astra_nomer: (geekchic)
astra_nomer ([personal profile] astra_nomer) wrote2006-07-19 01:48 pm

Trans-view of gender bias

This news is a tad old by now, but there's a very interesting article in last week's issue of Nature (requires subscription to read full text) written by Ben Barres, a scientist who used be known as Barbara Barres, about how sexism in the scientific community keeps women from succeeding. He cites a number of studies documenting gender bias in addition to his own anecdotes. A particularly choice one:
Shortly after I changed sex, a faculty member was heard to say, "Ben Barres gave a great seminar today, but then his work is much better than his sister's."


The NY Times had an interview with him. (thanks to [livejournal.com profile] fredrickegerman for the tip.)

[identity profile] firstfrost.livejournal.com 2006-07-19 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I also find this bit of the interview significant:
Q. Were there girls at M.I.T. then?
A. Very few, but M.I.T. from its very start took women.

In part it's the language, that "girls" is more acceptable at older ages than "boys" is. But language and culture both push on each other.

On the other hand, I can see an explanation for the "his work is much better than his sister's" as a difference between early work and late work. Kind of like Megan Lindholm changing her pen name to Robin Hobb and getting paid more, not to try to pretend to be male but just to start over with a new identity when her talents had grown.
ilai: (Default)

[personal profile] ilai 2006-07-19 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, I read an article in the Boston Globe last week about Ben Barres too, which had the same quote.

Too bad Nature is subscription-only...

[identity profile] arcanology.livejournal.com 2006-07-19 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)

Well, of course, maleness improves character and ability by 15% automatically. Scientific fact.

However a new study indicates that you can get the same improvements merely by carrying a hot dog in your pocket. A kosher hot dog, if you're jewish.