Academic

On Gender and Science

By Ann Bartow

Echidne has a great post here unpacking the sexism infusing this article which argues that women just “self select” away from science. Below is an excerpt (but go read the whole thing):

… To see what stinks in all this, let us take a step backwards, away from this particular article and into the wider field of science politics about gender. All comfortable now? Sit back and notice that the debate about women and numbers has its rough mirror image: the debate about boys’ trouble at school. Do you notice anything different in those two big stories? Do you happen to notice, say, that we never read someone writing that maybe boys just self-select away from education? Maybe they are not just interested in staying at school or in going to college? I don’t recall ever reading a single article like that. Nope, all the articles I’ve read about the topic have as their goal a greater success rate for boys. Boys must be educated! Nobody suggests that they might choose not be educated and that we should honor that free and democratic choice.

But when it comes to girls and science, the story immediately changes. Perhaps it’s girls themselves who choose not to become scientists? Perhaps that’s Just How Things Are? …

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on May 20, 2008 (boomark / email).