Regular readers of this blog know that I periodically muse on the question of why there aren’t more women in science. But since I’m not, say, an anthropologist, my musings have been rooted mostly in my own experience and the experiences of people I know.
Well, the Summer 2006 issue of Washington Square, San Jose State University‘s alumni magazine, has an article — including interviews of an anthropologist and a sociologist — entitled “A difficult crossing: Obstacles that keep women from science” (pdf). Some evocative anthropological insight from that article after the jump.
Category Archives: Women and science
Anonymity, openness, safety, and responsibility.
This week, the National Review Online’s media blogger revealed the secret identity of dKos blogger Armando, who says that this unwanted decloaking probably means he will no longer blog.
While I’m not heavy into the political end of the blogosphere (until someone can provide me with more than 24 hours per day), Armando’s story resonates with me because one of my favorite science bloggers, BotanicalGirl, had to stop blogging when members of her department became aware of her blog. So I’ve been thinking a lot about blogging anonymously versus blogging under one’s own name, not just in terms of the costs and benefits for the blogger, but also in terms of what the readers are getting out of (or reading into) the blog.
Let my people (let themselves) go.
Blogging has been light because grading has been heavy. But Chad has a post that started me to thinking. (Danger! Danger!) And, since he has stated his desire to avoid a flamewar at this time, it seems only fair that I do that thinking over here so his space can be unscorched.
The question at hand, initially posed by Scott Aaronson, is whether there might be a shortage of women in science because women are more prone to be “repelled by nerd culture” than men.
Science and sexism.
It’s Blog Against Sexism Day.
There are those inclined to think that sexism is no longer an issue in science. Yes, it’s horrible that in the past women were kept from pursuing science and barred from science jobs. But now, the doors are wide open and anyone who wants to can be a scientist.
Things are surely better than they used to be. But it is not yet the case that a woman’s entry to science is just as easy and unproblematic as a man’s.