Word: beckwiths
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Joining George Wald, Higgins Professor of Biology, in opposing the proposed research at Harvard's Biology Laboratories were several members of the Boston chapter of SftP: Jonathan R. Beckwith '57, professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Richard C. Lewontin '50, Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Steven Chorover, professor of Psychiatry at MIT, and Jonathan King, associate professor of Biology...
...SftP as an organization that were responsible for ending the controversial screening of male babies for the XYY chromosome pattern at the Boston Lying-in Hospital, which is associated with Harvard. Here too, they say, SftP's efforts may have had an effect far beyond the local level: Beckwith says that a recent survey by the Children's Defense Fund found that similar screening programs have been ended nationwide...
...Beckwith and others say SftP's political analyses of the issues are rarely reported adequately in the media, who also, according to some members of SftP, seem to have a "dangerous antagonism" toward reporting the SftP affiliation of prominent scientists in the organization, even though members often make it explicit that they are speaking for the collective and not as individuals...
...Beckwith says the press finds it boring to report the theoretical context of the issues, and that it is just more interesting to write about what the "big names" are doing, rather than reporting the activities of an organization hard to understand. Another theory proffered is that capitalist society actively trains people to see things in terms of individuals rather than in social forces...
SftP members are sensitive about interpretations that the calmer relationship with AAAS indicates a new moderation in SftP's view of the American scientific establishment. Beckwith says that it is really the AAAS that has changed. Many social issues that could not be discussed in previous years were even raised by the AAAS this time, he says...