Note: We hope the following is the first in a series of proposals for sessions for the 1999 meeting in Mexico! ------------ Forwarded Message begins here ------------ From: "peter j. taylor" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 13:51:00 -0500 "Genes, Gestation, and Life Experiences: Perspectives on the Social Environment in the Age of DNA" Call for papers for a session proposed for the July 1999 ISHPPSB meetings. Everyone "knows" that genes and environment interact, but, in this Age of DNA, genetics is often seen as the way to expose the important or root causes of behavior and disease and as the necessary basis of effective therapeutic technologies. The dominance of genetics is also reflected within STS. Critical light has been shed on the history, semantic complexity, ethics and other dimensions of genetics, yet very little STS scholarship concerns the sciences of, for example, educational interventions or psychological development. In general, the "environment" is underexamined and construed in simple terms. Nevertheless, several scientific currents are bringing the environment, in different variants, back into the picture. In evolutionary biology, a great deal of attention is now given to the plasticity of phenotypes across a range of environments. Developmental biology, filling the gap between genes and the characters they shape, is experiencing a rennaissance. Although the field still focuses mainly on embryological or early development, the influence of the environment is now acknowledged even for those stages. Behavioral genetics, once firmly directed towards establishing the heritability of traits, now highlights the effects of "non-shared" environmental influences, i.e., those not experienced equally by members of the same family. Among such non-shared influences, Sulloway has argued that birth order may be a key factor in explaining conformity to or rebellion against authority in intellectual and other spheres of social life. In short, the stage is set for STS scholars to examine the complexities of the "environment." What meanings are given to the term, and how have these changed over time and in response to criticism? What is measured and what is explained? What methodologies are employed for collecting data and making inferences? What is the status of the different sciences and social sciences involved? How are these colored by past and present associations with political currents? With these questions in mind, this session aims to enrich scientific and popular discussion about the contribution of the environment to the development of behavioral and medical conditions over any individual's lifetime. If you are interested in contributing a paper to this session -- or know someone who might be -- please contact: Peter J. Taylor Lang Visiting Professor for Social Change Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA phone: 610-690-6858 (o); 328-8663 (fax) email: [log in to unmask] ------------ Forwarded Message ends here ------------ ** Christian C. Young ** ** History of Science and General Science ** ** Mount Angel Seminary ** ** [log in to unmask] ** ** http://www.teleport.com/~young **