A Plan On How To Stop Sexism In Science

StartsWithABang writes: If there's nothing else that science has to offer, it's this elegant notion: that anyone, anywhere, at anytime, can investigate and uncover the mysteries and workings of the Universe simply by asking it the right questions in the right ways, listening to its answers, and putting the pieces together for themselves. Anyone can do it. Only, for various and sundry reasons, not everyone gets to do it. Some people don't have the economic ability, some don't have the sustained drive or interest, and some simply can't cut the mustard. But some people — some really, really good people — are driven from their passions for a sad, simple and completely unnecessary fact: that they were treated in unacceptable ways that they refused to just accept. And in a great many cases, that unacceptable treatment came simply because of their gender. Sexism sometimes looks like what you expect, and sometimes not. Here's one opinion on what we can all do about it to create the world we really want: where science really is for everyone.

Comments

Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

For gods sake, this again!

Re:Again?

[NotDrWho]

I love how the headline and summary just unquestioningly accepts the premise that there is sexism in science and that something MUST be done about it--all based on the single data point that there are more men in STEM than women.

If an unbalanced gender ratio is all you need to prove sexism, then doesn't it follow that the Nursing and Elementary Education fields are even MORE sexist than STEM (and even more in need of attention)?

Re:Again?

[mrex]

If nursing and elementary education paid the same as STEM

Ah! Maybe now we're getting somewhere.

Go on, ask me if I got into computers in the 1980s because my crystal ball predicted the dot com boom. I'd dearly like to give my seven year old self the credit for being some Warren Buffet Baby, anticipating the growth of the internet.

It's not true, though. I didn't get into my STEM career for money. I got into it because of passion. And that (along with grace and luck) is what I attribute my success to: I love what I do. Nobody and nothing was going to keep me away from computers, from the thing I loved. Not even the inability of my parents to afford anything but outdated second-hand computers. Certainly not by something as trivial as glancing at my ass as I walked out the door.

Show me a doctor who is a doctor for the money, and I will show you a doctor who isn't as good as another doctor who does the same job for the love of craft. The same thing holds true with woodworkers, sculptors, chefs, or convenience store clerks.

If you're trying to get or be involved with a STEM field, and you aren't experiencing the success that you see others experiencing, maybe it isn't because of some deep-rooted gender bias creeping into every person with whom you interact. Maybe it's because you're in it for the wrong reasons.

Re:Again?

[silentcoder]

Actually a LOT of people talk about that, its one of the most common topics of conversation... among feminists. I'm a member of a feminist group on facebook (many men are feminists too) - though I mostly prefer to just lurk - and that's one of the things female feminists talk about the most. The urgency of giving male rape victims the same support - because the lack of support for male rape victims come from the SAME patriarchal sexist ideas that punish female rape victims and the unjustness of a court system that assumes women to be more nurturing - a role any feminist will protest having foisted on her. Some women are very nurturing. Some men are very nurturing. Custody cases ought to be determined SOLELY based on the individuals concerned with no regard for their genders - THAT is the feminist position loud spoken by them ALL THE TIME.
And child support should be paid by the higher earning parent - that this is mostly a man is a consequence of that paygap I bet your about to deny exists.

How do stop sexism in science?

[Charcharodon]

Don't let feminists in?

Re:How do stop sexism in science?

[gweihir]

That is a possibility. The women scientists I talked to about this have had experience in Western and Eastern Europe and the US. The field may also make a difference. Here it is EE and CS on master and PhD-level. Both fields are starved of good graduates and that may also play a role.

Still, blanket claims about "sexism in science" need to actually apply to most or all of the sciences in many or most geographical areas and they must come with supporting evidence. I see nothing of that here, and hence I suspect power-politics, not an actual problem. That would also fit the completely nonsensical "science is for everyone" statement, which is very, very far from the truth, but sounds good and is frequently used in areas where actually everybody is affected. A transparent attempt at emotional manipulation that falls flat on its face.

What I have encountered though was a small number of women that expected preferential treatment and got upset when they did not receive it. These were all at the low end of the skill-range. It is possibly that when faced with that, some scientists get unprofessional and say sexist things. That would be effect, not cause. And it would be reacting to sexism with sexism, which is not smart, but a heat of the moment thing, not a systematic problem.

Come to think of, I have heard some sexism from fellow students. I distinctively remember the statement (paraphrased) "These delicate ladies do not want to work hard.". That was from a female student that did work hard and had a very dim view of those trying to use their female charms to get by. (No, said student did look entirely fine, it was not an envy-thing at all, just disdain.)

