Hidden Figures in Science
Science’s main goal is to discover the ‘truth’, which is easier said than done in today’s society, due to the implicit and explicit biases. These biases have detrimental effects on the scientific community as was whole, which separates people. It’s important that people speak up against discrimination whether it’s inside or outside the scientific community. Typically speaking, many of the discriminations happening within the scientific community are not addressed. “Scientific objectivity has been associated with a gender-linked idea, with the stereotypical male scientist as the ideal image” (Oreskes Pg.88). There is a gender inequality in science, and it’s been going on for a long time. Women are still not being paid the same amount or awarded the same as men even though they perform the same task. This clear discrimination is sickening and really shows where we stand as human beings.
Eleanor Annie Lamson was one of these cases. Lamson was responsible for, “developing and implementing the procedures necessary to convert the photographic records of the pendulum into measurements of the acceleration of gravity”. Lamson had a very significant role in trying to measure gravity while at sea, but was not recognized for her work or awarded credit. Oreskes used the psychoanalytical perspective of Nancy Chodorow to critique objectivity, which states male children must detach themselves from the primary love-object, which is the mother. Female children forge their identities as women in continuing identification with their mothers. “Men may be more likely to view the world from the perspective of detachment, women from the perspective of connection” (Oreskes Pg.88). This could be used to explain women’s invisibility in the scientific field due to the fact women might be doing science in a less objective way. Therefore, their work is being misconceived, underemphasized, and critiqued harshly.
Heroism in science is typically viewed as a vision of a man with great physical strength who is ready to risk bodily harm and sacrifice emotional attachment to normal life for the sake of his quest. “Heroic ideology can transmogrify the mind-numbing tedium of daily scientific work into something glamorous and transcendental” (Oreskes Pg.103). The will to do everything humanly possible to reach your goal is deemed heroic and motivational and it has a masculine ideology. This separates the genders even more and does not allow women a chance to connect to the scientific community. This ideology is harmful towards women and their future. In the sense of science, this discourages women and slows the scientific community as a whole.
In the movie, Hidden Figures, three African American mathematicians are discriminated against and ignored due to their gender and race. The movie gives rise to gender inequality, as well as the racial inequality that’s in the scientific community. The women were not even allowed to use the same bathrooms as the whites were using. One scene shows the boss destroyed the colored sign and denounced segregation never actually happened. Kathrine Johnson, one of the three African American mathematicians, admitted that she defied the racial segregation laws. The film makers seemed fine with adding a “white hero” (Thomas 2017). That heroic ideology takes away from the courageous and motivating act Kathrine displayed during her time at NASA. I believe that this makebelieve boss takes away from the shame whites have during the oppression and blatant racism at the time. Science should be clear of all discrimination and biases for the sake of scientific imporvment and the well of all human beings.
Work cited:
Oreskes, N. (1996). Objectivity or Heroism? On the Invisibility of Women in Science. Osiris, 11, 87–113. doi:10.1086/368756
Thomas, D. (2017, January 25). Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures” was whitewashed — but it didn’t have to be. Retrieved October 10, 2020, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3xmja/oscar-nominated-hidden-figures-was-whitewashed-but-it-didnt-have-to-be
