Physics: For Women, the Last Frontier

[Richard Hake <rrhake@EARTHLINK.NET>]

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A search of the above LISTSERV archives by typing first "gender" and
then "women" in the subject slot yields, respectively, the number of
hits indicated above after each URL.

The hit numbers suggest that there may be some subscriber interest in
the recent important "Science" editorial by Shelia Tobias, Meg Urry,
and Aparna Venkatesan titled "Physics: For Women, the Last Frontier,"
even by those who confront gender frontiers less formidable than that
in physics. Tobias et al. (2002) write:

"All over the world, women are drawn to physics and practice physics
for the same reasons and in the same ways as men. BUT WOMEN
PHYSICISTS ARE STILL RARE, THEY'RE SEEN AS DIFFERENT, AND THEIR
ABILITIES ARE UNDERVALUED. That's the overall impression from the
International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)-sponsored
international conference on women in physics . . .
<http://www.if.ufrgs.br/~barbosa/conference.html> . . . held 7 to 9
March 2002 in Paris and from a 50-country pre-meeting survey of women
in physics reported at the conference. With over 300 participants, 15
percent male, in 65 national teams, the conversation ranged widely,
from putative cognitive differences (a claim heard mainly in the
United States), TO THE BENEFITS OF A RIGOROUS SECONDARY SCHOOL
PREPARATION (59 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN PRESENT HAD CHOSEN PHYSICS IN
HIGH SCHOOL), to the importance of arranging one's own marriage, even
in cultures where this is not the norm." (My CAPS.)

For other reports on this conference see Anon (2002) and Feder (2002).

For a list of references on "Gender Issues in Physics/Science
Education" see Mallow & Hake (2002). We hope that the references and
annotations may be of value to those concerned with promoting gender
equity in science (not just in physics).

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>

REFERENCES
Anon. 2002. "International Conference Grapples with Issues of Women
in Physics" "APS News," May; online (for APS members) at
<http://www.aps.org/apsnews/0502/050203.html>.

Feder, T. 2002. "Women, and Some Men, Ask Why Women Don't Flock to
Physics," "Physics Today" 55(5): 24; online at
<http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-55/iss-5/p24.html>.

Mallow, J.V. & R.R. Hake. 2002. "Gender Issues in Physics/Science
Education (GIPSE) - Some Annotated References"; online at
<http://www.luc.edu/depts/physics/mallow.html> and
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>; about 300 references and 200
hot-linked URL's.

Tobias, S., M. Urry, & A. Venkatesan. 2002. "Physics: For Women, the
Last Frontier, editorial, "Science" 296: 5571; online at
<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/296/5571/1201>.
Non-AAAS members may access the editorial by taking a few minutes to
complete a free limited-access registration.