Impossibly Perfect: The Pressures to Become Better Humans
Will stem cell therapies someday be used to bioengineer “designer” babies? And what’s happening to teen girls who face a “triple bind” to be caring, competitive, and flawless? Hear two provocative viewpoints — one rooted in the ethics of reproductive technologies, the other in psychology — that explore culture’s immense pressures in shaping who we are and pushing us toward perfection.
Program for all events
6–7 p.m. — Reception with light refreshments and no-host bar
7–8:30 p.m. — Faculty perspectives and audience Q&A
Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Questions: 888.UNIV.CAL (888.864.8225)
Speakers
Charis Thompson, associate professor of gender and women’s studies, is an expert on the ethics of reproductive technologies and stem cell research. Her last book, Making Parents, won the 2007 Rachel Carson Award from the Society for Social Studies of Science. She also received Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award in Social Sciences last year. Her newest book is Good Science.
Stephen Hinshaw, professor and chair of the psychology department, is internationally recognized for his work on troubled children. The California State Psychological Association awarded him this year for his distinguished contributions. He is editor of Psychological Bulletin, the most cited journal in general psychology, and his latest book is The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures.
