Science: It’s a Girl Thing! But what the hell does that even mean?
An EU effort to get more young women interested in science produced this promotional video … and I have no idea what message it’s supposed to convey.
Want to be a scientist? Everything we do pretty much has a link to makeup, or dancing fabulously! Watch us distract the silly boy scientist!
I’m not the only one who doesn’t particularly like it. Personally, I don’t think you get women involved in science by creating ridiculously unobtainable images for them to emulate. You let them connect with real women, who they can respect and identify with.
Like this, which is from the same people who did the above, and makes me wonder what they were smoking when they approved that video.
Thoughts?
Ugh.
“Socialization of gender roles and employment opportunities results in less women going into STEM fields! Let’s create a promotional video showing how science can be applied to things that society says women should like! That’ll get them interested!”
Because god knows, if women or teenaged girls realize that science can be applied to MAKEUP, they’ll be flocking to it.
My problem with this isn’t necessarily that science was connected to makeup, because hey! it is true but that was … the ONLY thing they connected (beyond some mathy-looking equations being drawn stylishly on a clear board) as far as I could tell.
Like … the only thing that could get young women interested in science is the colour pink and a flashy substanceless video of thin, attractive women and artsy makeup shots?
The reason why women do not get into science fields relates to gender roles. Making a video which to get women into science while catering EXACTLY to these gender roles that are causing the problem is … painfully ironic.
