Related Experiment Videos
Is feminism a threat to scientific objectivity?
1Division of Health Care Organization, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21205, USA.
International Journal of Women'S Studies
|September 1, 1981
Summary
This paper explores the conflict between women's values and traditional science, which is often seen as masculine. It suggests a future feminist science could emerge by challenging the objective-subjective divide.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Sociology of Science
- Feminist Theory
Background:
- Science is often characterized as masculine, contrasting with feminine traits like subjectivity.
- Traditional scientific values emphasize rationality, impersonality, and objectivity.
Observation:
- The distinction between objectivity and subjectivity is embedded within science at multiple levels.
- This divide is perpetuated through knowledge production, social uses, expert/non-expert roles, and power structures.
Findings:
- The paper argues that science reproduces gender ideology and a masculine worldview.
- Challenging the subjective/objective dichotomy is crucial for transforming science.
Implications:
- The development of a feminist science is proposed as a future possibility.
- A truly feminist science may only be fully realized within a feminist society.
- Transforming science requires dismantling the rigid separation of subjective and objective knowledge.