Though often labelled as the “Final Frontier” the prospect of colonizing and living in space may not be as far-fetched as it once seemed. Modern technology and innovation may soon make it so that we can venture where “no one has gone before.” However, the prospect of colonization in space brings up several concerns. Would our social order be able to carry on in such a foreign environment? And if so, would culturally ingrained ideas such as sexism as a result of widely held notions of specific gender roles, etc. endure within our new colonies and future space missions? Considering the lack of female representation within US and international space programs throughout history as well as presently, and continuing discourses and practices within …show more content…
Following the initial shutdown of Project Mercury involving the women, several NASA representatives, including George Low and astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, testified that under NASA's selection criteria that women could not qualify as astronaut candidates. Glenn once stated that "the fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order" (Ackman, pg. 166), simply implying that many could not accept women in the “masculine” role of astronaut (Weitkamp, pg. 3) While they had correctly stated that NASA required all astronauts to be graduates of military jet test piloting programs and possess engineering degrees, John Glenn himself admitted that he had been assigned to NASA's Mercury Project without having earned the required degree (Ackman). Despite the fact that several of the women involved in the project had been employed as civilian test pilots, and many had considerably more propeller aircraft flying time than the male astronaut candidates, NASA still refused to grant equivalency for their experience. These refusals implicitly promoted postwar beliefs about men and women’s gender roles. Furthermore, flying a member of the “weaker sex” evoked stereotypes that if a woman could complete the complex tasks expected of astronauts, then it must be easy, and thereby ruined the “prestige” of the male astronauts (Weitkamp) much to …show more content…
For instance, a NASA informant claimed that “women and men have different brains” and “think differently (Casper, Moore, pg. 318). Females are viewed as “unstable entities”, promoting this rather erroneous assumption that men are more stable. Female astronauts thus gave multiple pressures operating on them at all times, simply because their bodies differ from the “male standard”. They are believed to introduce some degree of uncertainty into an otherwise “stable” environment, and as such their bodies are constructed to fit in in order to maintain this homeostasis. Harry Jones, a scientist of NASA Ames Research Center has stated that often times “size, body type, gender, emotional structure, and other individual differences might all affect the cost-benefit equation in astronaut selection” involving women (Greene), though NASA often claims there is no presence of gender bias in the selection process, and any issues when selecting a crew of astronauts concern crew performance involving such aspects as group dynamics and individual psychology. Concerning group dynamics, multi-gendered crews with a balanced number of men and women are considered more harmonious, with higher and more efficient performance members (Casper, Moore, pg. 318). And yet, if balance is better, why is it that there is only one or two women among the average seven members involved in
In his novel, Cantor's Dilemma, Dr. Djerassi uses female characters to address sexist issues arising from women integrating into the predominantly male science world. The characters, Celestine Price and Professor Arderly, are used to show examples of how women have little voice in the field of science. The female characters suggest how women are often looked upon as sex objects rather than co-workers and they are given little opportunity to balance a scientific career with raising a family. By weaving these issues into his novel, Dr. Djerassi illustrates the following theme: Discrimination against women in the field of science is harmful to the progression of scientific exploration. If women are excluded from science, then an artificial limit is put on human resources. (The field of science will not utilize the potential female minds available.)
Although animated cartoons have long been associated with children’s entertainment, the content of many cartoons suggest they are for adults as well. From character portrayal to perceived gender roles, cartoons such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and Scooby Doo both reflect societal values from their time periods as well as perpetuate the developed stereotypes. Cartoons produced more recently such as The Simpsons start to challenge these stereotypes instead of following blindly. Comparing the earliest popular cartoons to more recent productions, shows progress towards a less stereotypical character portrayal in regards to gender.
Have you ever felt discriminated against in the workplace? Usually, women are the most common people that are mistreated in the workplace. There are many reasons why women are discriminated against, but none of them are excuses for women for not being successful. Women face sexism by getting less pay than men, not getting promoted as equally as men, and facing other gender stereotypes, but sexism can be solved by women confronting their internal and external barriers and finding people that can help women.
Throughout history, women have always aimed for a recognized place in society. Centuries ago, people looked at the role of women in society as being sociologically inferior. Seeing the revival of the Feminist movement, which boldly opposes the stereotypical characteristics of women in society, on one hand, and promotes the elevation of women's status in society, on the other, one would not find it hard to believe the drastic differences in opinion of people on this issue. What is amazing is how these differences reflect upon scholarly works in science.
