PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

**Abstract**
Gene technologies are developing at a high speed. Yet, the understandings and ethical conceptions about these developments are not sufficiently scrutinized and reflected. Our qualitative analysis examines everyday myths of younger generations about genome editing; these contribute to a complex fabric of rationally and intuitively justified opinions on genome editing. We argue that current thought patterns and social ways of thinking co-constitute the everyday myths. On the basis of group discussions with teenagers and students about genome editing, we reconstruct their topical views of humanity, the world, science and technology, value orientations, fears, hopes, and desires that are connected to genome editing. Our focus is on everyday myths about health and nature (particularly the nature–culture dichotomy) as well as their implications for social developments in the times of genome editing. Among these developments feared by the young generations are first and foremost conceptions regarding population density, environmental destruction, family relationships, normalization processes, and nature as a fundamental normative authority. The juveniles and students also reflect abstract ideals, e.g., perfection and health, within their contexts, and demystify these ideals.