On Mon, 28 Apr 1997 19:59:32 -0400 Heather MacLean wrote:
> From: Heather MacLean <hmaclean@KENT.EDU>
> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 19:59:32 -0400
> Subject: Re: Science as sexist
> To: FEMINISTSF@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
>
> At 05:28 PM 4/28/97 -0500, Neil Rest wrote:
> >Lorie G Sauble-Otto <lorie@U.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:
> >>Let's be careful in a "feminist" discussion of SF--When we start
in with a
> >>discourse based on "hard science" it gets sticky and sexist. We
need to
> >>begin--as Many Many people, especially women, already
have--to realize the
> >>evolution of the genre--the traditionalist approach to genre is
based on a
> >>masculinist construct.
> >
> >Excuse me? It appears that you are saying that "hard science" is
sexist.
> >Certainly the human conduct of the activity may be, but in the
sense of
> >method and results, do you mean that there is something
intrinsicly sexist
> >about "hard science"?
> >
>
> Well, yes, in a certain sense. Science consists of formulating a
> hypothesis, then proving it. In order to prove it, you have to
"establish
> as true, demonstrate [it] to be a fact." A fact is "the state of things
as
> they are, reality, actuality, truth." As long as the feminine
experience
> continues to be invalidated by patriarchy, and patriarchy maintains
its
> stranglehold over what is truth and reality, science continues to be
sexist.
>
> The proof also has to be communicated via language. And
language has its own
> allegiances to patriarchy.
>
> Note that this is argued from a fairly radical feminist stance, and
this
> very syllogistic answer also relies on patriarchal modes of thought.
Which
> may therefore invalidate it. *grins*
>
> Heather
> =)
>
Science is also a discourse between competing theories. If I followed
your ideas, however, I would be reading astrology not science fiction.
I too believe in radical feminism, but this does not invalidate science
or the scientific method, it just means that we have to reconsider
what objectivity looks like (particularly in areas such as biology).
Farah
>
>
> hmaclean@kent.edu
> http://kent.edu/~hmaclean/
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