Social Context

This week we study the impact of women scientists who spoke out against gender discrimination they experienced at MIT. Led by biologist Nancy Hopkins, all but one of the tenured women faculty in the science departments in 1995   called for investigation and change. In response the Dean of Science formed a committee to investigate, which led to a public report in 1999 that made a big impact not just at MIT, but across higher education and beyond. In 2016, undergraduates Caroline Chen and Kamilla Tekiela co-authored a companion report on the status of undergraduate women at MIT. The issues they identified remain persistent, difficult problems of culture at MIT.

This week we examine the impact of intersectionality theory on activism. Developed by black feminist writers, the concept of intersectionality includes both a categorical element (a person’s combination of multiple social identities) and a political one (the impact of overlapping systems of oppression). An example of the salience of the categorical element can be found in this analysis of MIT climate surveys. The political element, on the other hand, reminds us of the importance of movement spillover and coalition building. Contemporary activists working with an intersectional lens recognize that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King) and that single-issue activism often ends up further marginalizing oppressed peoples. As a result, intersectional activists focus on bringing attention to the systemic nature of oppression. They include several notable scientists such as Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and Ben Barres.