People were assuming that the biologist that discovered the new cat species was a white guy. She’s a Bolivian biologist who is decidedly not a white guy.
Just your average casual sexism weaving it’s way through social media as usual.
That’s the problem with screenshots of other social media platforms; we don’t have any of the buildup or history leading up to this. I’m completely out of the loop on this entire thing. It’s like seeing a 9 layer meme that builds on all the other memes posted this week without context
Imagine seeing a post making fun of lämps and you’re just like… what about lamps? They’re bright?
I can dig up examples just as well as you can, but I’m not at my desk at the moment.
you should have done that before posting this screenshot out of context. If you’re not willing to verify something is true, then don’t repost it on social media.
A newly published University of Virginia study has found that about two-thirds of students in a third- through fifth-grade extracurricular astronomy program perceive scientists as white men in labs, mixing chemicals – even as women and people of color increasingly work as scientists.
The study authors found that these perceptions persist even after elementary school students have been tutored under young female scientists in a program designed to increase understanding of and exposure to astronomy.
We found that the scientist image was rated predominantly as White and male, which reflects stereotypes about who pursues scientific careers. The scientist image was also rated more negatively than the other CIs on several characteristics, which may indicate negative biases toward scientists as unsociable, poor communicators, and incompetent authority figures, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This isn’t a made up phenomena just for social media. It really happens.
I saw the article before but didn’t read the details, if I had seen the name ending with an -a I would have thought a woman. But that’s also probably because I knew a guy named Paolo.
There is absolutely sexism as well as racism still lurking around in the average person’s assumptions. Seems a connected world hasn’t (yet) fixed that. Might take more time.
I feel like this isn’t about a cat
People were assuming that the biologist that discovered the new cat species was a white guy. She’s a Bolivian biologist who is decidedly not a white guy.
Just your average casual sexism weaving it’s way through social media as usual.
where?
I’m answering what the OG post is talking about. I can dig up examples just as well as you can, but I’m not at my desk at the moment.
The OP says “this site” and it looks like maybe Tumblr?
So why is tumblr’s issue our problem?
If you didn’t assume she was a white guy, then this isn’t targeting you. You can put your pitchfork down.
Has anyone in this community, or on Lemmy or in the fediverse in general, been doing that? Else what’s the relevance to us?
That’s the problem with screenshots of other social media platforms; we don’t have any of the buildup or history leading up to this. I’m completely out of the loop on this entire thing. It’s like seeing a 9 layer meme that builds on all the other memes posted this week without context
Imagine seeing a post making fun of lämps and you’re just like… what about lamps? They’re bright?
you should have done that before posting this screenshot out of context. If you’re not willing to verify something is true, then don’t repost it on social media.
I didn’t post the screenshot
I’m not the OP
fine. The point stands though, OP should have provided context for this actually being an issue.
It’s really common for people to assume scientists are white men.
Here’s another study on it:
This isn’t a made up phenomena just for social media. It really happens.
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Oh. Well, if that’s the whole story, then this is a pretty weak science meme
Eh there’s value in calling out sexist assumptions.
I guess so, it just would be nice to see two people verbally sparring, instead of a one-person narrative about a supposed firestorm
It’s an old trope that people assume any scientist is a white man.
shrug first I’ve heard it
https://qz.com/523023/scientists-and-mathematicians-arent-all-white-men-but-you-wouldnt-know-that-from-the-movies
It’s a whole thing! Now that you know, I bet it’s like learning a new word - you’ll start noticing it in more places.
Damn, you’re lucky
I saw the article before but didn’t read the details, if I had seen the name ending with an -a I would have thought a woman. But that’s also probably because I knew a guy named Paolo.
There is absolutely sexism as well as racism still lurking around in the average person’s assumptions. Seems a connected world hasn’t (yet) fixed that. Might take more time.