The Outer Circle by
The prominent scholars featured in Gendered Innovations in Science and Engineering explore how gender analysis can profoundly enhance human knowledge in the areas of science, medicine, and engineering. Where possible, they provide concrete examples of how taking gender into account has yielded new research results and sparked creativity, opening new avenues for future research. Several government granting agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the European Commission, now require that requests for funding address whether, and in what sense, sex and gender are relevant to the objectives and methodologies of the research proposed, yet few research scientists or engineers know how to do gender analysis. This book begins to rectify the situation by shedding light on the how and the why.
Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? by
Sandra Harding here develops further the themes first addressed in her widely influential book, The Science Question in Feminism, and conducts a compelling analysis of feminist theories on the philosophical problem of how we know what we know. Following a strong narrative line, Harding sets out her arguments in highly readable prose. In Part 1, she discusses issues that will interest anyone concerned with the social bases of scientific knowledge. In Part 2, she modifies some of her views and then pursues the many issues raised by the feminist position which holds that women's social experience provides a unique vantage point for discovering masculine bias and and questioning conventional claims about nature and social life. In Part 3, Harding looks at the insights that people of color, male feminists, lesbians, and others can bring to these controversies, and concludes by outlining a feminist approach to science in which these insights are central. "Women and men cannot understand or explain the world we live in or the real choices we have," she writes, "as long as the sciences describe and explain the world primarily from the perspectives of the lives of the dominant groups." Harding's is a richly informed, radical voice that boldly confronts issues of crucial importance to the future of many academic disciplines. Her book will amply reward readers looking to achieve a more fruitful understanding of the relations between feminism, science, and social life.
Connecting Girls and Science by
Connecting Girls and Science shows readers the powerful results that can occur in secondary science classrooms when students' interest and curiosity about science are brought firmly to the center of the curriculum. In particular, author Elaine Howes demonstrates how girls can become more interested in learning science when such topics as pregnancy, childbirth, or sexism in science are included in classroom discussions. By listening to the concerns and interests of the students and using their input to help fashion a responsive science curriculum, Howes shows us how to reconnect students to science. Furthermore, ifnbsp; topics of particular interest to female students are stressed, Howes believes that it is not only possible to inspire girls to love science, but also to eradicate traditional gender divisions that may keep female students from pursuing careers in science.
Sex and Scientific Inquiry by
Introduction THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF SCIENCE The History and Philosophy of Women in Science: A Review Essay (Londa Schiebinger) Sexual Segregation in the Sciences: Some Data and a Model (Margaret W. Rossiter) Images of Female Medical Students at the Turn of the Century (Sandra L. Chaff) MISUSES AND ABUSES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOY Women and the History of American Technology (Judith A. McGaw) Outrunning Atalanta: Feminine Destiny in Alchemical Transmutation (Sally G. Allen) Science, Politics, and Race (Inez Smith Reid) BIAS IN THE SCIENCES Biology and Equality: A Perspective on Sex Differences (Helen H. Lambert) Social and Behavioral Constructions of Female Sexuality (Patricia Y. Miller) Body, Bias, and Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Reasoning in Two Areas of Biological Science (Helen Longino) The Variability Hypothesis: The History of a Biological Model of Sex Differences in Intelligence (Stephanie A. Shields) Animal Sociology and a Natural Economy of the Body Politic, Part I: A Political Physiology of Dominance (Donna Haraway) SEXUAL MEANINGS OF SCIENCE Feminism and Science (Evelyn Fox Keller) The Cartesian Masculinization of Thought (Susan Bordo) EPISTEMOLOGY AND METATHEORY Hand, Brain, and Heart: A Feminist Epistemology for the Natural Sciences (Hilary Rose) The Instability of the Analytical Categories of Feminist Theory (Sandra Harding) About the Contributors Signs Articles of Related Interest Index
Gender Equity Right from the Start by
What makes girls avoid math, science, and technology in school? And what can teacher educators do to help new teachers keep this from happening so that all of our children's talents can find expression? These two volumes provide teaching materials and background information on gender equity for teacher educators in mathematics, science, and technology education and their students. A practical guide, Gender Equity Right from the Start is usable by professors of education for preservice teachers and by staff developers for in-service teachers. By adapting the material for other subjects, it can also be used by teacher educators in content areas other than math, science, and technology. It consists of two volumes: Instructional Activities for Teacher Educators in Mathematics, Science, and Technology contains some 200 teaching activities on the major issues in gender equity, emphasizing solutions and not just problems. Activities take place in out-of-class assignments and field experiences whenever possible to minimize demands on class time. Sources and Resources for Education Students in Mathematics, Science, and Technology contains student materials needed for the activities as well as extensive print, electronic, organizational, and other resources for further information.