Lets all stop pretending

[Anonymous Coward]

That feminism is still all about equality of opportunity, and acknowledge that it in fact about equality of outcome, regardless of merit or ability.

Re: Lets all stop pretending

[Anonymous Coward]

More and more I suspect feminism is a hate movement, eager to destroy all things masculine.

The Nerd Shaming Will Continue Until Morale Improv

[Anonymous Coward]

There is only one way to stop sexism in science. Nerds must be shamed, harshly and often.

Nerd must be shamed:
- for being male;
- for being white;
- for being cisgendered;
- for being american;
- for being educated;
- for being tech saavy;
- for playing video games;
- for playing tabletop games;
- for reading sci-fi;
- for being sighted;
- for having two hands;
- for not getting out enough;
- for getting out enough;
- for having parents;
- for not posting trigger warnings;
- for voting Republican;
- for voting Democrat;
- for voting;
- for not voting;
- etc

Nerds must be shamed for all these and more. Constantly. It is only by breaking the collective morale and free spirit of the Internet generation that we can hope to instill the true sense of camaraderie and globalism that the tech industry needs to grow and profit in the post-digital age. Positive change is only possible through negative reinforcement. You can lead a horse to water, but he must be beaten into drinking it.

Nerds will never become tolerant or accepting on their own. They cannot be saved, and their zealous adherence to outdated concepts of equality, meritocracy, and free speech are holding tech companies back. Shaming is best way of gentling this disgusting race of geeks who currently dominate tech. We must rip open their cozy-caves of childish solice, their fortresses of nerdy solitude, and all their conventions and creative workplaces, and there smear the disinfecting lights of inter-sectionalism, sexual politics, and identity politics all over their protesting bodies, minds, and souls until they have no more energy to resist. Only then will tech be finally free from rape culture.

Re:Who keeps posting this garbage?

[Anonymous Coward]

Because your sarcasm detector needs recalibrating.

Re:Who keeps posting this garbage?

[Gramie2]

I would have thought the same too, not long ago. I don't think I've ever seen a woman being cat-called or made to feel uncomfortable by men simply because she's a woman. After all, I live in decent parts of Ontario.

Then a thread on Reddit asked women when they became aware that they were being seen/treated sexually. Most of them were 10-14 years old, and they were being verbally and physically harassed by much older men (sometimes 4-5 times older). Someone compiled the women's ages.

I asked my SO about it. She also grew up in a quiet, relatively safe Ontario town. She confirmed that the same thing happened to her starting around age 12. When she was working in a market, around age 15, middle-aged men would wait until she was walking with big trays of food (and therefore couldn't protect herself) and grope her breasts and ass. This was common, and none of the other people around would say or do anything to help.

So just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening. It usually happens specifically when the girls have no one around to stand up for them. Talk to some of the women around you, and get their stories. Maybe things have changed, but I thought they had already changed in the '70s and '80s and I was wrong.

Re:Easy

[tompaulco]

There is a course in men's studies it is called HISTORY.

History is gender neutral. It talks about all things that happen whether women or men were involved. Women's studies specifically studies women in history. Men's studies doesn't exist because there would be outrage.
This is similar to racism. There is Black studies and there is Mexican studies, there is Islam studies, but if there was White studies, there would be outrage.
There are beauty pageants specifically for Blacks and for Latinos, and then there are beauty pageants that must allow everybody. If there was a beauty pageant that only allowed whites, there would be outrage. Same with awards shows.
Racism and feminism are big business. This is why the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson continue to promote and incite racism and racial divisionism in this country. If we could get past the "something bad happened to a black guy" and get it down to "something bad happened to a person", then we would be making real progress, but the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of the world would be out of business.

Re:This is a good thing!

[cayenne8]

So I'm all for social justice articles all over the place. The harder the social justice crowd pushes their shit on everyday people, the quicker those people will come to resent social justice and those pushing it.

Absolutely.

For goodness sake people. Grow a bit thicker skin and get on with life. Why would you let what someone says or how they act around you affect what YOU like to do or want to do? This world isn't about acceptance by everyone.

Sure, if someone is going out of their way to discriminate and keep you from employment or getting a job that's against the law.

But not playing nice with you is not the end of the world.

IN the real world, Mommy doesn't catch you when you fall and makes the boo-boo go away. Not everyone gets a trophy for just showing up. And no, not everyone is going to be nice to you and "friend" you on FB or whatever. There are idiots and jerks aplenty in this world, and you really don't have time in this short lifespan to waste effort on them...so, grow some thicker skin and learn to ignore someone that isn't nice or even taunting you. Move on and get things done.

This is nothing new....pretty much human behavior since the dawn of time.