In James Tiptree Jr’s short science fiction story “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?”, three men aboard their spaceship accidentally travel into a future solely inhabited by women. From their various interactions with the women on board the Gloria spacecraft, the men quickly discover that they have no place in this futuristic environment and are denied access back to Earth. While this rejection appears tyrannical on the women’s part, it is justifiable as the utopian nature of the female society thrives on the lack of a male population. Specifically, the women’s self-sustainability, along with the dominant behaviour and inherent aggression of a man’s masculinity justifies their denial of the men’s access to Earth.
Sexism is the ideology that maintains that one sex is inherently inferior to the other. Sexism or discrimination based on gender has been a social issue for many years; it is the ideology that one sex is superior or inferior to the other. Sexism does not only affect females, but also males. Men are very often victimized by social stereotypes and norms based on gender expectations. Sexism has appears in almost all social institutions including family, the media, religion, sports, the military, politics, and the government. However, although both genders are affected, men have benefited from sexism the most (Thompson 300-301.)
In 2008 the first woman was awarded the position of Speaker of the House, and Hillary Clinton ran for president. While Hillary had widespread support leading people to believe that the two different genders had reached equality, there were several that doubted whether or not a woman has what it takes to be a president. The women that came into power that was generally held by men, needed to perform a balancing act. This balancing act was between the characteristics of women and projecting the masculine strength and leadership needed to hold their position (Jenen 14). This problem in society has been continuing on for a long time. In the 1970’s women had no standing in academia. That women were no use to the department they were studying and
It is within man’s blood and nature to explore, and space is our next New World. Man’s first achievement in space travel was the launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. For the next decades, space travel was roaring like a rocket, fueled by man’s desire to explore, man’s desire for knowledge, and man’s desire to beat his enemies. However, these impulses have died out as the well of government funding has been diverted to wars and debts, and the interest of the American people has been diverted to wars and debts. Amidst all these issues it is debated as to whether or not space travel is worth the money and the attention of scientists, particularly since humanity faces so many issues on earth currently. However, because of the past inventions, current services, and future benefits, space travel is indeed worth the money and attention of governments and people. It is within our hands to control man’s advancement, and space travel is the next venue to do so.
You are at an interview, the interviewer says that you are not qualified for the job because of your gender. What would you say? Sexism has caused stereotypes, and harassment in the workforce, and professional sports, therefore people should know more about sexism. Media is a powerful tool of communication, it produces both negative and positive impacts on society.
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
In Star Trek, women are either glorified or detested yet still marginalized, revealing the sexist dichotomies of the 60s due to cultural imagination and perception of women’s roles of the time period. During this time period, women were unable to achieve high ranking, especially as a woman of color Lt. Uhura is a great example of the hope for women in society to become equal. A basic limitation of sex binary can be underscored by an analysis of the experiences of women of color in particular cultural contexts and at various historical
Rosser, S. V. (1998). Applying feminist theories to women in science programs. Signs, 24, 71-200.
Most everyone in today’s society is familiar with the book, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. The author, John Gray, has written many books about the differences men and women face during everyday life. The book, Mars and Venus in the Workplace, is the ninth book in his Mars/Venus theme that he began writing in 1993. In this book, Grey informs his audience that men and women communicate with different styles. Grey also acknowledges that there is prejudice against women in the workplace; they have to work twice as hard because it is not a level playing field.
In many cases, women’s achievements are measured according to male oriented standards. I would like to argue with a more diverse approach to this cause. If humanity is comprised of both men and women, and we are equally dependent on each other for humanity’s survival, why are men and women not viewed as equals? These old attitudes are drilled into us from birth. If boys were taught mutual respect as they grew up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. In the same way girls would need to be taught to set high goals; that they can reach as high as humanly possible. Unfortunately, typically male values and traditions have, over time, shaped the culture in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) fields. This has created, in many ways, a hostile learning and working environment for women. From time immemorial, women have been regarde...
...d women’s biological purpose has provided men a source of comparative advantage in work. It is, therefore, natural for most companies to think that women cannot be as capable as men in terms of assuming strenuous or challenging positions because women, by default, become less participative and more vulnerable when they start to have family and children. Apparently, this situation has led to various gender discriminations in the labor market.