Reconfiguring the Firewall by
This comprehensive volume addresses the global challenge of recruiting girls and women into majors and careers in information technology. The studies are both illuminating and prescriptive for designing and implementing intervention programs. An essential tool for college faculty and advisors who implement activities and programs designed to promote the success of women in science and engineering, as well as those who fund these programs, academic researchers, K-12 educators, and IT industry professionals committed to a diverse workforce, this collection includes contributions by top researchers and IT professionals, including William Aspray, Bettina Bair, Sarah Berenson, Lenore Blum, Carol J. Burger, Elizabeth G. Creamer, J. McGrath Cohoon, M. Bernardine Dias, Carol Frieze, Orit Hazzan, Ann Howe, Jane Butler Kahle, Sarah Kuhn, Anne Laughlin, Soyoung Lee, Paula G. Leventman, Holly Lord, Miranda Marcus, Cecille Marsh, Peggy S. Meszaros, Joan Michael, Lesley H. Parker, Paula Rayman, Mladen Vouk, Lesley Warner, Laurie Williams, and Judith Wooller.
Women of the Future by
Following a chapter offering a historical perspective of women characters in science fiction, beginning with the 1818 publication of Frankenstein, King provides reading lists and annotations of a variety of science fiction series, novellas and novels.
The Mathematics of Sex by
Nearly half of all physicians and biologists are females, as are the majority of new psychologists, veterinarians, and dentists, suggesting that women have achieved equality with men in the workforce. But the ranks of professionals in math-intensive careers remain lopsidedly male; up to 93% of tenure-track academic positions in some of the most mathematically-oriented fields are held by men. Three main explanations have been advanced to explain the dearth of women in math-intensive careers, and in The Mathematics of Sex, Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams describe and dissect the evidence for each. The first explanation involves innate ability--male brains are physiologically optimized to perform advanced mathematical and spatial operations; the second is that social and cultural biases inhibit females' training and success in mathematical fields; the third alleges that women are less interested in math-intensive careers than are men, preferring people-oriented pursuits. Drawing on research in endocrinology, economics, sociology, education, genetics, and psychology to arrive at their own unique, evidence-based conclusion, the authors argue that the problem is due to certain choices that women (but not men) are compelled to make in our society; that women tend not to favor math-intensive careers for certain reasons, and that sex differences in math and spatial ability cannot adequately explain the scarcity of women in these fields. The Mathematics of Sex represents the first time such a thorough synthesis of data has been carried out to solve the puzzle of women's underrepresentation in math-intensive careers. The result is a readable, engaging account suitable not only for academics in an array of disciplines, but for general readers as well--including educators, science policymakers, parents of daughters, and anyone intellectually curious about a key controversy of our time.
Gender Codes by
The computing profession faces a serious gender crisis. Today, fewer women enter computing than anytime in the past 25 years. This book provides an unprecedented look at the history of women and men in computing, detailing how the computing profession emerged and matured, and how the field became male coded. Women's experiences working in offices, education, libraries, programming, and government are examined for clues on how and where women succeeded--and where they struggled. It also provides a unique international dimension with studies examining the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, Norway, and Greece. Scholars in history, gender/women's studies, and science and technology studies, as well as department chairs and hiring directors will find this volume illuminating.
Participation in Computing by
This book provides a history of the efforts of the US National Science Foundation to broaden participation in computing. The book briefly discusses the early history of the NSF's involvement with education and workforce issues. It then turns to two programs outside the computing directorate (the ADVANCE program and the Program on Women and Girls) that set the stage for three programs in the NSF computing directorate on broadening participation: the IT Workforce Program, the Broadening Participation in Computing program, and the Computing Education for the 21st Century program. The work looks at NSF-funded research and NSF-funded interventions both to increase the number of women, underrepresented minorities (African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians) and people with disabilities, and to increase the number of public schools offering rigorous instruction in computing. Other organizations such as the ACM, the Computer Science Teachers Association, and Code.org are also covered. The years covered are primarily 1980 to the present.
The Feminine Eye by
"Sex, satire, feminism and beond--these are some of the themes examined here in provocative essays by experts in science fiction, both men and women. Writing especially for this volume, they explore the special "feminine" approach to SF that has created an impressive body of work, including the prize-winning novels of recent years by such writers as Joan D. Vinge and Suzy McKee Charnas."--Publisher's description.
