Writing the 'Woman Question' in Science: Feminist Challenges, Reflections and Musings

Join Professor Gita Chadha, Azim Premji University, as she reflects on her own journey in feminist science studies, the evolving narratives of women and men in science, and the epistemic and ethical questions that arise in telling these stories.

Abstract

Three decades of a 'career in feminist science studies' have been arduous and instructive. As a feminist sociologist, the question of women’s participation in science has been central in my research. I have studied institutional cultures of science in India through an intersectional lens. The field of feminist science studies in India has evolved from a focus on the issues of women’s low representation and horizontal segregation to crafting care(ful) narratives of their presence and contribution. While there has been a retrieval of the work and contributions of early women in science, collective biographies of women in science have also emerged. I have found myself writing what one may call 'living biographies' of women in science. In doing so, I also found myself engaging with men and masculinities in science, initially with some reluctance which dissolved in the recording room. As I have journeyed into the field from being an early career researcher to being acknowledged as a credible voice in the field, I have identified interesting changes in the way scientific communities of men and women have responded to me. This has led to significant shifts in my own understanding of the scripts for women and men in science. In this paper, I reflect on my own journey and on some of the familiar and also unfamiliar epistemic and ethical conundrums I have encountered along the way.

Chaired by Professor Niki Vermuelen, Professor at STIS and Director International, SPS.

This GENDER.ED event is co-badged with the Centre for South Asian Studies and Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (STIS).

Speaker Biography

Gita Chadha is Professor at the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Formerly a faculty member at the Department of Sociology, University of Mumbai, her research contributions lie in the fields of critical science studies and feminist reimaginations of sociology . She has been at the forefront of shaping the field of Feminist Science Studies in India. She held the Obaid Siddiqi Chair Professor position (2023−24) at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore and was till recently Honorary Senior Fellow at the Archives there. She is a dedicated pedagogue . Her recent Publications include the edited volume, Mapping Scientific Method: Disciplinary Narrations.

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