unacknowledged achievements of professional women from minority ethnic groups.