The time period following the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, was a time of great knowledge and world-impacting discoveries. A large number of brilliant scientific minds set out to experiment and discover things that had never even been thought of. If you were to ask most people who they believed were the most important people during the Scientific Revolution you would hear responses such as: Galilee, Newton, and Copernicus. The majority of people don’t realize that there were many women who were just as brilliant as the men of the time period. During this time period it was still completely acceptable to be sexist about how knowledgeable women really had the potential to be. Most of the time these scientifically inclined women were reduced to working as assistants to the male scientists. If these women made any sort of independent discoveries, every shred of credit was given to the men involved in the research. Even the thought of women involving themselves in the sciences was highly discouraged and basically socially frowned upon. (Shapin, 15).
Due to the fact that women were not exactly given a fair chance to prove to society that they could equally contribute or surpass the scientific findings of male scientists, many of these women were forgotten or deemed as less important. Therefore, many of today’s educators do not put enough focus and emphasis on the discoveries of these magnificent women. Women did have a significant impact on the advancing knowledge during the Scientific Revolution. The following information on: Maria Agnesi, Margaret Cavendish, Maria Sibylla Merian, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Emilie Du Chatelet, Caroline Herschel, and Laura Bassi is solid proof that their hard work and diligence did affect how sci...
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...mount of sexism that society so greatly clung to.
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Shapin, Steven. The Scientific Revolution. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 1996. Print.
One of the strongest women scientist/astronomer was born in 1818 as Maria Mitchell whom led an unbelievable life and had an incredible discovery. Maria Mitchell was born when women were not given the opportunity to vote nor did women have the same equal rights as men did, but given her circumstances of her father being a principal, founding his own school and being a distant family member of Benjamin Franklin she was given the same rights as the men did. Given a few obstacles she led an extraordinary life and became the first woman in America to work as an astronomer professionally, which she than later received an award personally from King Frederick VII, for her work and discovery.
Many women scientist upheld and defended their positions as learned, scientific individuals. Marie Meurdrac, a French scientist, in a foreword to a publication stated clearly that women’s and men’s minds, if thought in the same manner would hold no difference.(Doc 2) Similarly, Dorothea Erxleben understood and explained why men and women alike look down on her for studying science because they feel that it is an insult.(Doc 9) Her experiences as a female scientist led her to truly grasp why her persecutors acted as they did towards her although this document shows no signs that she thinks the same. Maria Sibylla Merian, a German entomologist, discussed some of her scientific practices that encompass her dedication and fascination with science.(Doc 5) Another example of this whole-hearted dedication comes from Marquis...
In documents two and five the women’s interests in science, as well as their need for some sort of education were expressed. Document five simply explains that women, as well as men, can hold an interest, as well as succeed in science. In document two, written by Marie Meurdrac, a French scientist, the statement was made that “minds have no sex, and if the minds of women were cultivated like those of men, they would be equal to the minds of the latter.'; This was a very interesting document to examine. Being that it was a passage from the foreword to her text “Chemistry Simplified for Women';; the second earliest out of all the documents (1666), it was quite a revolutionary idea for that time. It explains a key fact about women participating in the field of science at that time. It talks about how a women, as well as a man, can aspire to become a scientist.
For a long time, women’s potential in Science was little to none. However, over the years, it has now changed because of the outstanding breakthroughs and encouraging accomplishments women have done through the years. It is because of them, women’s potential in Science and other realms of studies has now evolved with more understandings and discoveries. It is for the reason of Maria Mitchell, one of the first female astronomers to be recognized in Science, that women’s potential were essentially respected. Her discoveries during her time as a student, a teacher, and an astronomer paved the way for many others, not just in Science, but also for woman’s rights and potential to be seen.