Galactic Suburbia by
In this groundbreaking cultural history, Lisa Yaszek recovers a lost tradition of women's science fiction that flourished after 1945. This new kind of science fiction was set in a place called galactic suburbia, a literary frontier that was home to nearly 300 women writers. These authors explored how women's lives, loves, and work were being transformed by new sciences and technologies, thus establishing women's place in the American future imaginary.Yaszek shows how the authors of galactic suburbia rewrote midcentury culture's assumptions about women's domestic, political, and scientific lives. Her case studies of luminaries such as Judith Merril, Carol Emshwiller, and Anne McCaffrey and lesser-known authors such as Alice Eleanor Jones, Mildred Clingerman, and Doris Pitkin Buck demonstrate how galactic suburbia is the world's first literary tradition to explore the changing relations of gender, science, and society.Galactic Suburbia challenges conventional literary histories that posit men as the progenitors of modern science fiction and women as followers who turned to the genre only after the advent of the women's liberation movement. AsYaszek demonstrates, stories written by women about women in galactic suburbia anticipated the development of both feminist science fiction and domestic science fiction written by men.
The Descent of Love by
Upon its publication in 1871, Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex sent shock waves through the scientific community and the public at large. In an original and persuasive study, Bert Bender demonstrates that it is this treatise on sexual selection, rather than any of Darwin's earlier works on evolution, that provoked the most immediate and vigorous response from American fiction writers. These authors embraced and incorporated Darwin's theories, insights, and language, creating an increasingly dark and violent view of sexual love in American realist literature. In The Descent of Love, Bender carefully rereads the works of William Dean Howells, Henry James, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, Harold Frederic, Charles W. Chesnutt, Edith Wharton, and Ernest Hemingway, teasing from them a startling but utterly convincing preoccupation with questions of sexual selection. Competing for readership as novelists who best grasped the "real" nature of human love, these writers also participated in a heated social debate over racial and sexual differences and the nature of sex itself. Influenced more by The Descent of Man than by the Origin of Species, Bender's novelists built upon Darwin's anthropological and zoological materials to anatomize their character's courtship behavior, returning consistently to concerns with physical beauty, natural dominance, and the power to select a mate. Bringing the resources of the history of science and intellectual history to this, the first full-length study of the impact of Darwin's theories in American literature, Bender revises accepted views of social Darwinism, American literary realism, and modernism in American literature, forever changing our perceptions of courtship and sexual interaction in American fiction from 1871 to 1926 and beyond.
The Less Noble Sex by
"This highly-readable work traces a set of beliefs about the nature of woman that have informed, and in turn have been reinforced by, science, religion, and philosophy from the classical period to the nineteenth century. . . . [T]his book's analysis lends support to claims that the gender system affected our very conceptions of science." --Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences "An important book for the educated general public as well as for scholars in many disciplines. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "Students and researchers alike will welcome this carefully argued volume that so clearly traces the dominant contours of Western conceptions about women." --Isis "Nancy Tuana's book is brillant. In under two hundred pages she presents a concise account of how women have been perceived in relation to men in the Western world for the past 2,500 years." --American Historical Review "A wide-ranging discussion of conceptions of women in science, philosophy and religion from ancient times to the late nineteenth century, Tuana's book makes it devastatingly clear how powerful and how deeply rooted was the Western idea of women as men's inferiors." --Women's Review of Books " . . . an unusually readable account of the image of women from the Greeks to the nineteenth century, wedded to a highly interesting argument about the way religion and philosophy affect the direction of the work of scientists, and how the work of scientists is used by philosophers and clergy to give authority to the more abstract world of ideas." --Magill Book Reviews Provides a framework for understanding the persistence of the Western patriarchal view of woman as inferior. Tuana examines beliefs that were accepted a priori as evidence of women's inferiority and studies early theories of woman's nature to illustrate the way scientific literature, was influenced by--and in turn affected--religious and philosophical tenets.
The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction by
How women and feminism helped to shape science fiction in America. Runner-up for the Hugo Best Related Book Award (2003) The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction is a lively account of the role of women and feminism in the development of American science fiction during its formative years, the mid-20th century. Beginning in 1926, with the publication of the first issue of Amazing Stories, Justine Larbalestier examines science fiction's engagement with questions of femininity, masculinity, sex and sexuality. She traces the debates over the place of women and feminism in science fiction as it emerged in stories, letters and articles in science fiction magazines and fanzines. The book culminates in the story of James Tiptree, Jr. and the eponymous Award. Tiptree was a successful science fiction writer of the 1970s who was later discovered to be a woman. Tiptree's easy acceptance by the male-dominated publishing arena of the time proved that there was no necessary difference in the way men and women wrote, but that there was a real difference in the way they were read.
