Talking science and feminism

Abstract

This article explores women’s attitudes regarding the feminist movement in science, feminist identification, and the ‘women in science’ label. The data was gathered through in-depth interviews with women studying and researching in the fields of physics and physical sciences at four Dublin universities. Previous studies have not looked into women’s participation in feminist collective action in science, as well as their perceptions of the movement and its impact on their science identities. This study sheds light on how women from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels in the fields of physics and physical sciences in Irish higher education where the gender gap is the highest of all science disciplines in Ireland, think about the relationship between science and feminism through their experiences and perspectives. The findings reveal women’s support for feminist goals such as gender equality and encouraging women to pursue careers in science. However, how they define and label ‘feminist’, ‘feminism’ and ‘women in science’ varies based on their social circle, involvement in the feminist movement, and their (gendered) experiences within their scientific community.