CAREERS - The Geological Society
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CAREERS
Outnumbered and surrounded: Women
working in male-dominated research fields
Malin Kylander on the obstacles Department of Mathematics at 2010-2011)2. The dearth of female
still faced by women in science Stockholm University in 1884, had not professors in geology, and elsewhere in
and how we can tackle them been allowed to attend classes in her the natural sciences, could lead female
native Russia. Needing the permission of students and junior researchers to
At one of the entrances to my her father or husband to leave the wonder if there is a place for them in
department at Stockholm University, country, she had a fictitious marriage and academics.
you will find a wall of portraits. These left for Germany where she attended Hypotheses as to why women still
portraits are of the professors who have classes by special permission or haven’t reached these top positions are
worked at our department since its received private lessons. She finally many and can be linked to the
beginnings in 1881. Among the portraits, completed her PhD summa cum laude at individuals, the institutions in which they
you will find geology giants like Gerard the University of Göttingen in 1874. work, and the cultural baggage we all
De Geer and Lennart von Post, but you Women of the time were expected to carry. In the geosciences many women
will not find a single woman. The reason be modest and ladylike, conditions that leave academia between postdoc and
for this is of course partly historical, and contrast with digging around in rocks assistant professor positions. Some
partly the rugged nature of the geology and dirt. Mary Anning, the famous women (and men) chose to leave
discipline. So, what challenges do English palaeontologist, made a number academia due to their belief that they
women in male-dominated research of important fossil finds, but was often lack the traits required for research, for
areas face and what can we all do to not credited for her work. Indeed, she example, ambition, leadership and the
increase the presence of women and was barred from the Geological Society ability to handle criticism. These losses
other minorities in these fields? of London because she was a woman. could be minimized in a more supportive
We can only imagine what a curious and encouraging environment. Others
Historical hurdles figure she would have been for her are faced with lifestyle choices, such as
During the early waves of feminism in the contemporaries, with her geology family or immobility due to a partner’s
19th century, women had to fight to get hammer and cumbersome skirts job. In some countries, like Sweden,
into both classrooms and voting booths. combing the seashore. If she had lived women are well supported by the social
Sweden for example, only saw its first until 1888, she might have breathed a welfare system if they chose to have a
officially registered female university sigh of relief when the Rational Dress family. Women working in countries
student, Betty Petterson, start in 1871 at Society of London recommended that without this type of culture may look to
Uppsala University. Women were barred “the maximum weight of underclothing their institutions for such support and
from reading a number of programmes [for women] should not exceed seven find it lacking. Institutions may not
and were certainly not allowed to study pounds”1. It would appear that distribute resources (laboratory space,
for a higher degree. Even the first female education, social constructs, and even money) and tasks fairly, with “soft issues”
clothing, slowed the rise of like mentorship and administration
women in geology. belonging in the female realm.
Women in the What does the
sciences today research suggest?
