Abstract
Historians of science have traditionally concentrated on the achievements of scientists in Western Europe and North America. The usual assumption was that one did not need to study scientific communities outside of a few key countries because they were presumed to be analogous to (though weaker than) scientific communities in the West. In general, those who study women in science have shared this bias. This article provides examples that illustrate how cross-national research that includes less-studied areas of the world can move us beyond generalizations that are based on small samples of women scientists in relatively few countries. This article is not definitive but rather suggests ways in which transnational studies of gender and science can contribute to our knowledge of not only the position of women in science but also the significance of class and social status and the meanings attached to the scientific enterprise in different cultural contexts.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 107-114 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2005 |
Keywords
- Cross-cultural comparisons
- Gender and science
- Science education
- Science in the Third World
- Women in science
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Management of Technology and Innovation
- History and Philosophy of Science