73378 - GENERE E CULTURE DELLA SCIENZA

Course contents

Knowledge, power, inequalities. Stories of women, men, and knowledge

Why, after more than two thousand years of philosophical, medical, and scientific culture, do we still live in societies in which the production of knowledge and access to power are profoundly shaped by differences of gender, social, cultural, and geographical origin, health status, age, and much more? In particular, why, despite women's achievements in research and the professions, do mechanisms of exclusion persist—mechanisms that are also internalized as forms of self-limitation?

To answer these questions, present-day data—our starting point—are not enough; they need to be read alongside long-term historical evidence. Greek philosophy contains some of the roots of the long tradition of thought that helped naturalize the subordination of women. Yet, the issue predates Aristotle (384–322 BCE) and goes back at least to Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE).

It was above all Aristotelian natural philosophy, which exerted an extraordinary influence for nearly two millennia, that provided one of the most authoritative legitimations of inequality: between women and men, and among human groups hierarchized according to physical, religious, and social characteristics. From these premises developed a patriarchal, hierarchical anthropology that shaped the religious, educational, scientific, and political institutions of our so-called Western societies and, consequently, the ways of producing, appropriating, and transmitting knowledge. This legacy is also reflected in the outputs of so-called generative artificial intelligence, trained on vast quantities of texts in which that culture is deeply embedded (large language models, LLMs).

A culture that evolves along complex, often non-linear trajectories and that continues to shape us—often without our awareness—through powerful structural mechanisms, beginning with linguistic ones, that influence our personal, educational, and professional choices, as well as our access to power.
Engaging with these issues concerns anyone who considers it necessary to:
– recognize the ways in which societies shape hierarchies and relationships, institutions and knowledge;
– navigate the languages and practices of science and technology;
– evaluate and choose their sources of information critically, beginning with chatbots.

Guiding questions

In short, this is what we mean when we talk about interactions between society and science: issues that we will address starting from some very concrete questions, such as:

– Why, according to PISA data, do girls in some countries achieve results in mathematics equal to or better than boys, while in most other countries they lag behind?
– Why, despite women’s successes in education and research, do significant difficulties persist in the professional sphere?
– Why are there many women scientists in some scientific fields, but not in others?
– Why in Bologna, where in the eighteenth century some women were allowed to study and even teach at the university, do the conditions of women researchers and lecturers today - according to the Bilancio di Genere - remain as problematic as elsewhere?
– Why have the relationships between women and science over the past three centuries - and particularly from the twentieth century to today - not followed a linear and constantly improving path?

Objectives and tools

These phenomena can be read from different perspectives.
We will adopt an interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective of a history of women and gender that engages with Science and Technology Studies (STS).

STS offer tools to help us navigate a reality that is:
– now onlife for much of the world’s population;
– technologically advanced, yet marked by a patriarchal culture that in many countries concentrates women in certain professions and excludes men from others;
– shaped by prejudices that, as a result, also affect men.

Course structure

We will pursue these goals by weaving together quantitative data with the voices of women and men who have studied science as culture and social practice, seeking to dismantle both gender bias and bias against science itself. We will give voice to women such as the writer and social thinker Virginia Woolf (1882–1941), who declared: "Science, it would seem, is not sexless; she is a man, a father, and infected too" (1938). As well as to a controversial scientist such as Richard Feynman (1918–1988), who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 and worked on the Manhattan Project, and who, addressing a group of science teachers, said:

“From science you must learn to doubt the experts. In fact, one might define science as the belief in the ignorance of experts” (Feynman, 1969).

Methods

– The first weeks will introduce the topics mentioned.
– We will then explore the history and sociology of the relationships between women and men in various educational, professional, and research contexts of the past three centuries.

– The lessons will be enriched by numerous additional activities (see below and on the Virtuale platform).

This approach is designed to:
– create a sense of community;
– move beyond the traditional lecture;
– break out of the social media bubble and rediscover the value of dialogue unmediated by technology.

For this reason, the final sessions of the course will be dedicated to discussing the work of students.

 

Classes begin on 16 September and are held on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 13:00; Thursdays and Fridays from 13:00 to 15:00.

 

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VERY IMPORTANT

In case of cough, cold, sore throat, or other symptoms (even mild), anyone attending the classes (for this or other courses) is kindly requested to wear an FFP2 mask or higher. Thank you!

Readings/Bibliography

Bachelor in Phylosophy (12 credits).

1. Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas, The Hogarth Press, London, 1938.

2. Richard Feynman, Sta scherzando, Mr. Feynman! Vita e avventure di uno scienziato curioso, Zanichelli, Bologna, 2007.

3. Nastassja Cipriani, Edwige Pezzulli, Oltre Marie. Prospettive di genere nella scienza, Morlupo, le plurali, 2023.

3. four/five articles on the history of women and men in science over the past three centuries, which will be uploaded to Virtuale (equivalent to a small book: about 150–200 pages).

4. Paola Govoni, Maria Giovanna Belcastro, Alessandra Bonoli, Giovanna Guerzoni, Ripensare l'Antropocene. Oltre natura e cultura, Carocci, Roma, 2024.

