Compiled by Diana Temple
Professor Evelyn Fox Keller visited Australia in August, primarily as the Templeton Lecturer arranged by Sydney University's Centre for Human Aspects of Science and Technology.
Since Evelyn Fox Keller has a world reputation as a scholar and writer on the relation between science and gender, WISENET co-sponsored one of several additional lectures during her visit. She addressed a select audience of supporters from History and Philosophy of Science, Women's Studies and WISENET on the topic 'Developmental Biology - a Feminist Cause' (on Sydney's coldest August night for thirty years).
She spoke of the significance of gender and science, explaining that for feminists gender is a social category rather than synonymous with sex as seen by biologists. Societal beliefs about gender affect all aspects of life and of science, and women, she says, must not be excluded from science by social labels as in the past.
She discussed changes in developmental biology, friction between embryology and genetics and how gender impinges in these subjects. Early feminists provided awareness of the implications of gender and metaphors in science.
A review of Evelyn Fox Keller's Templeton Lecture at Sydney University is reprinted on page 4.
Letters were sent as follows:
A reply was received from the National Science and Technology Programs Branch explaining that the draft response to the Committee's report was being revised to reflect changes resulting from the new government's policies.
The reply from Senator Jocelyn Newman indicated she is investigating methods the government can use to consult most effectively with women. Meanwhile the Round Table Conferences are continuing (see report on next page).
The 1996 AGM for WISENET Inc was held on 16 June in the Conference Room of CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics on the campus of Macquarie University. It was facilitated by Carrie Bengston, attended by 19 members and there were 8 apologies.
After the main business meeting, members were addressed by Dr Carolyn Mountford, Executive Director of the Magnetic Resonance Research Institute of the University of Sydney, whose topic was 'Pathology in the Year 2000'. An article describing Carolyn Mountford's work appears on page 6 in this issue of WISENET Journal.
Reports were presented by Diana Temple, Jean Hollis Weber and Sarah Miller on WISENET Activities, the WISENET Journal, and Finances respectively (see pages 13-15).