Feminist science: Getting started?
Sari van Anders
July 7, 2014
Have you ever wondered where to get started with feminist science? Wonder no more! Here is an epic list from all sorts of smart people in various disciplines — who are, full disclosure, some of my Facebook friends willing and generous enough to give their thoughts on starting points in about 5 seconds or less. Some of them are mega-experts and some of them are newer to feminist science studies, and they come from fields as diverse as philosophy, physics, neuroscience, medicine, evolution, and more! I’ve listed their suggestion, their name, and their field (and also a word doc so you can download and sort at will!). If you’ve peeked ahead to the list, you might be like: now I need a how-to-get-started for this epic get-started list! So here’s my suggestion: pick a title that intrigues you, a field that interests you, or a recommender whose name you know (or sounds interesting: like, if my name was Sari von FeministScientist, then you would DEFINITELY want to start with my recommendations). So… how to get started? By starting.
Here is the word doc of the list: Feminist Science Studies Reading List 07.07.2014 (click here!).
| Recommendation | Field of Reading | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| Beldecos, A., Bailey, S., Gilbert, S., Hicks, K., Kenschaft, L., Niemczyk, N., Rosenberg, R., Schaertel, S., & Wedel, A. (1988). The importance of feminist critique for contemporary cell biology. Hypatia, 3(1), 61-76. |
Feminist science theory; biology; cellular biology; molecular biology | Miriam Solomon, Philosophy & Women’s Studies |
| McKee, A. (2009). Social scientists don’t say ‘titwank’. Sexualities, 12(5), 629-646 | Epistemology; humanities; social science; sex research; porn studies | Daniel Cardoso, Communications |
| Fausto-Sterling, A. (2000). Sexing the body: Gender politics and the construction of sexuality. New York, NY: Basic Books | Classic; sex; sex differences; gender/sex; hormones; sexuality; anatomy; intersex; nature/nurture | Deborah Tolman, Social Welfare and Psychology |
| Karkazis, K., Jordan-Young, R., Davis, G., & Camporesi, S. (2012). Out of bounds? A critique of the new policies on hyperandrogenism in elite female athletes. The American Journal of Bioethics, 12(7), 3-16. | Sports; hormones; intersex; gender policing; sex; | Shari Dworkin, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Krieger, N. (2003). Genders, sexes, and health: What are the connections–and why does it matter? International Journal of Epidemiology, 32(4), 652-657 | Public health; health; sex differences; gender/sex; nature/nurture | Devon Greyson, Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Hird, M. (2004). Sex, gender, and science. | Sex; sex differences; sexuality; epistemology; materiality; philosophy | Meg John Barker, Psychology |
| Marchessault, J., & Sawchuk, K. (Eds.). (2013). Wild science: Reading feminism, medicine and the media. | Medicine; health, self-help, media, epistemology | Alex Iantaffi, Program in Human Sexuality |
| Lederman, M., & Bartsch, I. (Eds.). (2001). The gender and science reader. Psychology Press. | Philosophy; sociology; history | Stacey Ritz, Medicine |
| Longino, H. (1995). Gender, politics, and the theoretical virtues. Synthese, 104(3), 383-397. | Philosophy | Catherine Hundleby, Philosophy and Women’s Studies |
| International Broadcasting Trust with TVE (Producer), & King-Underwood, A. (Director). (1995). Science for survival [Motion picture]. United States: Bullfrog Films, Inc. | Transnational feminism; India; ecofeminism; medicine, technology | Catherine Hundleby, Philosophy and Women’s Studies |
| Schiebinger, L. (2000). Has feminism changed science? Signs, 25(4), 1171-1175. | History; philosophy | Anne Fausto-Sterling, Biology & Gender Development |
| Tuana, N. (2004). Coming to understand: Orgasm and the epistemology of ignorance. Hypatia, 19(1), 194-232. | Sex research; sexuality; epistemology of ignorance; philosophy; agnatology; women’s bodies | Maureen Linker, Philosophy |
| Moyers, B. (Producer). (1988). Science and gender: Evelyn Fox Keller [Motion picture]. United States: Films Media Group. | Evelyn Fox Keller; history; philosophy; language | Catherine Hundleby, Philosophy and Women’s Studies |