Nothing Is Impossible by
The story of a remarkable woman whose lonely childhood in London was relieved only by her pets, her reading, and her drawings.
Mary's Monster by
A brief biography of the English girl whose discovery of an Ichthyosaurus skeleton in 1811 when she was twelve led to a life-long interest in fossils and other important discoveries.
Celebrating Women in Mathematics and Science by
Covering ancient times to the present, this collective biography celebrates the struggles & triumphs of women in the fields of mathematics & sciences.
Women in Mathematics by
Mathematicians, science historians, and general readers will find this book a lively history; women will find it a reminder of a proud tradition and a challenge to take their rightful place in academic life today. The colorful lives of these women, who often traveled in the most avant-garde circles of their day, are presented in fascinating detail. The obstacles and censures that were also a part of their lives are a sobering reminder of the bias against women still present in this and other fields of academic endeavor. Mathematicians, science historians, and general readers will find this book a lively history; women will find it a reminder of a proud tradition and a challenge to take their rightful place in academic life today.
Africa in My Blood by
AFRICA IN MY BLOOD is an extraordinary self-portrait, in letters and commentary, of Jane Goodall's early years, from childhood to the landmark publication of IN THE SHADOW OF MAN. It reveals this remarkable woman more vividly and clearly than anything that has been published before, by her or about her. We see Goodall grow from a schoolgirl into the promising young candidate whom the legendary Louis Leakey sent to a wildlife preserve on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to undertake a revolutionary study of chimpanzees. At Gombe we see her immerse herself in the lives of wild animals as no one had done before. AFRICA IN MY BLOOD is a dramatic, moving, funny, and important book that tells the story of how an English girl who loved animals became one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century.
Nursing As a Spiritual Practice by
Florence Nightingale is widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing. What is less well known is that she also had well-developed ideas about the spiritual aspects of nursing care. Her views draw from both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and have a startling relevance to nursing practice today. Janet Macrae, both a Nightingale scholar and a nationally recognized expert on therapeutic touch, outlines Nightingale's ideas on spirituality in this book and discusses how a variety of techniques can be used to implement a more spiritual and humane form of nursing care. The techniques, which include yoga, meditation, and relaxation exercises can be used by both nurses and patients.
Florence Nightingale and the Nursing Legacy by
"This is a study based on research into the records of the Nightingale Fund and how it was used to finance various experiments in nursing and midwifery training in the nineteenth century, which has been revised and expanded for the second edition. It traces the development of nurse training and discusses the problems that beset a fledgling profession." "The new demands of scientific medicine, the emancipation of women and the growth of women's education all played their part in building the foundations of modern nursing. This book, written by Monica Baly, a leading nursing historian, will be a valuable resource to those interested in placing nursing as we know it today in the context of its colourful history."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Florence Nightingale by 
Notes on Nightingale by
Florence Nightingale remains an inspiration to nurses around the world for her pioneering work treating wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War; authorship of Notes on Nursing, the foundational text for nursing practice; establishment of the world's first nursing school; and advocacy for the hygienic treatment of patients and sanitary design of hospitals. In Notes on Nightingale, nursing historians and scholars offer their valuable reflections on Nightingale and analysis of her role in the profession a century after her death on 13 August 1910 and 150 years since the Nightingale School of Nursing (now the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College, London) opened its doors to probationers at St Thomas' Hospital. There is a great deal of controversy about Nightingale?opinions about her life and work range from blind worship to blanket denunciation. The question of Nightingale and her place in nursing history and in contemporary nursing discourse is a topic of continuing interest for nursing students, teachers, and professional associations. This book offers new scholarship on Nightingale's work in the Crimea and the British colonies and her connection to the emerging science of statistics, as well as valuable reevaluations of her evolving legacy and the surrounding myths, symbolism, and misconceptions. Contributors: Judith Godden, University of Sydney; Carol Helmstadter, RN (Toronto); Joan E. Lynaugh, University of Pennsylvania; M. Eileen Magnello, University College London; Lynn McDonald, University of Guelph; Sioban Nelson, University of Toronto; Anne Marie Rafferty, King's College, London; Rachel Verney, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery (Visiting Associate, August 2009); Rosemary Wall, King's College, London
Florence Nightingale at First Hand by
Florence Nightingale is one of the most famous figures in modern history, yet questions have been raised as to her real achievements. Much of what we know of her emanates from unreliable second-hand accounts and from a misreading of the primary sources. Based on her writings, Florence Nightingale at First Hand lets the legendary founder of nursing and heroine of the Crimean War speak for herself. Author Lynn McDonald is the editor of the Collected Works of Florence Nightingale (WLU Press) and the world's foremost Nightingale authority. Chapters relate Nightingale's background, her faith and political creed, her work during Crimean War and its aftermath, on later wars, and on reform in nursing, health care, midwifery, workhouses, hospitals, and India. Published to commemorate the centenary of Nightingale's death, this book presents a Florence Nightingale for the twenty-first century: she was a prodigiously astute researcher, a bold systems thinker, and a witty writer well connected with political and intellectual leaders. Her passionate dedication to her causes shines through her writing, making this book a great read.
