BOOKS plain how departmental structures may make use of such a number meaningless, or even counterproductive. The book considers faculty in college and university science departments. Using the analogy ofthe kula ring in Melanesia, the authors consider social capital and describe the web of contacts and relationand surveys they conducted with men and ATHENA UNBOUND: THE ADVANCEships that are critical to advancement and women students and faculty MENT OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND success in academic science. They argue After two introductory chapters, the TECHNOLOGY, by Henry Etzkowitz, Carol that the image ofthe lone scientist, workauthors embark on a chronological jourKemelgor, and Brian Uzzi, Cambridge ing away at the bench to emerge ney through the lives of women University Press, 2000, 282pages, $54.95 ATHENA UNBOUND periodically with a brilliant disscientists, beginning with the THE ADVANCI (hardback, ISBN 0-521-56380-1), $19.95 covery, is largely a myth. Few gender socialization in young (paperback, ISBN 0-521-78738-6) practicing scientists subscribe children. They tell the by now to this myth, but it does persist. familiar story of how too many REVIEWED BY SALLY CHAPMAN Students sometimes say to me, capable adolescent girls begin to "I like science, but I want to avoid mathematics. In consid^^ M M M HY ARE T H E R E s o work with people." ering the undergraduate years, few women scien the authors lament the perniThe cautionary tale of Rostists?" asks the back cious, perhaps even malicious, alind Franklin is retold: how her cover of 'Athena Unweeding-out system that sets data were used without her bound: The Advance students in large introductory courses knowledge to decipher the structure of ment of Women in Science and Techagainst one another. DNA. She failed to get credit because she nology." It is a persistent question that was not part of the inner circle. I might seems to wax and wane in the public The graduate years include points of have preferred a new example, but the disview critical transition, in particular qualifying covery ofthe double helix has a mythic staexams and selecting a research mentor, We appear to be in a period of heighttus of its own. A key thesis of this book is and the authors examine the differential ened concern. For example, earlier this that differences in social capital between impact of these transitions on women. year, Massachusetts Institute of Technolmen and women often explain why women They also explore the concept of critical ogy convened a daylong President's Workare less successful. mass: How many women are enough to shop on Gender Equality in Academic Scimake a qualitative difference? Although ence & Engineering, where officials and The authors' examination of career devel15% is sometimes cited, the authors exfaculty from nine top research universities opment of women science faculty is based pledged to work to remove barriers largely on extensive interviews. They facing women faculty (C&EN, Feb. 5, discuss the problem of the inflexible page 8). In May 2000, the Chemical tenure clock and its effect on women Sciences Roundtable sponsored a with children. They also raise the issue workshop at the National Academy of ofgenerational differences in the attiSciences titled "Women in the Chemtudes and styles ofwomen faculty For ical Workforce." The themes articuinstance, they distinguish between lated there expressed a sense of urtwo styles of mentoring: instrumengency: The next decade is critical for tal and relational. The former, more women in academic science. As facassociated with what they describe as ulty members hired during the unithe "older generation of resilient versity expansions ofthe 1960s retire, women" is "a highly competitive, indithere is an opportunity for significant vidualistic style that mirrors the traincrease in faculty diversity, an opporditional male stereotype." The latter, tunity that, if missed, may not return typical of younger women, is "a more for another generation. relational collaborative approach." In the book's final chapters, the 'Athena Unbound," by Henry Etzauthors shift from qualitative to quankowitz, Carol Kemelgor, and Brian titative data to support their points. Uzzi, is a timely contribution. While They present survey data to support the book's focus is on academic scithe importance of social capital to acaence, it can claim greater breadth demic success, including relationships because of its concern with "the qualboth within departments and beyond ity ofwomen's experience in academic them. They ask what characterizes science," including how they are edudepartments where women succeed cated in college and graduate school. and evaluate a variety of initiatives to The authors are social scientists: Etzkowitz and Uzzi are sociologists, CRITICAL MASS Chemical engineering associate effect change, particularly with respect to the climate for graduate stuKemelgor is a psychotherapist. Much professor Kristi Anseth (middle) works with ofthe book is based on their observa- students Amy Burkoth (left) and Stephanie Bryant dents. They provide brief descriptions tions ofyoung children and interviews at the University of Colorado, Boulder. and analyses of the situations of sci-
