10/20/2023 0 Comments Important women in stem![]() Not only has research shown that the tails on the sperm do not propel it forward, but this portrayal of a “dormant bride awaiting her mate’s magical kiss” is also a misnomer. Martin points out that this depiction of penetration and agency of the sperm is, in fact, a product of assumptions from cultural gender roles embedded in research rather than scientific fact. Any person who has sat through a sex education class is familiar with the tale of sperm swimming to penetrate the egg to eventually create a fetus. Kirtly Jones acknowledges there are likely dozens of other treatments that are less effective in other fields, primarily because “in the history of research into health outcomes in medicine, men’s biology was the default mode.”Įmily Martin, an anthropologist and professor at New York University, has researched how gender stereotypes perpetuate biased research and has concluded that the lack of gender diversity causes biased theories to retain authority in the scientific community, as well as in society. For example, during the introduction of the hormonal birth control pill in the late ’60s, doctors and researchers ignored tens of thousands of complaints by women that it caused severe depressive episodes, as well as a lack of energy and motivation.Ĭancer treatment, such as immunotherapy, has also been identified to be significantly less effective for women than men. ![]() The cost of gender diversity is notable, and its effects are apparent across the medical field. This lack of diversity institutes hegemony within science, ultimately hurting the women and minority groups not present in these spheres of power and influence. This bias may not always be easily detectable, such as the double-entendre in literature, but it is present, and it severely affects marginalized groups.Īccording to UNESCO, less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women. Naomi Oreskes states in “Why Trust Science?” that societal biases are often “so embedded as to go unrecognized as assumptions.” In other words, communities, such as science research, that lack a diversity of gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic background frequently fall into unquestioned truths that have the capacity to construct unintentionally biased research. The scientific community prides itself on the accuracy and objectivity of research, yet oftentimes, this scientific lens ignores linguistic pitfalls of assumed impartiality. While many critique the scientific community’s diligence as political correctness, the ultimate goal of using precise diction is to reflect our meaning accurately to the entirety of an audience. Linguistic mindfulness is as applicable to the sciences as it is to the humanities. Despite intention, words affect people in numerous ways.
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