Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 12:56:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject: CSWA Newsletter of 10/25/2000
To: AASMAIL: ;
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
weekly issues of 10/25/2000, ed. by Priscilla Benson
*** send submissions and subscription info to
aaswomen
wellesley.edu ***
This week's issues:
1. Celebration for Margaret Burbidge
2. Constellation Books
3. Why Women Drop Out
4. Advice Requested
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1. Celebration for Margaret Burbidge
From: cmustsci.edu
Margaret Burbidge Lunch in San Diego
At the San Diego AAS meeting Margaret Burbidge will be
honored for her outstanding contributions to astronomy and
for her role in inspiring other women astronomers. A special
luncheon on Thursday, January 11, will follow her talk at
the Special Session sponsored by the Committee on the Status
of Women in Astronomy. This event, hosted by CSWA, AAS,
AURA, AUI, NSF, CIW, and STScI, will include brief remarks
by several invited guests.
***Anyone and everyone interested should plan to attend***.
The cost will be $25 ($15 for postdocs, $7 for students).
Places must be reserved in advance by sending email to
mblunchstsci.edu,and an accompanying check (made out to the
Space Telescope Science Institute, with the Memo notation
"Margaret Burbidge Lunch") must be received by Meg Urry at
STScI by January 4, 2000.
Meg Urry
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2. Constellation Books
From: duncandei.uchicago.edu
For Phyllis Lugar (and anyone else!),
I recommend, "The Stars, A New Way to See Them" by H.A. Rey.
This is the ONLY constellation book I ever found which shows
the constellations in a way I can visualize. H.A. and
Margaret Rey also wrote the "Curious George" stories which
many kids love, and they bring the same sensibility to the
constellations. "A New Way" was published in 1951 and for a
time was out of print. Happy to say it is now in print, in
hardcover or paperback.
Recently I taught a group of 4-5 year olds. I brought along
HA Rey, a telescope, and colored filters. kids loved Rey
the most (they like stories, and I told one involving
Hercules and Perseus. thanks to Disney, all kids know
Hercules), colored filters 2nd, and the telecope 3rd. Only
about 40% had the skill to look through an eyepiece.
-Doug Duncan
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From: katyastro.bio2.edu
The best author of children's astronomy books I know is
Frank Branley. While he retired from writing a few years
ago, his books are timeless for understanding many concepts:
I learned the explanation for the harvest moon when I was 9
from one of his books.
*********************************************************
Katy Garmany
Director, Astronomy Program
Columbia University Biosphere 2
Oracle, AZ
520-896-6351
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3. Why Women Drop Out
From: gracehorta.uchicago.edu
I realize I'm a bit late, but I'd like to offer some
comments in response to a 2/15/00 New York Times Science
article entitled "For Women in Astronomy, a Glass Ceiling in
the Sky". In this article, two possible explanations for the
high attrition rate of women in astronomy from graduate
school, to postdoctoral positions, to faculty positions,
and, one might add, to ultimate inclusion in societies such
as the National Academy of Sciences, were put forth. One
explanation was that "the talent and desire just is not
there" and that "women are less prone to the intense, cut-
throat aggressiveness that usually marks the successful
research scientist or engineer". Another explanation was
that it is "a case of benign neglect, rather than overt
discrimination".
Personally, I don't find either of these explanations
sufficient. I am a middle-class and middle-aged (I hate to
admit that!) woman juggling an academic career with raising
3 children. I have an outrageous daily commute from the
suburbs of Chicago into the city, because I am concerned for
my children's safety and I want them to get a good public
education (I can't afford to put all 3 in the Chicago Lab
Schools). I work, take care of children, and commute. That's
what I do. That's ALL I do. If I'm lucky, I sleep a few
hours a night... (And I'm one of those "lucky" women who has
a spouse who takes an extremely active part both in
housework and in raising the children.) Once a person is
over 40, how long do you suppose it is possible to keep up
that kind of schedule without one's creativity, joy in what
they're doing, and overall physical health, suffering? I
would like to state the obvious here and make the connection
between the fundamental incompatibility between academic
emphasis-on-quantity workaholism and family responsibilities
and values. I realize that my comments will not be
applicable to all women in science. Many have opted to not
have children, and some who do have children have sufficient
money to hire considerable help at home. But many of us
don't fall in either of those categories.
