ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Reading through all these postings made me smile thinking about interview 
data from teens where the "white lab coat" idea of a scientist didn't match 
the particular science they were exploring. The "lab coat" idea conveys 
experimental chemistry or physics to people--and the processes of sciences 
such a astronomy and archaeology take place in rather different settings. 
Science is done is many settings and in many modes of dress. It made me 
think of a recent encounter:  I was standing outside a museum when the Geek 
Squad came to fix a server. There were two guys in black pants, white 
shirts, and ties, and when I call out "It's the Geek Squad to the rescue!" 
they had so much fun with it. We took our picture with them! That is such a 
great example of using a sterotype to communicate and make something work.

Wouldn't it be fun to do a science theater or even a flash game (with a 
humorous approach) to expand people's ideas about the settings in which 
scientisits to their work and how they dress?  I think the "fashion sense" 
of field archaeologist in a warm climate is great fun--hard-toed shoes and 
sox, shorts, hats and a water bottle. Each area of science really does have 
a culture and the dress code--partly functional and partly tribal-- is part 
of it.

My question, for the day is: What is the dress code of different disciplines 
of science?

Any sharp-eyed ethnologists out there?

Cheers,

Carey

Carey E. Tisdal
Tisdal Consulting
4475 West Pine Blvd., #1705
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-531-9766
Cell: 314-496-9097
Email: [log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]