3.31 update

I have officially cued zine 2 pages on my tumblr (which considering how many cued posts I have means it should be up by the end of the week)!!!! Creating the list of scigrrrls to include has been really hard, and unfortunately the list is a lot smaller than I want it to be. For those I have left out, I have tried to create tumblr posts exclusively dedicated to them. At least this way I am still getting their names out there!

I also am making my zine in powerpoint opposed to pdf (weird, right?). This format seems to work best though and makes it a lot easier to format / keep together. As a double bonus, I guess I could also use the slides for my talk (I can't believe that it's next week!!!!).

Planning to post the full zine in a couple of days!!!

Update

I am the process of putting together Zine 2 (scigrrrls everyone should know)! Making the pages, especially the backgrounds for my texts seems to take FOREVER (a large reason why I haven't posted to my blog for so long :-/). But slowly but surely... right?

So far I have made a bunch of background pages. I am planning on posting each page as I finish it to my tumblr site (scigrrrl.tumblr.com) and the full zine (once it is completed in its entirety) to my blogspot :).  So stay tuned to both sites for updates! 

Creating scigrrrl

I struggled with the creation of my zine and who exactly I wanted scigrrrl to be: I wanted her to appeal to everyone and be relatable to all kinds of women (and interested men) out there despite differences in background. In order to do so, I thought of changing her image/look in each of the zines I create to represent that anyone can take on the identity of scigrrrl. I also thought of attributing the title of scigrrrl, not only to the image and myself, but also to my readers and women who I look up to in the field. In the process of making my second zine, I decided the latter may be the best way for me to go about making scigrrrl inclusive. 

In creating the image of scigrrrl particularly for my first zine, I had a lot in mind: I wanted her to look sciencey but also feminine to go against the most prominent image of women in science - reserved, masculine, dorky. With this being said, I also did not want her to look over feminine, or be wearing something you would NEVER see a women wear in a science/lab setting (so no intense make-up, open-toed heels, or over-the-top dress). 

The field of feminist science studies (general/ continued)

The field of Feminist Science Studies was born within the past 15-20 years with works by Sandra Harding, Ruth Hubbard, and many other great names (AAC&U, 1999). The field has sparked a lot of growth within the sciences and caused many to reconsider alternative interpretations, or create discussions behind research agendas. Feminist science scholars also study science, not only as a “locus of gender inequalities,” but as a platform in which to establish gender equality (Roy). One way of doing so is by drawing people of diverse backgrounds in terms of “race, class, nation, sexuality, disability, etc. and who can bring to science and science studies a multifaceted awareness of difference, power relations, domination, language and of the need for innovative methodologies” (Stanford). And now, because there are “more women in science, more women teaching science, more feminist scholarship about science, and more and more of it produced by scientists, feminism and the sciences have recently embarked on an exciting period of cross-fertilization” (AAC&U, 1999:2). Today, there are feminists who are not only talking about science, but who are practicing science.

Is science objective?

Short answer: no. And this is one of the reasons that feminist science studies is particularly important.

Invisible biases from popular culture are woven into hypotheses and research without notice every day. Lets unpack this taking the scientific method into account. When we practice science we draw from observation to formulate our research agendas and hypotheses. We then conduct a repeatable experiment and interpret our data. As noted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (1999) there are several points in which our own social, political and/or personal interests can affect the data we produce;

 Social, political or personal interests can affect:

   —how scientists set priorities for scientific investigation;


   —what questions are posed about a topic;


   —what explanatory framework or theory frames a scientific study;

   —what methods are used;


   —what data are considered valid and invalid;


   —how data are interpreted;


   —how data in one study are compared to data in other studies;

   —what conclusions are drawn from the analysis of scientific data;   and

   —what recommendations are made for future studies.

                                                            (AAC&U, 1999:5)

By pointing out ways in which science can be influenced by societal agendas and ideals, feminist science scholars aim to address and deconstruct the belief that science is wholly objective.

Furthermore, the way we are taught to write science works to covers up any ideas that subjectivity exists within the field. Our laboratory reports and manuscripts often include phrases like The findings suggest… and Increased ____ indicates _____. These phrases strip the context and ourselves out of our findings effectively diminishing the idea that personal interests may be inadvertently sewn into the science we produce; they make it appear as if our findings are concrete and not just a possible explanation or interpretation that we made in our head (Hubbard p 157).“Feminists must insist that subjectivity and context cannot be stripped away, that they must be acknowledged if we want to use science as a way to understand nature and society and to use the knowledge we gain constructively” (Hubbard 158).

so how do feminism and science go together?

As a double major, I often get asked how my interests in feminist theory and science overlap. To me it seems rather obvious, but others do not seem to quite see the connection between the two. As noted by Deebolena Roy: “For many individuals, the mere idea of mixing feminism and science together sets well – established modes of reasoning (perhaps even gravity) into topsy-turvy motion”  (Deebolena Roy from article in Women, science, technology page 233 – online one). However when we closely examine the goals of feminism, we see how the two studies fit hand in hand with one another.

Feminist scholars, across disciplines, have made an effort to study and understand systems that perpetuate subordination and marginalization. In doing so, feminists hope to diminish differences between genders, as well as other oppressed groups, and to establish equality across all groups. As noted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities: “In applying feminist analyses to scientific ideas and practices, feminism sees science, like all spheres of intellectual activity, as conditioned by historical circumstances, societal beliefs, and accepted norms” (AAC&U, 1999:3). In other words, feminism examines how cultural norms and stereotypes translates and contributes to our own scientific thinking and practices.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in finding out more - I have a whole thesis on this thing after all!