On the one hand there is the pervasive attitude I've
encountered in U.S. suburbia, that if you're a woman and
you're not devoting 100% of your time to your family, you're
a bad mother. The midwestern suburban community in which I
live might easily be mistaken for a rerun of a 1950s sitcom.
I am surrounded by "clones" of Ward and June Cleaver. It
bears a frightening similarity to the movies "Pleasantville"
and "The Stepford Wives". You get the picture. I will borrow
an unintentional description from a local police officer and
call it "Tidytown". In short, it is the most gender-
stereotyped and monocultural environment in which I've ever
lived, and yet I fear it reflects a very large portion of
U.S. suburbia. On occasion, I've vented my frustration over
certain attitudes I've encountered to my husband, to which
he invariably, and semi-jokingly, responds "we men are the
way you women have raised us". I must admit, he has a point.
In addition to the overwhelming preponderance of stay-at-
home moms whose biggest concerns outside of their families
appears to be whether their houses look as nice as other
houses on the block, essentially all of the elementary
school teachers, as well as most of the other school
officials, in "Tidytown" are women. Many of these women will
vociferously state they are "Mrs. Fill-In-Your-Husband's-
Name", and make no bones about their disdain for those of us
who happen to prefer a title that doesn't automatically
label us as so-and-so's-wife, but rather as individuals to
be valued as equal human beings. I used to associate all of
these attitudes with "the older generation", and I naively
assumed that most of them would die out in time measured
from the civil rights and women's movements of the 1960s,
but the median age in "Tidytown" is well under 40!
On the other hand, there's the academic attitude that if
you're not committed to your career above your family and
producing at least 10 papers a year, you're a failure as a
scientist. I find both attitudes deplorable, and I can
easily understand the frustration and heartache experienced
by many female scientists who love their work and love their
families and are disgusted with living in a constant "damned
if you do, damned if you don't" state. Personally, I think
intelligent, well-educated people who choose to become
parents and take an active role in raising children to help
them become responsible, informed adults ought to be
COMMENDED for this choice, not CONDEMNED. And yet I've heard
many colleagues express disgust when a parent (mostly a
woman) expresses the desire to take some time off or seek
part-time work (if such really existed in the academic
community!) to become more involved in family issues. Lest I
be accused of "reverse sexism", let me mention that many men
are also no longer satisfied playing the role of the aloof
"Ward Cleaver", and are taking much more active roles in
raising their children. Can men AND women who so choose be
successful academics and have family lives? I believe it is
possible, but only with some major changes in thinking about
gender roles in this country, as well as in the workaholic
mindset of the academic community. Quality of work need not
be sacrificed -- only quantity. Many European countries, for
example, have long held a more enlightened work ethic. But
as long as the only choices given are having a successful
academic career OR being a good parent, I, for one, am not
surprised at the high attrition rate of women in astronomy.
Nor would I be surprised to find out that many highly
talented male scientists start leaving the field for similar
reasons... There are only 24 hours in a day -- this holds
true regardless of how talented and committed you are!
Hoping to see some positive changes in my lifetime (but not
holding my breath),
Grace Wolf-Chase
gracehorta.uchicago.edu
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4. Advice Requested
From: blackbird1hotbot.com
Greetings,
I need direction and advice. I would like to pursue a
master's degree in astronomy, hopefully, via an online
education. I read about the University of Western Sydney
Nepean Institute's degree program via the world wide web
(Astronomy magazine June '00). What attracted me was the
fact that my B.S. (business/liberal arts) from the
University of San Francisco was entirely acceptable to them.
However, questions I have include: 1) is this a credible
course of action, and 2) I have not been able to find
sources for student loans/financing for my goals. Can you
help or can you provide the appropriate place where I should
send my questions? Is there a U.S. school that offers on-
line education, that I qualify for and be able to obtain the
associated student loans needed to attend?
I would like to work in this field, possibly teach
science/astronomy at the preparatory school level or
continue on for a Ph.D. Even now, I would love to work in
this field even in my current line of work which is graphic
services.
Any leads or links would be most appreciated.
Sincerely,
Marlene Lee
McMinnville, Oregon
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End of CSWA Newsletter of 10/25/2000