| Martin, E. (1991). The egg and the sperm: How science has constructed a romance based on stereotypical male-female roles. Signs, 16(3), 485-501. | Sociology; reproductive sciences; media | Devon Greyson, Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Serano, J. (2009). Whipping girl: A transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity. Seal Press. | Transgender studies; sexual diversity | Lisa DeBruine, Neuroscience and Psychology |
| Traweek, S. (2009). Beamtimes and lifetimes: The world of high energy physicists. Harvard University Press. | Physics; philosophy; sociology | Greg van Anders, Physics |
| Hrdy, S. (1986). Empathy, polyandry, and the myth of the coy female. In r. Bleier (Ed.), Feminist approaches to science (pp. 119-146). New York: Pergamon Press. | Anthropology; evolution; primate research; psychology | Laura Ruetsche, Philosophy |
| Harding, S. (2006). Science and social inequality: Feminist and postcolonial issues. University of Illinois Press. | Philosophy; postcolonial studies; class; nation; race | Janine Farrell, Public Health |
| Cole, E., & Stewart, A. (2001). Invidious comparisons: Imagining a psychology of race and gender beyond differences. Political Psychology, 22(2), 293-308. | Psychology; race; intersectionality | Lilia Cortina, Psychology and Women’s Studies |
| Fisher, M., Garcia, J., & Chang, R. (Eds.). (2013). Evolution’s empress: Darwinian perspectives on the nature of women. Oxford University Press. | Evolutionary Psychology; Anthropology | Maryanne Fisher-MacDonnell, Psychology |
| Roy, D. (2012). Neuroethics, gender, and the response to difference. Neuroethics, 5, 217-230. | Neuroethics; neuroscience | Karen Rommelfanger, Neuroethics |
| Ritz, S., Antle, D., Cote, J., Deroy, K., Fraleigh, N., Messing, K., Parent, L., St-Pierre, J., Vaillancourt, C., & Mergler, D. (2013). First steps for integrating sex and gender considerations into basic experimental biomedical research. The FASEB Journal, 28(1), 4-13. | Biomedicine; cellular biology; molecular biology | Stacey Ritz, Medicine |
| Einstein, G. (Ed.). 2007. Sex and the brain. Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press. | Psychology; Neuroscience; sex differences | Leeat Granek, Psychology, Health |
| Rutherford, Alex. “Home – Psychology’s Feminist Voices.” Home – Psychology’s Feminist Voices. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 July 2014. | Psychology | Leeat Granek, Psychology, Health |
Also, experts: I know you’re like: “WHAT?! I can’t believe she left out book X. Book X is the foundation of everything!” I feel you. Send me your suggestion (and I’ll add it in) or note it yourself in the comments! Even just names are fine – we can add in citations later
Here also is a reading list from the fabulous Anne Fausto-Sterling, who was kind and generous enough to provide a recommendation AND TWO reading lists she has worked on for some time: (1) fem sci stu-biblio F-S This is a list of books in both gender & science and race & science. And also links to some great sites (e.g., history of race in science, feminist theory, etc.). (2) Feminist Science Studies F-S This is a one-page list of relevant authors from philosophy, biology, history, archaeology, anthropology, and physics.
And, here also is also another reading list from the generous Maryanne Fisher-MacDonnell, Rosemarie Sokol-Chang, and Sylis C.A. Nicolas for evolutionary psychology on various important topics in the field (e.g., female competition, female mating strategies) along with a long section on comments/critiques of the field. feps list 5.27.14
Finally, because I’m pretty pleased that everyone else did the hard work but I’m not immune to guilt, I’m going to lay my own cards on the table! Here’s a reading list for a graduate level course on feminist science studies I taught a little while ago. It covers disciplines (e.g., evolution/ecology), perspectives (e.g., postcolonial science, epistemology of ignorance), and topics (e.g., human/non-human, trans/intersex). Some of my favorite authors – in addition to the many listed below and in others’ lists- are there, like Kim TallBear, Banu Subramaniam, Joan Fujimura, and Patricia Hill Collins! Syllabus Feminist Science Studies van Anders 01.11.13
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[Image of a stack of papers and books]