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Inspiration June 13, 2017
Have you ever had your own theories explained to you?
If you’ve been on Facebook recently, you may seen have the following headlines, “Moderator caught mansplaining to a physicist!” or “Mansplaining moderator shut down by audience member!”
These headlines tell the truth… but perhaps aren’t focusing on the whole truth. If you continue watching, more cringeworthy details come to light (the interruption occurs about 1:06:00).
Veronika Hubeny was one of seven scientists at a World Science Festival panel, which was held at the University of California in Davis. During the panel, the moderator asks Hubeny about her contributions to string theory, but then proceeds to answer for her.
Although Veronika attempts to interject, the moderator continues to awkwardly summarize her concepts. Fortunately, after audience member Marilee Talkington asks the male panelist to “Let her speak please,” he immediately apologizes. However, what he says next is more enlightening.
“This always happens to me,” the moderator says, laughing sheepishly. “I always get heckled.”
Always? How many times has this happened before?
This short but significant quote reveals just how many times scientists, men and women alike, have not been allowed to fully explain their concepts. A panel setting can be intimidating in and of itself, especially when you have to talk over each other just to be heard.
The moderator is not the only problem, though. It’s possible that he was unaware of his bad habit. How much longer would it have occurred had someone not spoken up?
The gender gap between men and women in STEM is not negligible. A study conducted by the University of Washington revealed that male students generally considered their male classmates to have a better understanding of the course material than their female counterparts.
The female students, on the other hand, did not have a gender bias regarding course material comprehension. The students did not know each other’s grades when the survey was conducted, so it was filled out completely on assumption.
Yeah. Not the best news.
Although this study did not reveal a gender bias in women, others are not so flattering. At the University of Berkeley in California, a student survey of professors revealed that female students typically ranked their male professors higher than their female counterparts. However, researchers are continually attempting to close this gap with further research into the issue.
“You can only do so much,” said Sarah Eddy, one of the authors of the U.C. Davis study. “There’s been at least 18 years of socialization. You do what you can to interrupt that.”
Marilee Talkington did just that. Hopefully other women in STEM can do the same.
