feminist critiques of science

PHIL 160PHIL 160PHIL 160PHIL 160


Merton’s four norms of science:

Merton’s four norms of science:•Universalism•Communism•Disinterestedness•Organized skepticism

•Universalism•Communism•Disinterestedness•Organized skepticism


Does exclusion of women

result in bad science?

Does exclusion of women

result in bad science?

Feminism:Feminism:

Commitment to examine and

address unequal treatment of the

sexes.

Commitment to examine and

address unequal treatment of the

sexes.


Feminist critique of science:Feminist critique of science:




•Examine inequalities in who gets to do science.




•Examine theories that support unequal treatment of the sexes.


•Examine theories that support unequal treatment of the sexes.



Why were women excluded from

science?


science?


science?

Why did it matter?


science?

Why did it matter?


Scientific theories of sex difference





•Females less intelligent•Females less intelligent




•Females less intelligent•Females less rational

•Females less intelligent•Females less rational




•Females less intelligent•Females less rational•Too much schooling makes females infertile

•Females less intelligent•Females less rational•Too much schooling makes females infertilePHIL 160PHIL 160PHIL 160PHIL 160

Fit perfectly with society’s attitudes toward the sexes!

Fit perfectly with society’s attitudes toward the sexes!




How to tell if these theories are good

ones?

How to tell if these theories are good

ones?





Excluding women was justifiable at the time, based on theories of sex difference.



Excluding women was justifiable at the time, based on theories of sex difference.We know now those theories were wrong, so exclusion now would be wrong.

We know now those theories were wrong, so exclusion now would be wrong.



Excluding women was a social/political move.



Excluding women was a social/political move.As a matter of equality of opportunity, excluding women is wrong.

As a matter of equality of opportunity, excluding women is wrong.


Was exclusion of women harmful to

science?


science?



science?


science?•Smaller pool of talent•Smaller pool of talent



science?


science?•Smaller pool of talent•Affects what questions are asked

•Smaller pool of talent•Affects what questions are asked



science?


science?•Smaller pool of talent•Affects what questions are asked•Accuracy and objectivity of scientific knowledge?

•Smaller pool of talent•Affects what questions are asked•Accuracy and objectivity of scientific knowledge?


Did exclusion of women result in less accurate or objective scientific knowledge?

Did exclusion of women result in less accurate or objective scientific knowledge?NO: Proper use of scientific method produces good knowledge, no matter who’s using it.

NO: Proper use of scientific method produces good knowledge, no matter who’s using it.


YES: Tribe of science produces good knowledge only if it is inclusive.

YES: Tribe of science produces good knowledge only if it is inclusive.




Biology & Gender Study Group




Biology & Gender Study GroupFeminist critique of

science can lead to better science.

Feminist critique of science can lead to

better science.



Biology & Gender Study GroupFeminist critique of

science can lead to better science.

Feminist critique of science can lead to

better science.


Helps science live up to the norm of

organized skepticism by questioning unquestioned assumptions.


organized skepticism by questioning unquestioned assumptions.


“… masculinist assumptions have impoverished biology by causing us to focus on certain problems to the exclusion of others, and they have led us to make particular interpretations when equally valid alternatives were available.”

“… masculinist assumptions have impoverished biology by causing us to focus on certain problems to the exclusion of others, and they have led us to make particular interpretations when equally valid alternatives were available.”



Multiple theories can account for the same

set of data.

Multiple theories can account for the same

set of data.


Quine:Quine:

Microvilli observed,

but ignored in accounts

of fertilization.



of fertilization.




of fertilization.



of fertilization.


WHY?WHY?



of fertilization.



of fertilization.


No good way to fit microvilli into gendered

fertilization story.

No good way to fit microvilli into gendered

fertilization story.

WHY?WHY?

Feminist critique as experimental

control:


control:



control:


control:


Be aware of gendered

assumptions


assumptions


control:


control:


Strive not to build gendered

assumptions into scientific

theories

Strive not to build gendered

assumptions into scientific

theories


assumptions


assumptions


nucleuscytoplasm

cell membrane


Models of nucleus-cytoplasm relation embodying societal views of marriage

Models of nucleus-cytoplasm relation embodying societal views of marriage



control:


control:



control:


control:Be aware of explanatory pattern forced by gendered thinking

Be aware of explanatory pattern forced by gendered thinking


control:


control:


Consciously consider ungendered explanatory

patterns

Consciously consider ungendered explanatory

patterns




organized skepticism.


organized skepticism.


Feminist critique identifies background

assumptions.

Feminist critique identifies background

assumptions.



Examine gendered assumptionsExamine gendered assumptions




Fewer theories based on societal prejudices






More women in science?

More women in science?

Longino:Longino:


Including women in the tribe of science

could make for more objective output.

Including women in the tribe of science

could make for more objective output.

Subjective -Subjective -




how things seem to mehow things seem to me




Objective -Objective -




Objective -Objective -how things actually arehow things actually are




Objective -Objective -how things actually arehow things actually arewhat anyone could seewhat anyone could see


Kuhn:Kuhn:

Same rules applied to same set of data can

lead to different pictures of reality.




Kuhn:Kuhn:






Kuhn:Kuhn:

Observations are

theory-laden.

Observations are

theory-laden.


Peer ReviewPeer

Review


Peer ReviewPeer

ReviewMy results (scientific paper)

My results (scientific paper)


Peer ReviewPeer

Review

Journal editorJournal editor




Peer ReviewPeer

ReviewMy results (scientific paper)



Reviewers(other scientists)

Reviewers(other scientists)


Reviewers evaluate the paper


Peer ReviewPeer

Review



Reviewers evaluate the paper • Why not this

interpretation?• Why not this interpretation?

Peer ReviewPeer

Review




interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?

• Why not this interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?

Peer ReviewPeer

Review




interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?• Did you control for X?

• Why not this interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?• Did you control for X?

Peer ReviewPeer

Review




interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?• Did you control for X?• You should also measure this.

• Why not this interpretation?• How does your finding fit with this other result?• Did you control for X?• You should also measure this.

Peer ReviewPeer

Review


Peer ReviewPeer

ReviewI receive reviewsI receive reviews


I receive reviewsI receive reviews

Revise paper to respond to reviewsRevise paper to

respond to reviews

Peer ReviewPeer

Review



respond to reviews


Peer ReviewPeer




respond to reviews

PublishedPublishedPublishedPublishedJournal editorJournal editor

Peer ReviewPeer



Scientific knowledge from

my research plus

Scientific knowledge from

my research plustransformative criticism

and dialogue between me and my scientific

peers

transformative criticism

and dialogue between me and my scientific

peers

Peer ReviewPeer

Review


How composition of the tribe of science

matters:


matters:



matters:


matters:•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.

•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.



matters:


matters:•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!

•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!



matters:


matters:•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!•Dialogue with scientists with whom we disagree weeds out subjective bias.

•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!•Dialogue with scientists with whom we disagree weeds out subjective bias.



matters:


matters:•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!•Dialogue with scientists with whom we disagree weeds out subjective bias.•Diverse community increases chances of disagreement.

•If all the members are similar, lots of agreement.•But, could be due to shared subjective biases!•Dialogue with scientists with whom we disagree weeds out subjective bias.•Diverse community increases chances of disagreement.


Clash of background assumptions brings

them out of the

background, opens them to

scrutiny.

Clash of background assumptions brings

them out of the

background, opens them to

scrutiny.

feminist critiques of science

Education

intelligent phil

subjective phil

rational phil

asked phil

gendered assumptions

females infertile phil

smaller pool of talent

good science