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Wednesday, January 18, 2006
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Now, here's some news about gender equity we can be more pleased about, I think. The same Chronicle piece that tells us about the fabulous new working conditions for women graduate students in chemistry at Stanford, brings us this news:
Three federal agencies are using a tool that transformed the gender composition of college athletics to investigate gender equity in academic science.
The National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy are reviewing college mathematics, science, and engineering departments to check their compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
This is truly something to cheer about. Sure, they are only reviewing science departments at four universities this year. But that's just this year. My heroine, Debra Rolison, is quoted in the article as saying that "Title IX reviews [are] a 'not-yet-realized earthquake' in academic science."
And you know what happens when there's an earthquake. Long-standing buildings crumble, because they weren't designed to withstand the forces. So it will be, we can hope, with the long-standing institutional practices that shut the door in women's faces.
6:22:28 PM 
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This week's Chronicle of Higher Ed offers a little box story on "Looking for Gender Equity in the Lab" with three items. Item #2 is about Stanford University's new maternity-leave policy for graduate students in chemistry. Here is the description of the policy:
The policy allows women who are pregnant or are new mothers to scale back their course work or research for up to 12 weeks and still get paid. How much women end up working during that time depends on deals they reach with their supervisors.
Notice that second sentence. "Deals they reach with their supervisors"
Also note that the maternity "leave" is actually permission to "scale back course work or research". See, my idea of "leave" is that you actually leave. You know, to be at home, recovering from giving birth, possibly to some boy who may grow up some day to announce that, as chairmen of Famous U.'s chemistry department, he has instituted a policy where women can take the day after giving birth completely off.
And call me cranky, but I can't help thinking of the "deal" that Sherry Towers "reached" with her supervisor and department. So pardon me if I am not quite ready to celebrate the arrival of gender equity at Stanford's chemistry department.
Here's the really sad part. The Chronicle says
[Stanford's policy] may be the country's most generous maternity-leave policy for women in chemistry.
I am glad that at least some women graduate students at one institution will have the opportunity to possibly work less after giving birth. I just don't feel like excessively celebrating this modest gain as if the men had done something really wonderful for all womankind. We don't need to be grateful for crumbs that drop from the men's table. We need to demand a full-course meal.
6:14:55 PM
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I have just been browsing the web page suggested by a reader in the comments on my post on UMD Physics and a certain Dr. Kim.
My, my.
It seems creepily evocative of an ad touting "Meet Russian Brides!" I won't even provide you with a link to Russian bride sites on the web, which apparently are numerous. "Russian Ladies and Ladies Around the World!" You'll be pleased to know that Dr. Kim does not discriminate; while "keeping his commitment to Russian Ladies", he is now also offering an Italian Ladies section. I also learned that "a lady looks much better with her son." Sadly, I have no son, so I guess I won't be looking better. But then, I'm not Russian or Italian, so maybe it doesn't matter.
As a final insult, Dr. Kim presents a picture of himself standing next to a poster board with Marie Curie's picture. And he calls her "the ultimate lady of science".
I think Dr. Kim tries to present himself as a friend and supporter of women, all the while really viewing them as objects designed to beautify the landscape for men.
This whole thing just makes me tired. Supply your rant in the comments section if you like.
5:49:36 PM
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Greetings, everyone! I'm back after a hiatus induced by migraines, computer failure, and a deadline I was trying to meet (complicated by the computer failure, all of which tended to give me migraines...)
I see I have gotten what I believe is my very first trackback and I am so excited! It's in an excellent post by Dr. Free-Ride on Adventures in Ethics and Science which discusses the really dismal situation facing science postdocs in the U.S. With quoted excerpts from some of my favorite Goddess Scientist bloggers.
Clueless blogger that I am, I just learned about the distinction between filter blogs and knowledge, or k-blogs. (Read all about it as well as discussion and research on the "where are all the women bloggers?" question here.) So, the question I'm dying to know the answer to, is my blog a filter blog or a k-blog? I really want to be a k-blog but it seems I do a lot of filtering.
Zuska: k-blogger or filter blogger? Cast your vote and tell us why in the comments.
4:52:46 PM
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© Copyright
2006
Suzanne E. Franks.
Last update:
2/6/2006; 4:05:48 PM.
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