“How does gender shape science? The intermingling of gender and science in historical contexts” by Elena Serrano.
Days: April 24, May, 23, 24, 30, 31
Place: Technical University Berlin
(Elena Serrano and Maria Rentetzi)
Summary: Gender interacts with knowledge in multiple ways. From the very questions that we choose to ask or not to ask, to the way research is conducted, to the language and images we use for thinking, discussing and communicating, science reflects the gendered values of the societies that produced it. At the same time, the relationship between genders is not immutable through time, but affected by scientists’ understanding of masculinity and femininity: “Gendered knowledge informed the gendering of natural kinds and vice versa” (Milam and Nye, 2015).
The course shows ways in which gender worked in the development of scientific ideas and practices and vice versa, instances in which science naturalizes gendered assumptions. The course aims to teach how to use gender as an analytical tool, not only for their obvious use in historical research, but also because gender may crucially contribute to our understanding of present-day scientific issues –such as research agendas, women’s under representation in science, and emerging technologies.