Gender and Science in War and Peace

The conference will be co-hosted by the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas of Tel-Aviv University, and the Program in Biological Thought of the Open University of Israel.

Gender and Science in War and Peace will explore the multilayered relations of gender and science, technology, and medicine (STM) in war and peace. A vast historical scholarship exists on gender and STM, yet historians have under-analyzed contexts associated with war and peacetime (itself defined in relation to war). Across historical periods a great number of scientists and engineers were actively engaged in peace efforts; science was directly linked to military ends; medicine served the aftermath of devastating wars; and technological innovations benefited from military funding. But what role did gender play? We prompt scholars to consider the ways in which STM during times of war and peace have been gendered, not only with an emphasis on the role of women’s participation but also on gender modes of participation in an array of activities related to the binary of war and peace.

Local Organizers:

The Commission on Women and Gender in History of Science, Technology and Medicine: