Finkbeiner test

Last updated

The Finkbeiner test, named for the science journalist Ann Finkbeiner, [1] is a checklist to help science journalists avoid gender bias in articles about women in science. [2] [3] It asks writers to avoid describing women scientists in terms of stereotypically feminine traits, such as their family arrangements.

Contents

The Finkbeiner test has been linked to affirmative action, because writing can cause readers to view women in science as different from men in negative or unfair ways. [2] The test helps avoid gender bias in science reporting similarly to various tests that focus on under-representation of marginalized groups in different career fields. [4]

Checklist

Aschwanden at the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2015 Christie Aschwanden at Spotlight Health Aspen Ideas Festival 2015.JPG
Aschwanden at the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2015

The Finkbeiner test is a checklist proposed by freelance journalist Christie Aschwanden to help journalists avoid gender bias in media articles about women in science. [3] To pass the test, an article about a female scientist must not mention:

History

Aschwanden formulated the test in a 2013 article for the online magazine Double X Science . [6] She created the test in the spirit of (but was not inspired by) the Bechdel test – used to highlight gender bias in film – in response to the sexist media coverage of women scientists she noticed. She recalled: [3]

Campaigns to recognize outstanding female scientists have led to a recognizable genre of media coverage. Let's call it "A lady who..." genre. You've seen these profiles, of course you have, because they're everywhere. The hallmark of "A lady who..." profile is that it treats its subject's sex as her most defining detail. She's not just a great scientist, she's a woman! And if she’s also a wife and a mother, those roles get emphasized too.

Aschwanden named the test after journalist Ann Finkbeiner, winner of the 2008 AIP Science Communication Award, [1] who had earlier written a post [7] for the science blog The Last Word on Nothing about her decision not to write about the subject of her latest profile, an astronomer, "as a woman". [5]

Both journalists agree that the test "should apply mainly to the sort of general-interest scientist profiles that one might find in The New York Times or the front section of Nature, which are supposed to focus on professional accomplishments". [3] The point of the test is to not overemphasize or privilege the gender of a female scientist. Even Finkbeiner, who vowed to "ignore gender" in her writing, actually tripped up on the tendency to focus on sex; in an astronomer's profile she considered mentioning that the scientist was the "first" to win a certain award. "After a reader urged Finkbeiner to stick to her pledge, she [left out 'the first.']" [3] The tactic of singling out women as "role models" can also distort gender equality in the reception of news reporting. Students indiscriminately cite scholars and mentors of any sex or gender as "great role models"; being a role model is not unique to a person's gender. Thus, emphasizing sex in profiles about members of marginalized groups reinforces their supposed difference, perpetuating gender bias in science. [3]

Reception

The test was mentioned in the media criticism of the New York Times 's obituary of rocket scientist Yvonne Brill. That obituary, published on 30 March 2013, by Douglas Martin, began with the words: "She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children". [8] A few hours after publication the New York Times revised the obituary to address some of the criticisms; the revised version begins "She was a brilliant rocket scientist who followed her husband from job to job..." [8] [9]

Another New York Times article, on Jennifer Doudna, published on 11 May 2015, [10] drew similar criticism with reference to the Finkbeiner test. [11] An article in The Globe and Mail on astrophysicist Victoria Kaspi, [12] published on 16 February 2016, drew the same criticism, [13] as did David Quammen's book A Tangled Tree, for giving women scientists, especially Lynn Margulis, short shrift. [14]

Susan Gelman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, applauded the move to report on female scientists without emphasising their gender, but questions whether the Finkbeiner test should seek to eliminate all references to personal life, suggesting that the move should be towards asking male scientists about personal issues too. [15] This view is shared by other writers. [16] [17] In addition, Vasudevan Mukunth points out in The Wire that countries in which women are drastically under-represented in science might want to bend the test's rules in hopes of highlighting any systemic barriers: "The test's usefulness rests on the myth of a level playing field—there is none in India." [18] In another post on Last Word on Nothing, Finkbeiner responded to these questions by arguing with herself. [19]

Reversed Finkbeiner

The "Reversed Finkbeiner" approach is an exercise in which students are asked to write an article about a male scientist that would fail the Finkbeiner test if it were about a woman. [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Bechdel</span> American cartoonist

Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, she came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her graphic memoir Fun Home, which was subsequently adapted as a musical that won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015. In 2012, she released her second graphic memoir Are You My Mother? She was a 2014 recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award. She is also known for originating the Bechdel test.

