Could I ask where 'old and female' fits into the BIG picture...
are we to be cast aside like 'used film stars' when we hit 40 or
even, dare I say, 50....Many of us have struggled long and 
hard to change the situation for women in science and engineering, 
to improve 'the image', and the terms and conditions for 
those following in our footsteps. We are 'normal people', 
with 'normal lives', but little good it seems to have 
done us at the end of the day....I think I should have
taken up football, my career prospects might have been better!
 
Helen Mason
Univ of Cambridge

On Sun, 5 Mar 2000, Wendy Sadler wrote:

> Louise,
> cc psci-com
> 
> I have previously been approached by the Institue of Physics to be a case
> study of a woman who has a career in physics (well sort of!). They may have
> some publications that look at women in Physics and you could look at how
> the women involved have been presented.
> 
> My job is to research, write and present science shows to the general public
> and I think that the image you portray as a presenter in these circumstances
> is very important. If the audience see that you are a normal person with the
> usual life experiences and sense of humour, you hope that it will help break
> down the image of scientists as dull old men with no hair in lab coats! I
> don't know if it does, but I'd like to think it helps!
> 
> I have also done some presenting on an HTV science programme and they are
> obviously keen to have young female scientists as presenters (one of the
> main presenters is a young female engineer). However, the popular media
> often want a scientist to fit the stereotypical criteria that they think the
> public want (ie old, male and slightly eccentric if possible) We were
> approached ny the Bigger Breakfast to do some work with them last summer and
> the researcher was positively disappointed when the scietists we could offer
> were young and female rather than old and male (and mad?!) It will probably
> take some years to get away from this image as so many people seem to dearly
> want to hang on to it but I dare say things will change. Phillippa Forrester
> and Carol Vorderman are often named in a show where we ask the audience the
> name of a famous scientist so some message is getting through... (even
> though they are perhaps not seen as scientists to the scientific community,
> it is a  start)
> 
> It is a very interesting question and one of the main that reasons i got
> into this work as I was fed up with people running a mile in the Union bar
> when I told them i was studying Physics!
> 
> Good luck and I'd be very interested to see any other answers you get or the
> results of your study.
> 
> Wendy
> --------------------------
> Wendy Sadler
> Public Programmes Manager
> Techniquest
> Cardiff  CF10 5BW
> 
> T: 029 2047 5475
> F: 029 2048 2517
> W: http://www.tquest.org.uk/
> 
> Techniquest is a Company Limited by Guarantee,
> registered in England & Wales, no. 1955696.
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> 
> 
> ----------
> From: "Louise Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Cc: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Any thoughts?
> Date: Sat, Mar 4, 2000, 10:59 am
> 
> 
> Hi!
> 
> 
> 
> I am trying to research how women have affected the way science has been
> portrayed, or how they themselves have been presented as scientists within
> visual displays. I am especially interested in the latter.
> 
> 
> 
> Any thoughts appreciated!!
> 
> 
> 
> Louise Brown.
> 
> 



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