I've been thinking a little about why I am interested in women-in-science issues. I have never once personally experienced gender discrimination at work. Two of my three advisers have been women, the third is an extremely enlightened man. Yet, I identify with the plight of the screwed-over woman scientist.
I think it's because my culture is steeped in sexism and I hate it. This post on Propter Doc's blog clarified it for me. I think I just expect the negative stereotypes present throughout the rest of my life will carry over to my work. But they haven't (so far). I know they have for many, many other women. I feel very sensitized to that.
I'm very thankful that so far my work experience has been free of that crap. It's almost like it's one place where it doesn't matter that I'm a woman; the expectations are the same for me as for a man doing the same job (with the exception of field work, but that's just practical). I want more women to share my experience, except that I want all the cultural stereotypes to disappear too. I'm sick of the image that women are bad at things like investing or home repair and men shouldn't plan a holiday meal or buy their kids' clothes. An example: my friend would love to have a boat someday, but I pretty sure she considers it something a man buys and maintains, not something she would be responsible for. I think when I suggested she start saving for her own boat, it was the first time it occurred to her that she could get one for herself. It shouldn't be this way.
Anyway, I'm glad I get to work with a group of wonderful, mostly female, people. Am I the only lucky one? Or am I totally sheltered?
3 comments:
You know, I felt that way too... until my last job, then it all kind of hit home.
You are lucky. An example I always give from my life is my first day in my first class in my major as an undergrad. The second I sat down, a guy next to me said, "I think you might be in the wrong class." Places and people vary in this for sure (I tend to surround myself with good people), but I have never been in a place where being a woman has not been an issue to some degree.
"the expectations are the same for me as for a man doing the same job"
They are, and until (if you're lucky) your 2nd post doc the rewards will be fairly similar too. Unfortunately at some point about 5-8 years after you finished your PhD you'll suddenly realise that for some reason, all the blokes are members of journal editorial boards, "important" committees, honorary societies, have alot more collaborations than you (which generate easy papers for them) etc etc. The important thing at that point is to remember you are not alone in wondering what you did wrong, and to understand that the answer to that question is likely "not a thing".
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