The Patriarchal Framework of Science

Science, which is often hailed as an impartial search for truth, has historically been influenced by patriarchal systems that have disregarded and repressed the contributions of women. This blog examines situations in which scientific theories and methods were used to undercut women's knowledge and wisdom and perpetuate gender inequality.

1. Women Healers Are Erased by Witch Hunts

   
   

    In Europe, thousands of women, many of whom worked as herbalists, midwives, and healers, were put to death for being witches between the 15th and 18th centuries. Their traditional wisdom and plant-based therapy posed a challenge to the male-dominated medical field's increasing power as it became "official science." Not only were the witch hunts political and religious, but they also violently suppressed women's knowledge in science and medicine.

   

   Women’s healing knowledge was systematically delegitimized and replaced by male-led institutional medicine.

2. Theories on Women's Intellectual Interests

   
   

   Pseudoscientific beliefs that suggested women's intellectual pursuits could be detrimental to their reproductive health first appeared in the 19th century. In his 1873 book Sex in Education, for instance, Dr. Edward Clarke made the case that women's higher education would result in physical deterioration and decreased fertility. He proposed that intellectual pursuits would cause blood to travel from the womb to the brain, producing unhealthful children. The idea that women's main function was reproduction was reinforced by the use of such theories to defend the exclusion of women from professional and higher education settings.

   
   

3. The Fallacy of the "Smaller Brain"

The idea that women's brains were smaller than men's was a common scientific defense of women's intellectual inferiority in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Paul Broca and other anatomists and physiologists of the era measured brain weights and came to the conclusion that the size difference explained the sex disparities in intellect. Women were excluded from leadership positions, higher education, and intellectual pursuits because to this "scientific" assertion.

However, the smallest examination of this argument disproves it. Elephants and whales, whose brains are several times larger than those of humans, should be at the top of the intellectual hierarchy if IQ and brain size are directly associated. The structure and function of neural networks, as well as the ratio of brain to body mass, are more important than sheer volume.

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   The structure and function of neural networks, as well as the ratio of brain to body mass, are more important than sheer volume.

   4. The Medicalization of Women's Bodies

   
   

   Women's bodies have been scrutinized and controlled by medicine throughout history. Women contributed very little to the development of obstetrics and gynecology, which was mostly a male domain. Medical procedures like the use of forceps during childbirth were created without taking into account the preferences or experiences of women. Furthermore, the idea that women's bodies were essentially troublesome and needed medical attention was strengthened by the pathologization of normal occurrences like menstruation and menopause. In addition to commercializing women's health, this medicalization strengthened patriarchal authority over their bodies.

Particularly for women of color, the advancement of science came at the price of body autonomy, pain, and dignity. Often referred to as the "father of modern gynecology," J. Marion Sims experimented on enslaved Black women in the 1840s without anesthetic in order to develop surgical procedures. Under the pretense of furthering science, these women—like Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey—were viewed as expendable test subjects. Sims's work gained recognition, but the women he experimented on were left out of the story.

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   Under the pretense of furthering science, women of color were viewed as expendable test subjects.

   5. Hysteria in Women and the "Wandering Womb"

   
   

   The "wandering womb" theory postulated that a misaligned uterus was the root cause of numerous illnesses that affected women. Originally recorded in ancient Greece, this theory endured for centuries in both popular and academic European medicine. Dr. Edward Jorden's 1603 publication The Suffocation of the Mother popularized the concept. Later, the wandering womb was connected to the diagnosis of female hysteria, a disorder in which women experience a variety of symptoms, such as nervousness, anxiety, shortness of breath, and fainting. Women were frequently treated in ways that strengthened their oppression and social marginalization as a result of these diagnoses.

   
   

6. The Matilda Effect: Women Scientists Are Marginalized

   
   

   The bias against recognizing the accomplishments of female scientists, whose work is frequently credited to their male colleagues, is known as the Matilda Effect. In her essay "Woman as Inventor" (1870), suffragist and abolitionist Matilda Joslyn Gage was the first to mention this occurrence. Examples include the work of Lise Meitner, who co-discovered nuclear fission but was not awarded the Nobel Prize, and Nettie Stevens, who found the XY sex chromosomes but received little credit for it. Women's growth and recognition in science have been hampered by this systematic deletion of their achievements.

   

   Nettie Stevens, who found the XY sex chromosomes but received little credit for it.

7. The Industrial Revolution and the Suppression of Women's Agricultural Knowledge

   
   

   Agrarian economies gave way to industrialized cultures during the Industrial Revolution. Alongside this change, traditional knowledge—much of which was possessed by women in rural communities—was devalued. Agriculture, herbal medicine, and food preservation techniques that had been passed down through the generations of women were marginalized in favor of industrial processes and goods. Sustainable farming methods were undermined and women's agricultural knowledge was marginalized as a result of the proliferation of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Gender inequality was further cemented by this suppression, which was a tactic to increase control over food production and distribution.

The historical instances cited demonstrate how patriarchal systems have influenced and constrained scientific understanding. To identify and combat these biases and guarantee that women's contributions and viewpoints are acknowledged and appreciated, a feminist approach to science is crucial. The gender biases present in scientific methods have long been criticized by feminist academics and activists. The fact that traditional science frequently reflects and upholds patriarchal ideals has been brought to light by academics like as Donna Haraway, Sandra Harding, and Evelyn Fox Keller. They promote the creation of a "epistemology of silence," in which underrepresented voices—especially those of women—are acknowledged and given a platform in scientific debate.

These critiques have led to the formation of feminist science studies, which seek to discover and question the gendered assumptions implicit in scientific knowledge. We may encourage ethical considerations in research by adopting a more inclusive scientific framework that places a strong emphasis on accountability, representation, and consent. In order to create a science that meets the needs of everyone, not just a wealthy select few, this method pushes scientists to think about the wider societal ramifications of their work and to ask whose interests are being served.

About the Author

I am Sanchari Mukherjee, a student doing Masters in English from the reputed Presidency University, Calcutta. I love writing and appreciate art in all forms. Being a literature major, I have learnt to critically comment on things of various kinds. I take a deep interest in deconstructing the various essential structures and revealing the mechanisms of their working. Really glad that you came across my blog, hope you found it covering some critical insights essential for progress!