229). According to the founding members of Royal Society, the rise of the masculine philosophy was going to be accomplished without the involvement of any women. In nineteenth century it twas believed that in order to be able to conduct real science women's exclusions was unquestionably necessary. The male domination in science, and undermining of women's intellect was upsetting a lot of women. Only few women at the time had the courage to challenge this thyps of philosophies and Margaret Cavendish was one of them. Cavendish always expressed her dissatisfaction about the unavailable higher education for women in universities. Cavendish added her concern that if things did not change withe in the near future she would not be able to put her work forward and have her influence on philosophy. Scince the nineteenth century a lot has changed in the benefit of women in science but we still have long way to go until we reach complete equality among sexes in science. Acording to Women, Gender, and Science The need for orbitals in Higher education Ingrid Bartsch mentions that “it is time for ideas already accepted by feminists to permeate the thick insulation that both protects and isolates the natural science, to explore ways that women’s studies and sciences might become legitimate partners in the production of future scientists. Today, with all the women presents in science it is easy to forget about the hardship women had to go trough in the nineteenth
Women in society were always put as not being equal to men. During the Renaissance, women were inferior to men; women in different classes had different roles. Low class women were expected to be housewives and take care of everything to do with the house. Working class women were expected to work for their husbands and help them run their business. They would work along side with their husbands and then go home and take care of the household. Upper class women may have had servants and workers working for them but the women were still expected to take care of the house hold.
In a randomized double- blind study, science faculty from a research- intensive university rated the application materials of a student who was randomly assigned either a male or female name – for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hirable than the identical female applicant. Meditation analysis indicated that the female student was less likely to be hired because she was viewed as less competent. Studies like this directly proves that gender bias lives in STEM societies. It is quite disturbing that the Stem society would stop low and practice in gender discrimination. For instance, DR. Vera Rubin was a pioneering astronomer who found the first empirical proof of “Dark Matter”. But before that she was rejected by Princeton for a graduate degree because their astronomy program did not accept women, this incident was in 1948 the policy was upheld until 1975. To think that it has only been forty one years that Princeton has been accepting women is amazing. How does a prestigious university degrade and discriminate against women? Princeton turning away Dr. Vera Rubin a perfect example of how turning women away can substantially limit the discovery of the unknown. Another example is Emmy Noether, Emmy Noether is regarded as one of the most influential figures in mathematical history. Even albert Einstein thought she
For my first Extension I have chosen to research about a woman named Annie Jump Cannon. She was a renowned astronomer who lived from 1863-1941. She was a true pioneer for women everywhere and greatly contributed to the field of astronomy. This is an essay about her accomplishments as a Quiet Hero of Science.
Rossiter, Margaret W. (1982). Women Scientists in America: Struggles and Strategies to 1940. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press
In the 17th and 18th centuries, women that practiced scientific studies were judged and looked upon in different ways, sometimes treated with respect and other times with disgust. Women actively participated in scientific research in chemistry, astronomy, biology, botany, physics, and medicine. Most European universities and academies of science excluded women entirely, some did indeed allow women to hold professorships in science and math, but it was a very slim number compared to how many women were neglected and not given these opportunities. Women during this time translated scientific works on physics, astronomy, anatomy, etc.; they also held scientific discussions in salons. There are two main viewpoints pertaining women’s participation
Rosalind Franklin: Seeing a woman as a scientist during this time is somewhat rare, so the fact that she has taken up this profession show that she is persistent, dedicated, and smart. The only problem is that she is undervalued because of her gender. She is also very quiet and reserved because she’s in a different country.
University of Alabama, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4,000 Years of Women in Science. Dec. 2002 2 Nov. 2003 http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/newintro.html.
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.)
When most people think of the Scientific Revolution, they think of scientists such as Galileo, Newton, Brahe, and Boyle. However, many people do not even know about the many women who played a vital role in the scientific advancements of this period. Even when these women were alive, most of society either ignored them or publicly disapproved their unladylike behavior. Because of this, these women were often forgotten from history, and very little is known about the majority of them. Although their names rarely appear in history books, the female scientists of the Scientific Revolution still impacted the world of science in several ways. In fact, all of the scientists listed above had a woman playing an influential role assisting them in their research. However, assisting men in their studies was not the only role open to women; several women performed experimentation and research on their own, or advancing science in some other way, even though the society of the time looked down upon and even resisted their studies.
Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey. Women in Science: Antiquity through the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge (Mass.): MIT, 1988. Print.