Susan wrote:
>>> > 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.
This is true no matter what field we are in I fear. I see far too many
headlines that read "Grandmother wins election" and that sort of thing. I
have a friend who is a symphony orchestra player, principle flautist in
fact, and a tenure-track faculty member at the university. She has "made"
it. Not only does she have to deal with some of her colleagues playing the
"woman first, professional second" game, but she has to deal with members
of the public doing it as well.
I really try not to dispair, but I am REALLY having trouble being nice to
people who do exihibit these behaviors anymore. And of course, by all
means we have to be nice to people. Otherwise WE are being unprofessional.
Your comment about making it despite our treatment really hits home with
me. When someone starts arguing that just because I am a woman I do not
deserve "special treatment" (i.e. affirmative action policies) I generally
state that because of my gender in this field, I have received "special"
treatment all my life, but it was usually NEGATIVE special treatment, so
why is it not okay for me to receive it in a postive manner as well?
Someone wrote a couple of days ago that there was a riot of white males on
campus at U of Michigan. That struck me as really ironic. When WE are
feeling mistreated, it is all in our heads, we have to be diplomatic, we
have to PROVE it to all and sundry and above all, NOT APPEAR TO BE ANGRY.
Yet these men are feeling the pain of losing priviledges, which must be
bewildering and uncomfortable, and they get to be pissed off and run amok!
And no one says that "Oh, they are very angry and unpleasant individuals"
like it is a character flaw or something. There is quick analysis of just
what they are angry about, and even quite a bit of sympathy for the poor
dears!
Well, back to being super FEMALE microbiologist (vbg)
Linnea