Missing white woman syndrome is a term used by social scientists and media commentators to denote disproportionate media coverage, especially on television, of missing-person cases toward white females compared to those males or females of color. The syndrome also encompasses disproportionate media attention to females who are young, attractive, white, and upper middle class. Although the term was coined in the context of missing-person cases, it is sometimes used of coverage of other violent crimes. The phenomenon has been highlighted in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other predominantly white countries, as well as South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in computing</span> Role of women in computing

Women in computing were among the first programmers in the early 20th century, and contributed substantially to the industry. As technology and practices altered, the role of women as programmers has changed, and the recorded history of the field has downplayed their achievements. Since the 18th century, women have developed scientific computations, including Nicole-Reine Lepaute's prediction of Halley's Comet, and Maria Mitchell's computation of the motion of Venus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in science</span> Contributions of women to the field of science

The presence of women in science spans the earliest times of the history of science wherein they have made significant contributions. Historians with an interest in gender and science have researched the scientific endeavors and accomplishments of women, the barriers they have faced, and the strategies implemented to have their work peer-reviewed and accepted in major scientific journals and other publications. The historical, critical, and sociological study of these issues has become an academic discipline in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Londa Schiebinger</span> American historian (born 1952)

Londa Schiebinger is the John L. Hinds Professor of History of Science, Department of History, and by courtesy the d-school, Stanford University. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1984. An international authority on the theory, practice, and history of gender and intersectionality in science, technology, and medicine, she is the founding Director of Gendered Innovations in Science, Medicine, Engineering, and Environment. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Schiebinger received honorary doctorates from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium (2013), from the Faculty of Science, Lund University, Sweden (2017), and from Universitat de València, Spain (2018). She was the first woman in the field of History to win the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize in 1999.

Emily Martin is a sinologist, anthropologist, and feminist. Currently, she is a professor of socio-cultural anthropology at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her PhD degree from Cornell University in 1971. Before 1984, she published works under the name of Emily Martin Ahern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matilda effect</span> Bias against acknowledging the achievements of women scientists

The Matilda effect is a bias against acknowledging the achievements of women scientists whose work is attributed to their male colleagues. This phenomenon was first described by suffragist and abolitionist Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826–1898) in her essay, "Woman as Inventor". The term "Matilda effect" was coined in 1993 by science historian Margaret W. Rossiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bechdel test</span> Measure of womens representation in fiction

The Bechdel test, also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test, is a measure of the representation of women in film and other fiction. The test asks whether a work features at least two female characters who have a conversation about something other than a man. Some versions of the test also require that those two female characters have names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Doudna</span> American biochemist and Nobel laureate (born 1964)

Jennifer Anne Doudna is an American biochemist who has pioneered work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. Doudna was one of the first women to share a Nobel in the sciences. She received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with Emmanuelle Charpentier, "for the development of a method for genome editing." She is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair Professor in the department of chemistry and the department of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Brill</span> Canadian-American Rocket and Jet Propulsion Engineer

Yvonne Madelaine Brill was a Canadian American rocket and jet propulsion engineer. She is responsible for inventing the Electrothermal Hydrazine Thruster (EHT/Resistojet), a fuel-efficient rocket thruster that keeps today’s satellites in orbit, and holds a patent for its invention. During her career she was involved in a broad range of national space programs in the United States, including NASA and the International Maritime Satellite Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Pat Haseltine</span> American scientist, novelist, and activist (born 1942)

Florence Pat Haseltine is a U.S. physician, biophysicist, reproductive endocrinologist, journal editor, novelist, inventor, and advocate for women's health. She has been diagnosed with dyslexia. She built a diverse career in medicine. An associate professor at Yale University, her work specializes in obstetrics and gynecology as well as women's rights and gender bias in medicine. While at Yale, Haseltine established the embryology laboratory, which was one of the early labs to have a successful IVF baby. The Microscope used in the laboratory is now in Historical Collections of the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender bias on Wikipedia</span> Gender gap problem in Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects

Gender bias on Wikipedia is a term used to describe various gender-related disparities on Wikipedia, particularly the overrepresentation of men among both volunteer contributors and article subjects, as well as lesser coverage of and topics primarily of interest to women.

