In article <1993Jan18.111112.1 at max.u.washington.edu>, wijsman at max.u.washington.edu writes:
>>It
>>seems that the single biggest factor in our group was having encouraging
>>parents. None of the women in the study group (all of us were graduate
>>students or Post-Docs in science) had parents who failed to ACTIVELY encourage
>>the pursuit of science.
>> What is the experience of readers on the net? I can definitely say
> that the above describes my parents to a T. I am female. Is this
> essential for female scientists, or for all scientists, male or
> female?
Active encouragement of the pursuit of excellence, not just in science, but in
all classes, describes my parents.
>> The teachers tended
>>to tell girls they couldn't do well in science and the parents encouraged the
>>girls to "show them".
>> What do readers on the net remember? I would say that this was also
> typical of my elementary school years.
Elementary school teachers had little positive effect; see my previous post!
However, I had two very good high school science teachers, one of whom is
still a close friend. That solidified an existing interest, which was formed
despite elementary school.
>> I am sure most of you
> notice how much more verbal participation in seminars, group
> discussions, etc. comes from the male scientists as compared to the
> female scientists. This in itself has got to have a dampening effect
> on the progress of women in science; we need to put ourselves out on a
> limb sometimes, and don't do it enough. Is this something we were
> taught in school? Do other (female) readers feel that the above described
> their schooling?
>> Ellen Wijsman
I notice very much in group meetings and seminars that the questions are asked
mostly by men; when I ask the same sorts of questions in the same way, I have
been told I am unpleasantly aggressive. Well, I'm not. I have a lot of the
same mannerisms as my male colleagues, and my questions are asked in the same
way--not intended to be rude, but straightforward and matter of fact.
I think that negative attitude may influence questioning by women. It
certainly bothered me when a (male) colleague suggested last week that I was
too aggressive.
Also, I noticed as a grad student amongst my peers in first-year
seminar situations that i could say
something in a discussion, which would be completely ignored until one of my
male classmates came up with the same thing a few minutes later. (I was much
less "aggressive" in my commentary in those days!) I may sound paranoid here,
but it is only in retrospect that I realise that it wasnt ME the SCIENTIST
that was being ignored, it was ME the WOMAN SCIENTIST. (I hate that.)
have others had similar experiences?
susan
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SL Forsburg forsburg at molbiol.ox.ac.uk
ICRF Cell Cycle Group
Biochemistry Dept
Oxford University
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