Discover
/
Article

Gender and Science: Women in American Astronomy, 1859–1940

MAR 01, 1990
Women measured plates and reduced data in the great factory observatories, helping raise American astronomy to world‐class status while they themselves were relegated to second‐class status.
John Lankford
Rickey L. Slavings

Historically, the division of labor within American astronomy was gender specific. Although the field took in large numbers of women, gender dictated who collected data, who reduced it, who analyzed it and who published the results. The assignment of roles reflected the perceptions male astronomers had of females, and those perceptions in turn mirrored the values of American culture.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the Authors

John Lankford. University of Missouri, Columbia.

Rickey L. Slavings. Radford University, Radford, Virginia.

Related content
/
Article
Figuring out how to communicate with the public can be overwhelming. Here’s some advice for getting started.
/
Article
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
/
Article
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
/
Article
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1990_03.jpeg

Volume 43, Number 3

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.