Challenge Bias in NYC Schools
Donation protected
Angela Saini's Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong and the New Research that's Rewriting the Story has been one of the most influential books of recent times.
Unfortunately, we live in a society of stereotypes that are holding young people back, imposing gendered assumptions on their ambitions. Young women are less likely to take AP physics and only make up only 20% of physics Bachelor's degrees, while 23% of psychology majors are young men. This gap isn't because of ability — boys and girls perform equally well at every stage of their education — or an innate interest in one type of science versus another, but because of a society that tells children that they are good at different things.
Inferior is a powerful, impartial and thoroughly researched look at the causes of these dangerous stereotypes. Throughout history, scientists have looked at the world around them, seen inequality and taken it as a biological fact. It wasn't until 1967 that women could graduate from Harvard (men could graduate in 1636) and 1946 that they could become Fellows of the Royal Society (men were made Fellows in 1600). How could we begin to compare men and women’s contributions to our understanding of the world? As men have historically outnumbered women in science, they’ve gotten away with justifying irrational biases by co-opting the rational language of science. But we can change that.
Inferior has provided us with evidence to challenge biases that have long reigned in science, adding a new and rigorous dimension to our continued debates about women's capability. Saini has fueled our advocacy and renewed inspiration to highlight and celebrate women's contributions to science. Since the book came out in June 2017, it has united women in science all over the world, inspired friendships, launched book clubs and world tours. Angela Saini is an engineer, science writer and broadcaster.
We want to share Inferior’s power with New York City public schools. We want to inspire a generation of students to understand their potential is not limited by their gender or sex. We are raising money to get a copy of Inferior in every junior and high school library — 517 in total — in NYC. The book retails at $16. We have already campaigned successfully in the the United Kingdom.
Unfortunately, we live in a society of stereotypes that are holding young people back, imposing gendered assumptions on their ambitions. Young women are less likely to take AP physics and only make up only 20% of physics Bachelor's degrees, while 23% of psychology majors are young men. This gap isn't because of ability — boys and girls perform equally well at every stage of their education — or an innate interest in one type of science versus another, but because of a society that tells children that they are good at different things.
Inferior is a powerful, impartial and thoroughly researched look at the causes of these dangerous stereotypes. Throughout history, scientists have looked at the world around them, seen inequality and taken it as a biological fact. It wasn't until 1967 that women could graduate from Harvard (men could graduate in 1636) and 1946 that they could become Fellows of the Royal Society (men were made Fellows in 1600). How could we begin to compare men and women’s contributions to our understanding of the world? As men have historically outnumbered women in science, they’ve gotten away with justifying irrational biases by co-opting the rational language of science. But we can change that.
Inferior has provided us with evidence to challenge biases that have long reigned in science, adding a new and rigorous dimension to our continued debates about women's capability. Saini has fueled our advocacy and renewed inspiration to highlight and celebrate women's contributions to science. Since the book came out in June 2017, it has united women in science all over the world, inspired friendships, launched book clubs and world tours. Angela Saini is an engineer, science writer and broadcaster.
We want to share Inferior’s power with New York City public schools. We want to inspire a generation of students to understand their potential is not limited by their gender or sex. We are raising money to get a copy of Inferior in every junior and high school library — 517 in total — in NYC. The book retails at $16. We have already campaigned successfully in the the United Kingdom.
Fundraising team: Stereotype Smashers (2)
Maryam Zaringhalam
Organizer
New York, NY
Jess Wade
Team member