From Girls in Their Elements to Women in Science : Rethinking Socialization Through Memory-Work

Although they are making gains, by the time they reach high school, girls lag behind boys in math and science; women are still discouraged from going into professional science, and some from actively participating in nature. From Girls in Their Elements to Women in Science asks: How are these generalizations linked to personal experience? Memory-work as research method offers an innovative approach to understanding women’s socialization in the natural world, which leads to insights about their relationship to science. Multiple themes emerge from the analysis, which reveals the centrality of family landscapes, metaphor, power, and creativity in connecting our experiences in nature to our professional lives. This book demonstrates how memory-work can interrupt cultural assumptions about socialization, transforming the meaning of our experiences in the natural world.

The Authors: Judith S. Kaufman is Associate Professor in Curriculum and Teaching at Hofstra University in New York. She received her Ph.D. in educational psychology and statistics from the State University of New York at Albany. Her scholarly work is in the areas of cognition, human development, and teacher education.
Margaret S. Ewing is Professor of Zoology at Oklahoma State University. She received her Ph.D. in zoology from Oklahoma State University. Her scholarly work is in the areas of women and biology, biology instruction, and parasitology.
Diane M. Montgomery is Professor of Education Psychology and Special Education at Oklahoma State University. She received her Ph.D. in education from the University of New Mexico. Her teaching and research interests include creative studies, Native American Indian education, transpersonal psychology, and adolescent girls.
Adrienne E. Hyle is Professor in the School of Educational Studies at Oklahoma State University. She received her Ph.D. in educational administration from Kansas State University. In addition to her research interests in school administration, she focuses on gender issues and organizational change.
Patricia A. Self is Professor in Family Relations and Child Development at Oklahoma State University. She received her Ph.D. in developmental and child psychology from the University of Kansas. In addition to interests in early infant social interaction and parenting, Dr. Self has also been involved in research and teaching the discipline of women’s studies.