The Few Women in Physics Strategize
Physics is a very demanding science, and those who succeed it the field are people of impressive brain power. Sadly, few of them are women. A new December issue of AAC&U's On Campus with Women (click here to visit)* had an article by Sherry Yenello, professor at Texas A & M and Catherine Fiore, research scientist at MIT, both past chairs of the American Physical Society's Committee on the Status of Women in Physics. about women in physics. We will have a guest forum by a woman in physics this month, and I wanted to post some background ideas to get discussion started.
Women are only 6% of full professors in physics according to the article, citing the American Institute of Physics, 2006, "Percentage of faculty positions in physics held by women." Click here to see a graph from that report. (or visit http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/highlite/women3/figure1.htm)
The American Physical Society has a committee on the status of women in physics which has begun a program of site visits to research university and national laboratory physics departments and a program to facilitate Gender Equity Conversations. Here is a quotation from the response of a professor in a department that had received such a site visit: "We have identified a parents' room in our new building, the comment box has become a permanent fixture, we are creating a web-based study group sign-up sheet, we've started to arrange SPS [Society of Physics Students] talks by alumni who have gone on to nonacademic careers, and we're posting signs about the blue-light escort service. To tackle the bigger issues, we've started a series of department discussions at Monday lunch. At the first, this coming Monday, we will lead a discussion of strategies for building community. The next will be about creating an environment that is cooperative rather than competitive. There will be others, though we're still figuring out what the topics will be." These programs plus workshops are the elements of the strategy developed by the APS.
I found the rationale for chosing these ways to increase women in physics to be very interesting. Here is a short quotation from it: "The culture bearers need to be an integral part of any solution. They are intelligent people whose talents can be put to good use in solving the challenge of the chilly climate. As scientific investigators, they learn by theorizing, experimenting, thinking, questioning, and debating others' conclusions-not by being told solutions. They will not willingly change until they understand the need to change. It's certainly possible to mandate behavior; but without winning hearts and minds, sustainable change cannot occur."
*http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume39_2/feature.cfm?section=2&utm_source=pubs&utm_medium=blast&utm_campaign=ocwwvol39no2
Coming next week: information about a Washington, DC gathering of women in physics at liberal arts colleges.
cheers,
Laura
What do you think:
A These options are all more talk and are similar to what we've been doing as the increases of women in science have plateaued. We need to go back to more aggressive tactics such as lawsuits, which caused rapid changes for women.
B I like the idea of conversation-based ways to get men on board with the changes needed, but I'm dubious about a large change resulting from these moves.
C I really find this persuasive. Physicists are very intelligent and if they perceive this issue as a problem, they can find a solution and make it work.
I like the cooperative attitude I'm hearing about in physics. It's a great thing to have the whole department behind diversification. But it's puzzling to have such low success if everyone has a good attitude.
cheers,
Laura
Perhaps surprising based on many of my posts I am going to say C. I think that you should tailor any ideas for change by asking the people who are involved how they want to promote such change. I also found physicists very open to having more women in physics. They just weren't sure women would want to be there. But the support seemed available, at least from the outside. Good luck to them!
Physicists have it hard, but I still think it's worse in Computer Science. Physicists compare brain power but CS guys are classic nerds with futile fascination with sexy women, displayed every which way. I never saw that stuff in the physics department. Also, I know a couple of supportive male physicist. Still looking for a supportive male CS guy.
I like these ideas, but B is where I fall in the spectrum. I go to ASCB and the women's group runs great career luncheons where anyone can learn about diverse careers in science, just research, R1 teaching, liberal arts college teaching, writing, editing, etc. And they have networking breakfasts too. I don't know about any actual job listings specifically for women, though.
Hi Sonia,
I'm glad you got the system to work, I know it's been a sruggle to post sometimes. I think the APS is making a strong effort to help women progress and stay in physics and I am hopeful it will support them and increase their numbers.
best,
Laura
C. I have seen conversation work pretty well in opening the eyes of men of good will but a certain blindness to the situation of women in science. If they are not of good will, I guess legal remedies are needed. But it is worth trying the velvet glove before the hammer, in my opinion.
I commend these efforts to increase the number and percent of women in physics by visiting university and national laboratory physics departments. It would appear, however, that efforts to increase women’s interest in science needs to start earlier in education than the university level—elementary school? Middle school? High school?
I have sent information about these efforts out to my list of feminists and those interested in women in science. Perhaps others could do likewise.
A, going by what worked for African Americans in this country (to the extent anything has worked). You CAN change hearts and minds by habit, and requiring civility by law has made a tremendous difference. So I'm skeptical of the statement that only discussion can change minds. I think you can be really polite in a discussion and still act badly outside of the discussion room, I've seen it happen.