Geology remains a It is suggested that gender imbalances in
male-dominated discipline the sciences will even out with time. A
where challenging field recent study looking at differences in
conditions and hammers productivity between men and women, a
are more associated with key parameter in promotion, shows
the “lads” than the however, that the much-lauded
6
pling cam pai gn in Sichuan, China in 200 “ladies”. The proportion of academic pipeline is still leaking. The
sam
Our team from a peat of a field campaign in
geology, which
dle) is not atypic al women completing PhDs study’s authors, Peter van den Besselaar
(author mid Kylander
ted discipline. ©Malin
remains a male-domina in the geosciences has and Ulf Sandström, base their study on a
risen from 4% in 1974 to 40% by 2009. database of 47,000 Swedish researchers
professor in northern Europe, Sofia However, women hold just 13% of full covering 2008-20113. Researchers were
Kovalevskaya, who started at the professorial positions (US numbers for divided into seven different productivity
24 | MAY 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST
GEOSCIENTIST CAREERS
classes for different disciplines. They found when in the field5. In
that within the same productivity class, comparison to private
women and men generally had the same and governmental
impact (i.e., citations). In certain male- sectors, women in
dominated fields, such as geology, women academia reported
even out performed men in terms of higher rates of sexual
impact. There were however, significantly harassment (58%),
fewer women in the highest productivity which was topped only
class (32 papers or more over a four-year by women in the
period). As a result, when looking at overall military (69%)—both Mary Anning, based on
a portrait from 1842, and
painting of the first Ple a
publishing rates, women are producing male-dominated siosaurus macrocephal
discovered by Mary Ann us fossil,
ing at Lyme Regis in Dec
67% of what their male colleagues do. This fields6. It is perhaps 1830. © The Geologica
l Society of London
ember
number is virtually unchanged from that not surprising that
reported for the 1960s (65%). research shows that
If the academic pipeline was really this leads to lower job satisfaction and orientated and competitive. Studies have
working, the productivity differences lower retention of women in science7. shown that men benefit more than women
between the genders should have declined Even for those who actively work against when they show altruistic behaviour in the
over the last half-century. The authors discrimination and harassment, there are workplace, since it goes against our
propose that women get stuck in a vicious still a number of unconscious biases that unconscious expectations of men.
cycle with lower academic positions and need tackling. A well-cited example of Conversely, a woman who doesn’t show
fewer leadership roles, which leads to less unconscious bias comes from Corinne altruistic behaviour is more heavily
research money, visibility and impact, as Moss-Racusin and co-workers8. People penalized than a man with the same
well as diminished productivity. This were asked to evaluate one of two CVs for behaviour, regardless of whether the
prevents women from getting into that a laboratory position with the only person making the behaviour judgement
crucial top productivity category, further difference being the sex of the applicant. In was male or female11. In the same vein,
reinforcing gender bias in research, and comparison to the female candidate, women have been shown to experience a
keeping the proverbial glass ceiling in evaluators, regardless of gender, “co-author penalty”. Men and women who
place. The lower status of women has consistently rated male applicants as more produce single-author papers are as likely
been further confirmed by a recent qualified, giving them higher starting as each other to receive tenure, whereas
examination of Nature articles between salaries and more mentoring (although the women who co-author more papers are
2008 and 2016 where only 18% of the female applicant was more “likable”). less likely to be given tenure than men who
prestigious last author positions (i.e., Examination of reference letters for do the same12.
research leader) were occupied postdoctoral fellowships showed that
by women4. females were less likely to receive excellent Advantages of gender parity
letters versus good letters than male We are facing a future shortage of people
Discrimination, harassment applicants and that letters were shorter in in the Science, Technology, Engineering
and unconscious bias length, regardless of the gender of the and Mathematics (STEM) fields. As such,
Women in academia also face barriers referee9. There is also a tendency to use we cannot afford to exclude people based
related to how we interact with each other. more “grindstone” (e.g., industrious, on gender, ethnicity, sexuality or religion.
A positive outcome of the #metoo conscientious, dependable), rather than And we work better together. Diverse
campaign is that awareness about direct “stand out” terms (e.g., exceptional, teams perform better than those
discrimination and sexual harassment has amazing, magnificent) to describe women, comprised of only women or only men.
