Interview Request: EUROTAST Ancestry Study

From EUROTAST PhD fellow, Sara Abel:

I am a PhD student in history and sociology, and I am looking to get in contact with people of African descent who have taken a DNA ancestry test, in order to discuss their experiences of genetic testing and the impact it had on their life.

The study consists of a single 45-60 minute interview, either in person or via Skype, in which you will be asked some basic questions about your background (age, hometown, profession), followed by a series of questions about your motivations for taking a DNA ancestry test, your expectations before receiving the results, your reaction to the actual results, and the impact the testing experience has had upon your personal life. Finally, you will be asked some general questions about your opinions about societal views on ancestry and origins, and about the nature of identity in America today. You will not be asked for any sensitive personal data, and you will have the choice to remain anonymous in the write-up of the study.

By taking part in the study, you will be contributing to our understanding of the impact that commercial ancestry testing is having upon our notions of identity, ethnicity and kinship in society today, and in particular upon African descendant communities in different parts of the Americas.

This project is part of an international research network called EUROTAST, which is using novel techniques to shed new light on the history and social legacies of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, as well as on the lifestyles and origins of African people who were displaced during this period.

If you are interested in taking part in the study, or if you would like some more information on the project, please email me at , with ‘EUROTAST ancestry study’ as the subject. Thank you!”