Florence Nightingale by
Series Editors: Kinley E. Roby, Northeastern University; Herbert Sussman, Northeastern University; Joseph Bartolomeo, University of Massachusetts; George Economou, University of Oklahoma; Arthur F. Kinney, University of Massachusetts Twaynes United States Authors, English Authors, and World Authors Series present concise critical introductions to great writers and their works. Devoted to critical interpretation and discussion of an authors work, each study takes account of major literary trends and important scholarly contributions and provides new critical insights with an original point of view. An Authors Series volumeaddresses readers ranging from advanced high school students to university professors. The book suggests to the informed reader new ways of considering a writers work. A reader new to the work under examination will, after reading theAuthors Series, be compelled to turn to the originals, bringing to the reading a basic knowledge and fresh critical perspectives. Each volume features: A critical, interpretive study and explication of the authors works A brief biography of the author An accessible chronology outlining the life, work, and relevant historical background of the author Aids for further study -- complete notes and references, a selected annotated bibliography, and an index A readable style presented in a manageable length
Rosalind Franklin and DNA by
Rosalind Franklin's research was central to the Nobel Prize?inning discovery of DNA's double-helix structure. Known only as the bossy, unfeminine "Rosy" in James Watson's The Double Helix, Franklin never received the credit she was due during her lifetime. In this classic work Anne Sayre sets the record straight.
Me ... Jane by
Patrick McDonnell-beloved, bestselling author-artist and creator of the Mutts syndicated comic strip--shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist featured in the hit documentary film Jane. In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of "a life living with and helping all animals," until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes taken directly from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young--and young at heart. One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.
Galileo's Daughter by
Inspired by a long fascination with Galileo, and by the remarkable surviving letters of his daughter Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun, Dava Sobel has crafted a biography that dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishments of a mythic figure whose early-seventeenth-century clash with Catholic doctrine continues to define the schism between science and religion-the man Albert Einstein called "the father of modern physics-indeed of modern science altogether." It is also a stunning portrait of Galileo's daughter, a person hitherto lost to history, described by her father as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me." Moving between Galileo's grand public life and Maria Celeste's sequestered world, Sobel illuminates the Florence of the Medicis and the papal court in Rome during the pivotal era when humanity's perception of its place in the cosmos was about to be overturned. During that same time, while the bubonic plague wreaked its terrible devastation and the Thirty Years' War tipped fortunes across Europe, Galileo sought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealedthrough his telescope. Filled with human drama and scientific adventure,Galileo's Daughter is an unforgettable story. Praise for Galileo's Daughter : "[Sobel] shows herself a virtuoso at encapsulating the history and the politics of science. Her descriptions of Galileo's ideas...are pithy, vivid, and intelligible."-Wall Street Journal
Athena Unbound by
Why are there so few women scientists? Persisting differences between women's and men's experiences in science make this question as relevant today as it ever was. This book sets out to answer this question, and to propose solutions for the future. Based on extensive research, it emphasizes that science is an intensely social activity. Despite the scientific ethos of universalism and inclusion, scientists and their institutions are not immune to the prejudices of society as a whole. By presenting women's experiences at all key career stages - from childhood to retirement - the authors reveal the hidden barriers, subtle exclusions and unwritten rules of the scientific workplace, and the effects, both professional and personal, that these have on the female scientist. This important book should be read by all scientists - both male and female - and sociologists, as well as women thinking of embarking on a scientific career.