Working with Care: Narratives of Invisible Women Scientists Practicing Forensic Genetics in Colombia (2014)
Tania Pérez-Bustos (Author)
Olarte Sierra, María Fernanda (Author)
Adriana Díaz del Castillo H. (Author)
Pages: 67-83
In this paper we focus on the case of women geneticists working in the field of forensic genetics in Colombia. 1 These scientists, who contribute to the identification of victims of the armed conflict in the country and in civil or criminal cases, as well as in the adjudication of paternity, are usually trained as microbiologists or bacteriologists, scientific fields that have been largely feminized in the country. 2 We argue that this feminization situates the scientific practice of these geneticists within a paradox, as they are simultaneously admired and respected by the general public — due to their work in identifying victims — and yet, as women scientists, are invisible in the media. Furthermore, the practice of forensic genetics — regardless of whether it is performed by women or men — has traditionally been undervalued vis- à -vis academic genetic research, with those working in the field regarded by their scientific peers as mere technicians.
...MoreBook Marcos Cueto; Eden Medina; Ivan da Costa Marques; Christina Holmes (2014) Beyond Imported Magic: Essays on Science, Technology, and Society in Latin America.
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