Dorothy Nelkin
Dorothy Nelkin | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1933 Boston, United States |
| Died | May 28, 2003 (aged 69) Manhattan, United States |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Known for | Relationship between science and society |
| Awards | John Desmond Bernal Prize (1988) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Sociology |
| Institutions | Cornell University New York University |
Dorothy Wolfers Nelkin (July 30, 1933 – May 28, 2003) was an American sociologist of science most noted for her work researching and chronicling interplay between science, technology and the general public. Her work often highlighted the ramifications of unchecked scientific advances and potential threats to privacy and civil liberties. She was the author or co-author of 26 books, including Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology, The Molecular Gaze: Art in the Genetic Age, and Body Bazaar: The Market for Human Tissue in the Biotechnology Age.
Nelkin served on governmental and other advisory boards such as the National Center for Science Education, the United States Human Genome Project, and the Society for Social Studies of Science. Nelkin also wrote about creation science and, in 1981, testified for the plaintiffs in McLean v. Arkansas. Nelkin often addressed the legal community, political leaders, and the general public on issues concerning science studies, bioethics, and the public assessment of science and technology.