5. PowerPoint slides of the lessons; a few articles/essays including:B. Latour, La scienza in azione. Introduzione alla sociologia della scienza, Edizioni di Comunità, Torino, 1998, pp. 3-23; D. F. Noble, Un mondo senza donne. La cultura maschile della Chiesa e la scienza occidentale, Bollati Boringhieri, 1994, pp. 9-60 e pp. 205-352.

N.B.: Students enrolled in the master's courses at the Department of Education Sciences who choose the Philosophy course (12 credits) may – if they wish – opt for points 2-4 of the Social and Cultural Educator program (see below), to which they will add points 1 and 5 of the Philosophy program.

Bachelor in Expert in Social and Cultural Education (8 credits).

1. Nastassja Cipriani, Edwige Pezzulli, Oltre Marie. Prospettive di genere nella scienza, Morlupo, le plurali, 2023.

2. Paola Govoni, Maria Giovanna Belcastro, Alessandra Bonoli, Giovanna Guerzoni, Ripensare l'Antropocene. Oltre natura e cultura, Carocci, Roma, 2024.

3. L’avventura del progetto IRRESISTIBLE. Insegnanti, studenti ed esperti a confronto su temi di ricerca d’avanguardia e aspetti della Ricerca e Innovazione Responsabile, a cura di M. Venturi, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2018.

4. Richard Feynman, Sta scherzando, Mr. Feynman! Vita e avventure di uno scienziato curioso, Zanichelli, Bologna, 2007.

5. PowerPoint slides of the lessons, short articles, and essays will be uploaded to the platform or made available via provided links, including:B. Latour, La scienza in azione. Introduzione alla sociologia della scienza, Edizioni di Comunità, Torino, 1998, pp. 3-23.

 

Teaching methods

This course is part of the Innovative Digital Teaching (DDI) program.

This course is part of the Innovative Digital Teaching (DDI) program. Various materials and documents are uploaded to the Virtuale platform. The lectures are recorded and made available via a link on Virtuale. Those who watch the lectures later can send questions and comments either through the forum (on Virtuale) or by email to p.govoni@unibo.it.

We will use several of the tools offered by Virtuale: in addition to the forum, there will be a section where anyone interested can upload short texts about the many extra activities that will be organized.

A rich program of extra activities is planned, only partly announced here (the rest will be posted on Virtuale).

- with Letizia Lambertini, an expert in Research and Design in Social, Educational and Equal Opportunity Policies, we will discuss gender-based violence and education in respect.

– with Monica Miniati we will discuss the history of women in Jewish culture, a topic on which Professor Miniati has published an important book.

– (date to be defined), we will meet at the Museo del Patrimonio Industriale (link) for activities introduced by Dr. Miriam Masini and Dr. Annalisa Bugini, who oversee the museum’s Educational Services and Collections. With Miriam Masini, we will discuss education and development in Bologna from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, the role of women in local enterprises, and the museum’s programs for schools and teachers. This will be followed by a workshop led by Annalisa Bugini, a physicist specializing in science communication and education.

– Passing the baton: conversations with recent graduates in Philosophy, Physics, and Social and Cultural Education on how to approach the thesis or final project on topics related to the course.

Lectures will be organized in dialogue with participants. Although recordings will be available, “attending” refers to those present in class.

To foster self-assessment and collaboration, participants may present — individually, in pairs, or in groups — a topic relevant to the course, chosen with the instructor. This activity aims to practice selecting, verifying, and discussing sources. We will also examine how to use digital tools, such as chatbots, critically and responsibly.

Goals include:

enjoying study through collaboration with peers and instructor; navigating and evaluating sources to build an appropriate bibliography; writing a one-page abstract with bibliography or webography (any use of chatbots must be cited like any other source); preparing a PowerPoint; and managing emotions during an oral presentation. Details will be provided in class and guidelines uploaded to Virtuale. These activities will contribute to the final evaluation.

For field trips and guest lectures, students may submit short reports (to be uploaded to Virtuale within ten days of the end of the course), which will also count toward the final evaluation.

Further details will be provided during the first lectures.

Those unable to take part in these extra activities will simply study the required readings.

Assessment methods

How many exam sessions and when

The University of Bologna provides "at least six exam sessions per year", which for this course are scheduled as follows: one in September (before the start of classes); two in January (after my classes, which run from September to late December); one in May, one in June, and one in July.

How the oral exam is organized

The exam begins with a topic of your choice and develops into a discussion based on three/four questions drawn from the materials listed in the “Texts/Bibliography” section. The entire exam lasts approximately 20 minutes.

If you participated in in-class activities during the course, the results - which remain valid over time - will be given significant weight in the final assessment.

Further information about the exam will be made available on the Virtuale platform.

Assessment criteria

While knowledge of all the texts on the syllabus is essential, equally important is the ability to articulate what you have studied - and, for those attending classes, what was discussed in class - in a clear, coherent, and personal way. The aim is to assess how you have studied and with what goals.

For further details, please refer to the University’s Academic Regulations, particularly Article 16.

Students with specific learning disabilities or temporary/permanent impairments are kindly asked to contact the relevant University office as early as possible. The office will recommend any necessary exam accommodations, which must then be submitted to me for approval (at p.govoni@unibo.it) at least 15 days before the exam. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

Teaching tools

E-learning platform; a couple of museums; an educational workshop at a museum; contributions from students and experts.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Govoni