Years ago (1980's?) I attended a conference on "Women in Science". At the time there were not very many in the profession (certainly not mine), but at this conference women formed a clear majority of presenters and audience members. Many were scientists but there were many from other fields as well. I came away confused.
In one presentation I remember the speaker read excerpts from a diary of a female scientist from the 1930's. There was no attempt at analysis or even synthesis of the material. Yet the audience responded very positively, as if this were somehow a "good paper".
I came home that evening and my wife had the explanation. "Lorne! You don't get it! Women like to talk about our feelings. We do it all the time. We love it when people express their feelings."
Hmm. OK. I went back the next day and things made a bit more sense. But it was still confusing. At one point someone stood up to argue "We need to get more people from the general public to experience our seminars! There is so much good here that isn't being shared!"
What? I'd be hard pressed to find a member of the "general" public who could understand the title of a scientific paper let alone be able to benefit from attending a seminar about it.
So, I came home again and started to think about it all. Let's agree that some women are motivated to seek knowledge through science but also like to talk about their feelings and do so when they meet at conferences. So? Is this bad? Why?
The next question, obviously, is what motivates men? Well, men seek knowledge through science, but when they meet at conferences they are also concerned about the competitive display of this knowledge. They are showing off their antlers, so to speak. It's about maintaining and enhancing one's status among peers.
Good article. I recommend Carol Gilligan’s work for further thoughts on this. I’d say ‘Why Patriarchy Persists’ and ‘In a Different Voice’ are vital reading
I think it’s best described as the rise of the “liberal woman” -and she is described as the unhappiest of all demographic groups. This makes the story of her rise more complicated I think.
I am a licensing coordinator for Cognella, Inc., an independent academic publisher located in the San Diego area of California, USA. I am writing on behalf of professors at The University of Austin (Texas, USA), who would like to reprint this article in an academic coursepack for a class they are offering in Summer 2023.
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Years ago (1980's?) I attended a conference on "Women in Science". At the time there were not very many in the profession (certainly not mine), but at this conference women formed a clear majority of presenters and audience members. Many were scientists but there were many from other fields as well. I came away confused.
In one presentation I remember the speaker read excerpts from a diary of a female scientist from the 1930's. There was no attempt at analysis or even synthesis of the material. Yet the audience responded very positively, as if this were somehow a "good paper".
I came home that evening and my wife had the explanation. "Lorne! You don't get it! Women like to talk about our feelings. We do it all the time. We love it when people express their feelings."
Hmm. OK. I went back the next day and things made a bit more sense. But it was still confusing. At one point someone stood up to argue "We need to get more people from the general public to experience our seminars! There is so much good here that isn't being shared!"
What? I'd be hard pressed to find a member of the "general" public who could understand the title of a scientific paper let alone be able to benefit from attending a seminar about it.
So, I came home again and started to think about it all. Let's agree that some women are motivated to seek knowledge through science but also like to talk about their feelings and do so when they meet at conferences. So? Is this bad? Why?
The next question, obviously, is what motivates men? Well, men seek knowledge through science, but when they meet at conferences they are also concerned about the competitive display of this knowledge. They are showing off their antlers, so to speak. It's about maintaining and enhancing one's status among peers.
Ne
Thanks! I was scanning through your substack but having you link them would be handy. Will read all.
Can you write something about this an/or free speech in Ireland and the new Hate Speech laws? What's the history of Ireland and censorship?
Important 2019 essay on this theme
https://thoughtsofstone.com/the-day-the-logic-died/
Just a heads up, I think there's a missing "more" here:
Women have earned bachelor’s degrees than men every year since the mid-eighties.
Good article. I recommend Carol Gilligan’s work for further thoughts on this. I’d say ‘Why Patriarchy Persists’ and ‘In a Different Voice’ are vital reading
Good essay, but you should correct the grammar on "it's," which is a contraction for "it is," versus "its," which is a possessive pronoun
I think it’s best described as the rise of the “liberal woman” -and she is described as the unhappiest of all demographic groups. This makes the story of her rise more complicated I think.
Hello Conor,
I am a licensing coordinator for Cognella, Inc., an independent academic publisher located in the San Diego area of California, USA. I am writing on behalf of professors at The University of Austin (Texas, USA), who would like to reprint this article in an academic coursepack for a class they are offering in Summer 2023.
I could not find an email address for you to send an official request to reuse your content. Would you please reach out to me at your earliest convenience? My contact details are below.
I look forward to your response!
Best wishes,
Laura Duncan
Licensing Coordinator
lduncan@cognella.com, 858-552-1120 x550
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