increased, and moved it into an even more which could limit their chances of winning The collective intelligence of the group
socially unacceptable place. Sexual prestigious positions10. exceeds that predicted by the individual IQ
harassment in field-based disciplines is One could link this language to cultural of the members. Both the groups’
common, with a reported 64% of women stereotypes of women in the western collective intelligence and equality in
having experienced some form of world. In general, women are expected to participation increased with the number of
inappropriate sexual behaviour, and just be nurturing and socially orientated, while women in the group13,14. In contrast to
over 20% being victims of sexual assault men are expected to be achievement people working in homogenous groups,
WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MAY 2019 | 25
CAREERS
Removing gender biases
We can help ourselves be more objective
by removing some of the gender cues
we unconsciously look for. In the world of
music, the introduction of blind auditions
for symphony orchestras in the 1970s
can explain the 30% increase in the
proportion of women being hired. While
it may be hard to apply this model in the
merit-based world of research, wherever
possible when evaluating applications,
ents (with Joan ne project proposals and scientific
the field. Coring of lake sedim
ng’s days and women don’t shy from rsity and publications, we should use double-blind
Times have changed since Mary Anni röm and Mika ela Holm , Stockholm Unive
and the author), peats (Jenny Sjöst
Muller, Florida Gulf Coast University hia Hanson, Aarhus University) show
n. © Malin Kylander reviews. Budden et al.16 found that
Ume å University) and ice (Sop
Richard Bindler,
representation of female first authors
people working in groups hearing what Jenny has to say…”). If you increased 33% when double-blind review
with greater diversity (not just in terms of catch a colleague condescendingly of manuscripts was used.
gender or expertise) tend to be better explaining to a woman something that Awareness is the key to reducing
prepared. They don’t necessarily expect she clearly knows (so called gender biases, which are held by both
to reach consensus as easily since they “mansplaining”), give them a nudge. If sexes and unfair to men and women alike.
are not assured that the rest of the you are in a position to organize The best way to achieve this in science is
group will share the same opinions. speakers, committees, teaching staff, by using science. We have studies and
Rather, there are more unique etc., strive to have diverse representation data, just a handful of which are discussed
perspectives, information and of your research community. Mentorship above, that show women are at a
experiences being shared. This leads to can also improve a person’s chance of disadvantage in the research world. We
greater creativity and problem solving15. staying in academics. Mentors can cannot be complacent and wait passively
provide mentees with an outside for the pipeline to do its job. We need to
Levelling the field perspective on their research process, help women get up the academic ladder
So, what can we do on a daily basis to introduce them to the unwritten rules of and lead the way for coming generations.
reach gender parity? Institutional their research community, as well as To that end, I am pleased to say that our
leadership has been found to be provide extra encouragement, career department installed its first female
important for improving workplace advice and contacts. Five years ago, professor in 2007 with another two
conditions for women, as it sets the tone along with my colleague Agatha de Boer, following in 2010, allowing all the women
for what is acceptable or not, particularly we launched a mentorship programme who follow to believe that we too can have
when it comes to sexual harassment. at the Bolin Centre for Climate Research our portraits placed on the wall.
Women who described their departments at Stockholm University, Sweden. This
as having good collaboration, programme was open to everyone, End Note: This article is slightly
cooperation, respect and collegiality had regardless of rank or discipline. By and modified from the original: Kylander, M.
higher job satisfaction, productivity and far the most requests we get are from (2019, Jan). Outnumbered and
felt influence7. Institutions can foster an junior female researchers asking for Surrounded: Women Working in Male
inclusive environment by making sure senior female mentors. As the saying Dominated Research Fields: Women in
everyone receives the same information goes, you cannot be what you Science. Angle Journal. Retrieved from
through formalized channels of cannot see. http://anglejournal.com/article/2018-12-
departmental communication. For women, be seen. If you are given outnumbered-and-surrounded-women-
Expectations from the leadership can be the chance to play a leadership role, working-in-male-dominated-research-
made clear by having written codes of take it. At meetings, sit where you can fields-women-in-science-000128/
conduct, while assessment (e.g. for be seen and heard. For example, in (Published under a CC BY-ND license).
promotion) and recruitment processes Sweden, it is required that at least one References are available online.
should be transparent and involve member of a PhD examination
gender-balanced panels. committee is female. While nobody likes Dr. Malin Kylander is an Associate
We can all support minorities around to be the token representative, I think of Professor at the Department of Geological
us. If you are in a meeting and a female the women in the auditorium behind Sciences and the Bolin Centre for Climate
colleague is interrupted, redirect the me—they see a woman where the Research at Stockholm University;
conversation (“I would really like to finish decisions are being made. e-mail: malin.kylander@geo.su.se
26 | MAY 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTISTYou can also read
