In article <1993May19.141932.24962 at alw.nih.gov> blewis at helix.nih.gov (barbara lewis) writes:
>> The flip side of this is
>>that senior male scientists may avoid close relationships with young
>>female scientists because of the risk and/or suggestion that the
>>relationship is sexual rather than collegial. And there are many men
>>of a certain age who seem to have trouble dealing with women as
>>people. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ^^^^^^
>>Chris Hitchcock clh at vax.ox.ac.uk>>Or more appropriately, dealing with women as their equals! Another possible
>occurrance is that male scientists are unable to accept women on their
>accomplishments and merits without feeling a bit threatened. Just a
>thought on the topic...
>>Barbara Lewis blewis at helix.nih.gov Hybridoma Data Bank
One's point-of-view on sexism-in-academia/science can be influenced by
direct experience that runs counter to feminist orthodoxy.
1. In graduate school, a female doctoral candidate told me that she had
fallen madly for a certain (married) man on her committee, that she had
relentlessly pursued him, "putting herself in his way" in every way she
could devise, that he had finally succumbed to a sexual affair for a
year, that they had broken up......and I might add that she, and her
major professor (a different person), saw no conflict with her ex-lover
continuing to serve on the committee for her final defense.......
2. In graduate school, our program had funding to support occasional
seminar presentations by out-of-town scientists of our choosing. We
invited a nationally known female biologist, who was experiencing the
thrill and financial reward of a widely accepted biology college
textbook. At dinner, one of the female graduate students asked this
biologist "what had been the most important aspect(s)" of her experience
in graduate school? Unhesitatingly, she said: "my love affairs" and then
she expanded on that theme in considerable *personal* detail, which can
be summerized as, "work hard and do good research, but don't allow it to
put your personal life on the back burner; conversely, one's imitimate
relationships, even with a colleage, should not deter one's pursuit of
excellance in research and professional achievement."
Both women are brilliant, achievers, and definitely *not* blame-
displacement whiners.
Steve
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