The Smurfette principle is the practice in media, such as film and television, to include only one woman in an otherwise entirely male ensemble. It establishes a male-dominated narrative, where the woman is the exception and exists only in reference to the men. The concept is named after Smurfette, the only female among the Smurfs, a group of comic book creatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Clark</span> American engineer

Yvonne Y. Clark was a pioneer for African-American and women engineers. Also known as Y.Y., she was the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Howard University, the first woman to earn a master's degree in Engineering Management from Vanderbilt University, and the first woman to serve as a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University, afterward becoming a professor emeritus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in film</span> Women involved in the film industry

Women are involved in the film industry in all roles, including as film directors, actresses, cinematographers, film producers, film critics, and other film industry professions, though women have been underrepresented in creative positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mako Mori test</span> Measure of representation of women in film

The Mako Mori test is a set of criteria pertaining to the representation of female characters within a film, television show or other work of fiction, inspired by the character Mako Mori from the 2013 film Pacific Rim and its 2018 sequel Pacific Rim Uprising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christie Aschwanden</span> American journalist

Christie Aschwanden is an American journalist and the former lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight. Her 2019 book GOOD TO GO: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery, was a New York Times bestseller. She was awarded an American Association for the Advancement of Science Kavli Science Journalism Award in 2016 and serves on the board of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.

Johanson analysis, developed by film critic MaryAnn Johanson, provides a method to evaluate the representation of women and girls in fiction. The analysis evaluates media on criteria that include the basic representation of women, female agency, power and authority, the male gaze, and issues of gender and sexuality. Johanson's 2015 study, funded by a Kickstarter campaign, compiled statistics for every film released in 2015, and all those nominated for Oscars in 2014 or 2015. She also drew conclusions about movie profitability when women are represented well.

Ann Finkbeiner is a science writer who has contributed to various publications including Scientific American, Nature, Science, Hakai Magazine, Quanta Magazine, Discover, Sky & Telescope, and Astronomy.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ann Finkbeiner". www.aip.org. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Debate: Why a Test Used to Spot Gender Bias in Science Reports Can Be Myopic". The Wire. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Finkbeiner Test". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  4. Hickey, Walt; Koeze, Ella; Dottle, Rachael; Wezerek, Gus (27 December 2017). "Creating The Next Bechdel Test". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 Brainard, Curtis (22 March 2013). "'The Finkbeiner Test' Seven rules to avoid gratuitous gender profiles of female scientists". Columbia Journalism Review . Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  6. Aschwanden, Christie (5 March 2013). "The Finkbeiner Test: What matters in stories about women scientists?". Double X Science. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. Finkbeiner, Ann (17 January 2013). "What I'm Not Going to Do". The Last Word On Nothing. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  8. 1 2 Gonzalez, Robert T. (31 March 2013). "The New York Times fails miserably in its obituary for rocket scientist Yvonne Brill". io9 . Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  9. "NewsDiffs | Diffing: Yvonne Brill, a Pioneering Rocket Scientist, Dies at 88". www.newsdiffs.org. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  10. Pollack, Andrew (11 May 2015). "Jennifer Doudna, A Pioneer Who Helped Simplify Genome Editing". New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  11. "Problems With How We Talk About Female Scientists « Berman Institute Bioethics Bulletin". bioethicsbulletin.org. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  12. Semeniuk, Ivan (16 February 2016). "McGill astrophysicist is first woman to win Canada's top science award". The Globe and Mail.
  13. Shanahan, Marie-Claire (18 February 2016). "Two stories, same scientist: Gender and coverage of the Herzberg medal". Boundary Vision. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019.
  14. Check Hayden, Erika (13 August 2018). "A New View of Evolution That Can't Be Represented by a Tree". The New York Times Book Review.
  15. "Sexism In Science | Common Reader". Common Reader. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  16. "Asking Questions and the "Finkbeiner Test"". Uncertain Principles. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  17. Initiative, Katie Hafner,Carol Sutton Lewis,The Lost Women of Science. "The Feminist Test We Keep Failing: Lost Women of Science Podcast, Season 3 Bonus Episode". Scientific American. Retrieved 18 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. "Debate: Why a Test Used to Spot Gender Bias in Science Reports Can Be Myopic – The Wire". The Wire. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  19. "The Last Word On Nothing | Arguing with the Finkbeiner Test". www.lastwordonnothing.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  20. "The Reversed Finkbeiner Test". www.futurescienceleaders.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  21. "Finkbeiner posts: round 2". genegeek. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.