Sexism, Science and Culture

A detailed Summary of Sexism, Science and Culture


Many people regard science as absolute, and therefore

what science says, culture follows. There are many examples of science helping culture and society: science has helped society understand the dangers of smoking, skin cancer and improved the quality of life for many people. Despite the advantages of science, there is a negative impact on society due to science. In Emily Martin's essay "The Egg and the Sperm," she investigates the notion that women are being unintentionally oppressed and made inferior in the eyes of

science and culture. Benjamin Lee Whorf's assertion that

culture defines language is one of Martin's underlying

themes. Martin carries out this theme to show that "the

models that biologists use to describe their data can have

important social efforts"(Martin 57). Martin's thesis that

science is perpetuating the sexist stereotypes is

exemplified in many scientific journals.

In Martin's essay, she clarifies Whorf's theory by her

examples of biological journals. Martin follows Whorf's theory that the semantics of the science community and journals do distort the role of women. Martin cites extensive examples and partic


In the same way that Martin sees the imagery of science keeping alive stereotypes, Kuhn sees science as perpetuating existing paradigms. Kuhn defines a paradigm as "an enduring group of adherents...[that is] sufficiently open-ended to leave all sorts of problems for the redefined group of practitioners to resolve"(Kuhn 50). Scientists, under Martin's thesis are working to make the biological process fit the existing stereotypes that are in place. In trying to make the biological process fit existing stereotypes, the scientist's language in turn is reflecting the cultural stereotypes. Whorf contends that "...the real world is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group"(Whorf 151). To get the most unbiased depiction of the reproductive process the world that scientists working must have a revolution.

Martin suggests ways of revising the bias in the medical journals by accrediting women with the production of the egg cells and men with the degeneration of germ cells. Martin gives examples of three such "revisionists" in her essay. The three revisionists revise the description of the reproductive proces

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lee Whorf's, Scientists Martin's, Martin Whorf, , Egg Sperm, existing stereotypes, MIT Press, Language Reality, reproductive process, martin's thesis, Emily Martin's, Chicago Press, reflecting cultural stereotypes, Benjamin Lee, fit existing stereotypes, biological process, fit existing, egg sperm, reflecting cultural, benjamin lee, process fit, culture defines language, process fit existing, cultural stereotypes, biological process fit,

Approximate Word count = 774
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics

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