Biological Citizenship

Abstract

The concept of biological citizenship was introduced in the early 2000s to denote new forms of subjectivation and collective action on the basis of shared biological traits. Biomedical information opens up new opportunities for collectivization and biosociality and subsequently allows for collectively claiming rights, access to social welfare, and other forms of public support. Biological citizenship emphasizes the importance of patients’ associations, disease advocacy organizations, and self-help groups that are giving rise to new forms of public participation and involvement in the political and public domain. The focus is on the extension of rights, the emergence of new possibilities of participation, the empowerment of the individual, and the choice-enhancing options of the new genetics. However, there is also a negative side to biological citizenship with the potential for exclusion and restriction of citizenship rights based on biological traits. This entry introduces the concept of biological citizenship and discusses its merits and potential issues.