Is Primatology a Feminist Science? Essay

IS PRIMATOLOGY A FEMINIST SCIENCE?
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Is Primatology a Feminist Science?
Introduction
Gender and sex have mainly remained confusing concepts among many scholars even after the clarifications between the two have been established notably by anthropologists. In anthropology, sex can be defined based on biological differences between females and their male counterparts during the period of conception and physiological development. For instance, sexual differences between males and females are portrayed by features such as genitalia, sex chromosomes, and other phenotypic characteristics particularly related to secondary sexual development (Armelagos, 1998, p. 1). Equally, many scholars agree that gender is a cultural construct where people are grouped into males and females or feminine or masculine. However, other systems of culture have recognized more than two classes of gender. While anthropologists have made efforts in differentiating the two terms, other disciplines continue to make advances in substituting the two terms. As the debate on the distinction between gender and sex continues to attract many, another important subject on the contribution of women in science, particularly paleontology, has emerged. Paleontology, as a study of the origins of humans, is a vibrant field of anthropology. However, as Addessi, Borgi and Palagi (2012) wrote, women have been misrepresented in this field, especially in holding senior academic positions compared to their male counterparts. Therefore, Primatology has been criticized as a male-dominated field even when it has been singled out as an “equal-opportunity” subject and become a victim of the phenomenon concept of glass-ceiling. Beyond the thought that Primatology is a glass ceiling for women, it has also emerged that there are many primatological societies than the total number of women in tallied professional societies such as general biological sciences (Fedigan, 2009, p. 529). Drawing from the representation of women in primatology and models outlined by Linda Marie Fedigan, such as the scientific priorities and representative sampling model, this paper argues from biological and knowledge theories that the discipline is a feminist science.
While primatology has attracted more female students in universities than males, males outnumber females as full professors in the faculty (Borgi and Palagi, 2012). Similarly, Borgi and Palagi (2012) have observed that more males publish articles at the Institute of Primatological Society (IPS). However, Borgi and Palagi’s (2012) observations seem to counter those observed earlier that women have made significant contributions to the field of Primatology. Feminist science scholars have spiraled these past arguments. For instance, Fedigan’s (2009) review on gender and science indicates that women have made a significant impact in the discipline and the betterment of their science comes from a feminist approach. Primatology seems to be singled out as a science for the praise of women. This argument is valid because many women scholars may disagree with the fact th...