ABSTRACT

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA tests that trace ancestral heritage are a popular way for U.S. Americans to discover information about their ethnic history. To address this phenomenon, we analyze interviews with 32 test-takers, examining the role of DTC DNA testing in the ongoing communicative construction and negotiation of ethnic identity. Our thematic analysis revealed four communicative strategies enacted by participants as they made sense of their results: (dis)trusting science, quantifying ethnic ancestry, using jokes and humor, and evoking Americanism. We demonstrate how participants’ strategic communication functions to (re)inscribe societal discourses related to ethnicity, race, and racism, including discourses around homogeneity, Americanism, whiteness, and the geneticization of ethnicity.

摘要

追溯祖先遗产的直接面向消费者 (DTC) 的 DNA 测试是美国美国人发现有关其种族历史信息的一种流行方式。为了解决这一现象，我们分析了对 32 名应试者的访谈，研究了 DTC DNA 测试在正在进行的交际建构和民族身份协商中的作用。我们的主题分析揭示了参与者在理解结果时采用的四种交流策略：（不）信任科学、量化种族血统、使用笑话和幽默，以及唤起美国主义。我们展示了参与者的战略沟通如何发挥作用（重新）记录与种族、种族和种族主义相关的社会话语，包括围绕同质性、美国主义、白人和种族遗传化的话语。