94351 - History, Science and Society: Women, Gender and Science

Learning outcomes

This course focuses on the interactions between science and society in modern and contemporary times from a gender and transdisciplinary perspective. At the end of the course the students will have: – conducted an in-depth exploration of historical cases and contemporary data; – learned to assess the sources and use the critical tools to address these themes independently.

Course contents

Bodies of Knowledge

Women, Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society: From the Present to Darwin and Back

This course investigates the conflictual relationships between gender and science and between women and men in Western educational and research institutions from the present to Darwin and back again.

From the adopted perspective, discussing ways to promote the relationship between women and science aims at achieving social innovation that is inclusive, sustainable, and pacifist, beginning with a radical reform of the educational and research contexts.

The selected sources will be from historiographical, scientific and science studies (science studies or science, technology and society studies, STS), the topics to be outlined in the introductory lectures (approx. first week of class).

We will begin by looking at the present and the scientific and (bio)technological successes produced in recent decades by a dialogue between the natural and social sciences mediated by gender studies and feminism. These liminal or integrative approaches have fostered ‘gendered innovation‘ in laboratory practices; facilitated the development of new fields of inquiry (e.g. gender-specific medicine); and helped to definitively deconstruct the myth of ‘female’ or ‘male’ brains.

We shall see, however, that these key innovations, embraced by the scientific community, have not been accompanied by full professional recognition of female scientists and technologists, even when considering levels of scientific production equal to their male colleagues. This phenomenon negatively affects not only women and minorities, but also institutions and society as a whole (approx. second week of lectures).

In the history of women in science over the last two centuries, we will focus on some particular episodes: in the decades when evolutionism spread and Darwinism was (politically) appropriated, we will investigate the reasons why some evolutionists accepted the scientific fact of “women’s inferiority” while others rejected it; during the Cold War and particularly the “economic boom” period in Italy, we will examine women’s success in and later (self-)exclusion from computer science; we will explore the life and work of geneticist Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), 1983 Nobel laureate in medicine or physiology, a case that will lead us to touch on the issue of the role the body plays in processes of constructing naturalistic knowledge (approx. third and fourth weeks of class).

These cases will allow us to make forays into both the strategies of social and cultural construction of scientific facts and the backlash suffered by women in science after World Wars I and II, then from the 1990s onward, as female undergraduates began to outnumber male graduates more or less everywhere.

The last week of class will be devoted to presentations and discussion of group activities.

Classes will begin on 10 February 2025, see here.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE
In case of coughs, colds, sore throats or other symptoms (even mild ones), those attending class are asked to wear a mask rated FFP2 or higher. Thank you!

Readings/Bibliography

The volume offers, in the first chapter, an example of how to pragmatically apply studies on science, technology, and society (STS) to the questions of what science is and how it functions in relation to socio-environmental issues crucial for the survival of our (in)civilizations. Women's and gender studies are another tool used in the book, where the contributions of women to environmental efforts—both past and present—are highlighted. It discusses the evolutionary history of humanity and the misogynistic biases that have influenced anthropology until recent times, and considers the role of intergenerational and gender relations in supporting our resilience. The volume is the result of interdisciplinary work conducted by the authors in dialogue with a couple of thousand students—from the fields of biology, philosophy, engineering, and education at the University of Bologna—who are given a voice in the book.

"Scienze filosofiche" and"Didattica e comunicazione delle scienze naturali"

The program is the same for attending and non attending students, and Erasmus program.

1. Texts and PowerPoints posted (during the course) on the e-learning platform.

2. Evelyn Fox Keller, A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock. Freeman, 1983.

3. P. Govoni, M.G. Belcastro, A. Bonoli, G. Guerzoni, Ripensare l'Antropocene. Oltre natura e cultura, Carocci, Roma, 2024 (available in bookshops from 13 September).

Recommended reading for those who do not attend:

(Scienze filosofiche): Choose from the following: G. Gobo, V. Marcheselli, Sociologia della scienza e della tecnologia. Un’introduzione, Carocci, Roma, 2021, Introduzione, Parti II and III; Gli studi sociali sulla scienza e la tecnologia, a cura di P. Magaudda e F. Neresini, il Mulino, Bologna, 2020, Introduzione e capitoli 1, 3 and 8.

(Dicosn): P. Govoni, Che cos'è la storia della scienza (Carocci, 2019)

Classic reference literature:

J. Stuart Mill [and H. Taylor], The subjection of women, London : Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1869.

Virginia Woolf, The Three Guineas, The Hogarth press, London, 1938.

Teaching methods

This course is part of the Digital Innovative Teaching (DDI) program. Various materials and documents will be uploaded to the Virtual platform (Bibliography item 5). Lectures will be recorded and made available remotely via a Virtuale link. Those listening to the lectures at a later moment will be able to post questions and comments via the forum (Virtuale) or by email (p.govoni@unibo.it).

The planned extracurricular activities are as follows:

For the "Passa il testimone" project, we will be hosting Carolina Balus (a graduate in Philosophical Sciences) and Ruben Impellizzeri (a graduate in DiCoSN) on a date to be determined. Carolina and Ruben will discuss how to approach a master's thesis and explore various professional opportunities.

On February 18th, we will welcome Letizia Lambertini, an expert in research and project design in Social, Educational, and Equal Opportunities Policies. This session will focus on gender-based violence prevention.

This course aims to support self-assessment processes and thus avoids as much as possible the traditional three-phase approach of lecturing, autonomous learning, and evaluation. Instead, we will try to adopt different practices (e.g. flipped classroom and cooperative learning approaches) in an attempt to mix these three phases in different ways.

The aim is to provide students with greater autonomy in terms of studying, conducting in-depth analysis and communicating what they read, as well as the skills of group work and peer discussion. We will do this together by organizing the group activities and discussions that are a fundamental component of this course. These activities are accessible for both in-person and online students. Those who cannot attend the lectures will study the texts indicated in the course readings list.

Students attending this course (in person or online) will be invited to present – in groups of two/three and preferably combining both Philosophical Sciences and DiCoSN students – on a topic related to the course and previously specified with the teacher. Up to 5 points will be awarded for these activities.

Students attending this course (in person or online) will be able to take a written exam (using the Forms platform) at the end of the lectures: on the basis of an outline, the aim will be to present an argument about the materials discussed in the lectures and presented in the small group presentations in a personal and critical way, including on the basis of students’ own notes and using correctly cited online resources. Up to 5 points will be awarded for this exam.

Recordings of the lectures will be made available.

 

 

Assessment methods

Every year, I organize six exam sessions: one in September (before the start of classes); one in December (at the end of the courses); two between January and February (during the teaching break); one in late spring; and two in the summer session.

The exam is oral and consists of three questions, starting from a freely chosen topic.

Students will be tested on their knowledge of the course’s bibliography, as well as on their ability to reason in a logical, concise and personal way.

The accuracy and precision of the student’s way of expression will also be taken in consideration.

For further information, please consult  the educational guidelines here (Regolamento didattico).

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special accommodations according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the teacher but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adaptations. For more information, see here.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint; e-learning tools; science museums.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Govoni