Pointing the Finger (at ourselves) – Well-behaved women rarely make (scientific) history

blame The report entitled “Women at the Top in Science- and Elsewhere” discussed a broad array of topics and concerns regarding women in science. Author Virginia Valian discusses advantages, gender schemas, and entity and incremental theorists amongst other things. After I read the report, I came to the realization that there is no explicit reason for why there are not an equivalent number of men and women in science. But before I discuss that, I think it is valuable to note that Valian shows us that women not only face setbacks in science, but in other fields as well. It is important to be aware of these setbacks because they point to a greater problem faced by women in every field of work, the lack of equality. This gap is important, especially in today’s world, because women have progressed so well and thrived ever since they were suppressed, and now even when women are not suppressed, they are limited by social stigmas. Since the problem that is faced is so large, no single culprit can be blamed. The overarching problem is made up of smaller issues that pile up and have a massive effect on women.

An important component in the discussion about women in the workforce is the role that gender schemas play. Gender schemas sound like a set group of characteristics that describe the genders, but one key component about gender schemas sets them apart from other things. Us. We created gender schemas. Mankind’s actions and words over time have molded the gender schemas that bind us today. These schemas tell us what jobs “suit” each gender and

what each gender is responsible for doing over the course of their lives. For example, women are expected to have children and care for them rather than work, and men are supposed to work and make money for their family. These schemas give men a small advantage at each level when working, but that small advantage is big enough to pile up and have a compounding effect on the amount of women involved in certain jobs. Valian discusses how having children affects women and how their ability to progress in their job is not hindered because they took time off from work to have a child. I was pleasantly surprised when I read that because I know that many women are not aware of that fact. The gender schemas force women into thinking that they can either have children or have a career and this is simply just not true.

Gender schemas are not the only thing to blame because oversimplification plays a big role too. As a society, we like to categorize everything because it just makes more sense to do that. We cannot blame ourselves for naturally thinking like that, but we are to blame for not doing anything about it. Just because we want to think that men do one thing and women do the other, we all need to realize that anybody can do whatever they set their mind to. Genders do not define our abilities, give us our talents, or limit our dreams.

Olivia Taylor says:

August 29, 2015 at 2:03 am

When I read the part about how having children doesn’t hinder women from being successful in their career I was excited too! But then I thought a little more about it and realized that while it is very possible for a woman to have children and a full time job as well, the reality is that they would be doing the bulk of the childcare as well as working full time. The working father is never expected to do as much around the house and concerning the kids, and it ends up that women who have children and work are adding far more hours to their workday than their male parters. This reality definetly has played its part in discouraging women from working full time. An easy solution would be to have partners equally balance work and childcare between themselves, but gender schemas encourage people to leave nurturing and housekeeping to the women.

Rachel Tang says:

August 29, 2015 at 4:10 pm

I agree with what you’re saying about our society oversimplifying situations. Many of the time, we tend to think that something’s either one way or the other way. For example, we oversimplify the role of a woman by stating that women can either work or stay at home, but not both. However, by doing so, we set limitations on ourselves. A recent research I remember seeing talked about how women tend to be more critical of themselves and therefore don’t think they can take as many risks while men tend to take more risks and just go for it, which I think also hinders a woman’s belief that she can work and take care of the family. While women should know that they can do both, I think men need that encouragement to, that as a society, it is perfectly normal for men to be caretakers at home as well, it should not be limited to a woman’s role.

Ying Wu says:

August 30, 2015 at 11:54 am

I agree with your point that ” genders do not define our abilities, give us our talents, or limit our dreams”. It’s a very great point. Actually, in Asian, especially in China, a lot of girls have better grades than boys. And as for me, I took six AP exams and all got Fives.My performance, I think and it’s true, is better than most of the boys in the world. Also, I think gender can improve our abilities. When people around you always say “You cannot do it well. It’s for men.” Girls will put more effort in the work and then do a better job.

YANG YANG says:

August 30, 2015 at 4:02 pm

I agree with you that social schema which define women as nurturing and submissive is very harmful for women’s career.Yet in the paradox, is the schema always bring benefit for man? In China, there is a interesting phenomenon: men start complaining about their schema. Because the high living cost, especially the high price for house, is seen as men’s duty. Is it a good sign for feminism in China? No, it isn’t. Men started to command women to abandon the acquiescent tradition and marry them without any meterial guarantee, exclaiming that as a virtuous trait for women, which seems even more ridiculous to me.(Note: I am not judging the tradition, but at many conditions it seem the only way women can gain “guarantee” in marrige because the new law doesn’t accept women’s invisible pay)So we can see the equality of gender still has a long way to go in China.