Gender Studies of STS: A Look Toward the Future

Abstract

Feminism is a complex social phenomenon that has suffered misadventures and traveled down a number of blind alleys. Liberal feminism called for womens rights equal education pay and opportunity that provided them to make it in a mans world. However this has also led into certain blind alleys such as the tendency to: ignore or altogether deny sex and gender differences and the search for womens distinctive research methods. Feminists started developing the following three basic tenets of so called First difference feminism diverged from liberalism in focusing on the differences between men and women. Second it also revalued qualities traditionally devalued as feminine such as subjectivity cooperation empathy and the likes. And finally it was argued that changes not only in women but also in science classrooms curricula laboratories theories priorities and research programs are needed for women to become equal in science. Feminism has brought impressive changes to science. Two examples are from the US where gender studies have had a massive impact on the content of science are medicine and primatology. However the question of who or what might create beneficial change in science has been confused by Americans mistrust in feminism. Moreover to test whether women or feminism will do or have done science differently would require a complex study of the history of science. Understanding the process of change can enhance efforts to open science to women throughout the world.