Researcher Summary
Rosemary Du Plessis has long term interests in gender, family, work and embodiment. She has edited two collections of feminist writing and contributed to a variety of studies relating to women's paid and unpaid work. Between 2003 and 2005 she led the Constructive Conversations/ Korero Whakaaetanga research programme which focused on genetic testing and biobanking. This multi-disciplinary, multi-sited research programme explored the social, cultural, ethical and spiritual implications of new health biotechnologies. Her involvement in research relating to public participation in debates about new technologies is a component of a long term interest in citizenship, inclusion and the development of public policy. She was a member of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO 2004-9. During 2009 and 2010 she worked part-time for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as Theme Editor for 'Social Connections' - a set of entries Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. These entries include information about families, community organisations, religion, health and crime as well as inequalities associated with ethnicity, gender and class. After the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence, she became involved in research with the National Council of Women on women's experiences of the Canterbury quakes - Women's Voices - Nga Reo o Nga Wahine. Outputs from this research (oral history interviews, interview summaries and reports) are available on UC CEISMIC.
