The Hidden Power of Women in Science
The writer of Objectivity or Heroism? On the Invisibility of Women in Science named Naomi Oreskes discusses women’s transparent existence in the science field. Oreskes mentions the following in her piece:
The thesis of this paper is that many women have done objective scientific work, but have had their work obscured or devalued by the ideology of scientific heroism — an ideology that has been particularly manifest in the history of the field sciences (Oreskes, 1996).
Touching base with the history of American women scientists, she highlights two major themes that are present in her writing: heroism and objectivity. When Oreskes says heroism in the science realm, she implies that scientists are “heroic individual[s], dedicated to the quest for knowledge against the bulwarks of ignorance and the powers of darkness and superstition” (Oreskes, 1996). The powers of darkness and superstition that Oreskes mentions are things that potentially hinder scientific knowledge such as female stereotypes and men superiority. By associating scientific attributes and knowledge to masculinity, “heroic ideology renders the female scientist invisible,” and by pinpointing scientific activities that may potentially be deemed irresponsible if a woman leads it, “heroic ideology relegates women’s work to the realm of the inconsequential” (Oreskes, 1996). When Oreskes mentions objectivity, she implies that there is no implicit biasness. However, she states that the word is mostly seen as gender-linked, and many observers see the word as masculine. Oreskes compares heroism and objectivity, and although heroism has a positive connotation, many people do not associate heroes to heroines. Oreskes writes as a subtitle in page 109:
Can’t women be heroes?
They should be and they are, however they are undermined by men and society’s view and norms. Female scientists are not given significant recognition like men, and it pushes the ideology of injustice and divides science as a whole.
Oreskes arguments of heroism and objectivity are related to the film Hidden Figures, which revolves around the ideas of racism and sexism. The film stars three African American women, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson working at Langley Research Laboratory. Dealing with segregation while working, the three women face challenges in a white male dominated community and white supremacy. Although there is evident racial discrimination and inequality, the three remarkable scientists and mathematicians were able to persevere and demonstrate the true acts of heroism.
Race intersects with gender because both are scrutinized and have certain biasness to them. Being white and/or being a male grants a privilege in today’s society, and those that are not within that dominant field are more likely to be brushed off in many different scenarios. The intersection of race and gender inflict how we think about science and scientists in this film due to the inclusion of a white man that was fictionalized into the movie. He’s seen as chivalrous and states that “we all pee the same color” in the film after stating that there should not be any more colored restrooms even though the event never took place. His existence in the movie moves the attention of the audience to a white hero instead of the three ladies that should be the primary focus of the movie. The directors who added his character confused me, and I thought that they were trying to make a character that represents a heroic figure in the science field who was a white male. Nonetheless, it temporarily diverts the attention of the viewers from the actual themes of the film and attempts to make the fictional man “heroic.”
References
- Melfi, T. (2017, January 6). Hidden Figures [Biography, Drama, History]. Fox 2000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment, Levantine Films
- Oreskes, N. (1996). Objectivity or Heroism? On the Invisibility of Women in Science. Osiris, 11, 87–113. (PDF)
