Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
  • Cited by 327
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
September 2009
Print publication year:
2000
Online ISBN:
9780511541414
Subjects:
History of Science, Sociology: General Interest, Sociology, General Science

Book description

Why are there so few women scientists? Persisting differences between women's and men's experiences in science make this question as relevant today as it ever was. This book sets out to answer this question, and to propose solutions for the future. Based on extensive research, it emphasizes that science is an intensely social activity. Despite the scientific ethos of universalism and inclusion, scientists and their institutions are not immune to the prejudices of society as a whole. By presenting women's experiences at all key career stages - from childhood to retirement - the authors reveal the hidden barriers, subtle exclusions and unwritten rules of the scientific workplace, and the effects, both professional and personal, that these have on the female scientist. This important book should be read by all scientists - both male and female - and sociologists, as well as women thinking of embarking on a scientific career.

Reviews

Prepublication endorsement:‘Well-meaning proponents of women in science continue to downplay - or even deny - the pervasive personal and career difficulties faced by women scientists. Pretending that these problems don’t exist does nothing to improve the scientific climate for women or men. Athena Unbound gives us the research we need to acknowledge and begin to address these problems.’

Mary Morse - author of Women Changing Science: Voices from a Field in Transition

‘ … good on social insight’.

Joan Mason Source: Chemistry in Britain

‘I found Athena Unbound so gripping that I read it in one sitting. I expect that many women scientists, and their families, will find that it articulates as a general problem issues they have encountered in their own careers.’

Alison Winter Source: American Scientist

‘… this book has much to recommend it.’

Jan Leach Source: Chemistry & Industry

‘ … a timely contribution. While the book’s focus is on academic science, it can claim greater breadth because of its concern with ‘the quality of women’s experience in academic science’, including how they are educated in college and graduate school … [There’s much to like in this book] … Athena Unbound is full of righteous indignation, and it makes many important points.’

Source: Chemical and Engineering News

‘ … the authors’ quantitative analysis method is respectable.’

Source: Nature

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
×

Contents

  • Introduction: Women in science: Why so few?
    pp 1-4

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 0
Total number of PDF views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

Book summary page views

Total views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.