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entific women in a number of countries throughout the world. In the closing chapter, the authors discuss arguments for improving the climate for women, ranging from the philosophical (it's the right thing to do) to the practical (it's important for economic competitiveness). Identifying the academic department as the most promising locus for reform, they make a number of recommendations about changing departmental cultures. There's much to like in this book, but I also found it quite frustrating. A lot of the book is based on interviews. The often painful stories ring true, but I question whether the subsequent generalizations are valid. This can be a problem with this type of sociological research. Perhaps some things are intentionally overstated for dramatic effect, but there is no way to judge. Consider these statements, for example: • 'A gendered 'apartheid system' exists in which many male advisers offer support to male students, but leave women to figure things out for themselves." (page 86) • "Male students' attitudes typically reflect what filters down from the male faculty, a complacent, dismissive denial of women's scientific ability" (page 98) • "Despite their apparent success with the existing system, women faculty members struggle with feelings of inadequacy regardless of their status." (page 109) The picture that emerges in 'Athena Unbound" is of unhappy women, frustrated, isolated, and dispirited by a hostile system that thwarts them at every juncture. When one of my most talented and confident students enters a Ph.D. program at a prestigious university and drops out two years later discouraged and angry because she was unknowingly pitted against another student in a winner-takeall competition, I, too, am filled with outrage. But should my students believe that this book gives a fair and accurate portrayal of the world they might enter? I don't think so. If I believed this book, I should be giving my students the advice my chemical engineer father gave me more than 30 years ago: Don't go into chemistry, it's a bad field for women. Perhaps it's because I'm a chemist that I find the image in 'Athena Unbound" too negative. The scientists interviewed and surveyed for the book came from a number of fields, including biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Although the numbers for women in academic chemistry are still way too small, they are significantly better than those in some of these other fields, at least at the graduate-student level. Of U S . Ph.D.s
awarded in 1998 in chemistry, 32% went to women; in physics, women received 14%; and in chemical engineering, 18%. About half the undergraduate degrees in chemistry are now going to women. This does not mean that there are no problems for women chemists in the undergraduate years, but they are much less likely to feel isolated today than they did a generation ago. Of course, the situation is still very different for members of minority groups on most campuses. 'Athena Unbound" is full of righteous indignation, and it makes many important points. But at times it seems to endorse a kind of difference feminism, a view that men and women are fundamentally different. One example is woven through the book: Women cooperate and men compete. There is, of course, some truth to this. As children, boys are rewarded more for competing, girls for cooperating. But surely in this respect, men and women fall into strongly overlapping bell-shaped curves. A world that sees value in both cooperation and competition will be a better environment for both men and women. That is certainly a theme in contemporary education reform, which recognizes diverse styles and attempts to make room for them all. In her 1998 book, "Why So Slow: The Advancement ofWomen," Virginia Valian paints a much more nuanced picture. Drawing upon psychological research, especially among college students, she demonstrates how men and women share subtle, often unconscious, hypotheses about how gender works in the world. She then shows how, over time, based on what she calls "the accumulation of advantage," small imbalances arising from these hypotheses work to the serious disadvantage ofwomen, even in the absence of overt discrimination. It is a fascinating book. I'm an optimist. I see women who are sometimes mistreated, sometimes isolated, sometimes angry and frustrated, but also often having a wonderful time doing science, doing it well, and being encouraged and supported. Of course, there is still need to change. We all must understand better how unconscious assumptions about gender color our actions. Departments must become more flexible and recognize that men and women lead quite different lives than they did a generation ago. 'Athena Unbound" makes some important suggestions. Now is the time to act upon them. • Sal ly Chapman is aprofessor ofchemistry at Barnard College in New York City and a member of the Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists (COACh). HTTP://PUBS.ACS.ORG/CEN
