It's SO Not Fair For You Women To Hang Out Together!
Posted on: August 5, 2008 12:04 AM, by Zuska
http://scienceblogs.com/thusspakezuska/2008/08/its_so_not_fair_for_you_women.phpJenny F. Scientist reports the following:
Recently, three women joined my lab, more than doubling the female population. (Just in time for me to leave.) There was instant bonding, which I had only seen before among married postdocs or among single grad students. But it is lovely to have other women about. We go to lunch together; every couple weeks we all go out together for drinks or dinner. (Which I love, by the way.) Every so often one of the men comes along- we are outnumbered about 3:1- but mostly, not.
Dr. S argues that this is discriminatory of me. What if the poor dears fell left out? I felt left out for years, I said. That doesn't make it right, or nice, he said.
She then asks, "So, are we mean? Or are we apathetic? Or both." Neither, and I'll tell you why.
Dr. S has made the same misguided critique that gets lobbed at people of any marginalized group whenever they gather together for comfort. "Hey, not fair, you're being exclusionary!" You will struggle mightily for years to get people to see the exclusionary practices that permeate in-group culture. But just let two or three of the out-group gather and voila! the pangs of exclusion become unbearable for the in-group members.
