SCIENCE INCLUSIVE |
All our
science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -
and yet it is the most precious thing we have. -
Albert Einstein
So it's time the precious child grew up with both mom and dad - Diane Wilcox
NEW: Slides from Presentation to Grade 11 students for Eskom "Take a girl child to work" programme, 2006 - [pdf]
On women, minorities and stereotypes in science
by Diane Wilcox
[2003 (edited in 2004)]
This piece is an elementary introduction to the ongoing discussion on why certain parts of society underrepresented in mathematics and the sciences [generally and in South Africa]. It also addresses some of the surprises which I encountered like the 'body check' and comments like, "if women find maths difficult, then why waste the extra effort to encourage them to build careers round the subject" or "you do not have to worry about getting a job, you will get married" (paraphrasing remarks of fellow students). Hopefully, it will be useful to other students.
Physiological constraints on women
Not long ago a scientist was considered to be a rare and remarkable investigator, separate from ordinary people. Discovery and knowledge was for reserved for a special few (who also happened to be male 99.9% of the time).
Things have changed a bit. We are all naturally curious about why things are the way they are. Today more people are investigating phenomena in rational way than ever before. This is good news, even for those not actively involved. Science touches all aspects of our material lives. Big telescopes are part of a just one scientific frontier. Every scientific domain comes with lots of interesting stuff to work on. And simple experiments with things and ideas are still as precious as ever.
Young researchers should know of the challenges which they may face so that they can dispense with them rationally rather than take things personally.
The 2nd half of the 20th century saw an dramatic growth in the number of young scientists participating as graduate student researchers.
Young scientists develop their skills and ideas under mentors and with colleagues. The likes of Einstein and Newton were not exceptions. Culture includes the passing on of ideas, customary behaviour and common knowledge. Historically, some people were (and many still are) excluded from a framework to pass on the love and interest in science.
At research level, it is moreover the case that information on scientific ideas is often exchanged during social or recreational events (outside of "official channels"). Being part of a minority may exclude one from obtaining useful information.
Hence, it is clear that, whatever the motivation, any programme which aims to include all parts of society and to educate its successive generations, must be sure to nurture and mentor young talent. At graduate level, filling up quotas without forward-looking mentoring is a waste of precious resources. Equivalently, young scientists need to know that they have much to offer and should seek advice whenever necessary.
The systematic disempowerment of the African populous by colonial powers and notorious apartheid policies are well known. Under the desegregation of institutions, the reversal of effects is only possible (with care) over generations. On the policies of the Nazi education system, a German once professor said: If one destroys a power plant, it is dark at once, but if one destroys the Universities, it is dark fifty years hence.
But problems invite solutions. Good science loves new challenges!
An innocent (or not so innocent) remark in a group may upset a newcomer; a female student in isolation may be intimidated by frequent shows of bravado amongst her male peers. In her book, Baby Hunger, by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, the author cites an example of a female student whose lecturer slipped in slides of naked women to the delight of his otherwise male-only class.
More recently, Stephen Hawkings made the tabloid news by visiting a "gentleman's" club (also referred to as a strippers lounge) called Stringfellows. Presumably this was a play on the phrase String Theory which refers to an area of research about the building blocks of matter and the universe. It is not clear how his actions (as a sponsored icon) encourage female participation in that area of research.
Then there is the 'body-check'. Young women may find it uncomfortable to be scrutinised in this way by new colleagues as they begin their progress as graduate students.
The emergence of women as research leaders is still in it's infancy (in the sense percentage representation). When considering this, one should recall that legislated obstacles were done away with recently (for some; for many women such laws and customs are still intact today).
Married women in Britain were not allowed to own anything till1888 (neither property nor ideas in the form of patents).
In 1893 New Zealand became the country to grant full voting rights to women; Australia gave women the right to vote in national elections in 1902; Sweden granted women full suffrage in 1921 and in Britain women won full voting rights until 1928.
Women were not awarded degrees at Cambridge University (UK) till 1948
Right until the 1950's women in USA (the leading country with respect to scientific output for the 20th century) were excluded from access to either lectures, libraries or laboratories at several of that countries leading institutions.
After many hundreds of years, scientific institutions and society at large are slow to change; it is usually easier to maintain existing norms. Moreover, it is still the case that career decisions and milestones favour the biology of males rather than females. Limited gains made in the area of female fertility are often exaggerated (see for example Baby Hunger, by Sylvia Ann Hewlett) and it is still the case that women cannot postpone maternity till too late into their working lives. While there are more professional women in the workplace today, a far greater percentage of female professionals who have children, relinquish their career progress to spend more time with the family, compared to the small percentage of males who do so. This is a particular problem in jobs which demand extended hours of work.
Physiological constraints on women
It was only in the last 150 years that the basic hygiene for safe childbirth became more widely recognised. It was ony in 1879 that Pasteur identified streptococcus as the main course of puerperal fever which persisted as a leading cause of high rates of maternal mortality right up until the mid 1930's. In the 1960's the advent of the oral contraceptives (the pill) gave women greater control over their reproductive function and the era was hailed as one of 'sexual liberation'. In the evolution of social custom, the protection and choice which young women enjoy today are very recent developments. And this is still not universal across all parts of human society.
Scientific activity has exploded in the last century and in recent years many women have enjoyed more freedom than ever before. In all, our sciences are still young, but finally they are starting to be led by both men and women.
TO BE ADDED : some data/statistics relevant to the above
this page was last updated December 2004