Sorry about the new subject, but I can't get the web-accessed site to
thread properly....
Linnea Ista (lkista at unm.edu) writes
> Interestingly, however, it was my
> experiences that made my DAD more sensitive to these issues. Evidently it
> was a shock when someone made some snide remark about me getting some
> position or honor that woke him up.
Yes, my father is the same--pretty conservative guy, but has really
become a feminist watching my struggles!
> And at the same time, of course it is totally "unfair"
> for us to paint all white males with the same brush and not to acknowledge
> that there are some good guys out there (especially the white male to whom
> you happen to be speaking at the time).
Absolutely. For example, the MIT dean who actually listened to the
women faculty and realized that whereas comments of one might be
complaining but comments from a number of them represented
a broader trend. For a lot of potentially very supportive men,
it's not intentional, but they don't "get" it the same way unless
it is brought forcibly to their attention.
> I am feeling much the same. Every time a new man (or sometimes woman)
> comes into the lab and feels free to begin treating me as their personal
> assistant, UNTIL I "prove" that I am actually a skilled and knowledgable
> scientist.
>
Yes, amd I also despair that we will change the relentless belief
(which was probably also baggage that the MIT women carreid) that
an honor to a woman or even her achievements are because she's a woman,
not because she's a good scientist. The backlash is that any
elevation of a woman is viewed through this bias. The reality is
that most of us make it despite our treatment, not because of
it. We simply can't win. I for one am getting very weary of the struggle.
Incidnetally, the Chronicle of Higher Ed. article on the MIT report
is now free online:
http://chronicle.com/free/v45/i30/30a01801.htm?side
--
-susan
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