Women in Science
What, if anything, is wrong with James Watson’s representation of Rosalind
Franklin’s work on the discovery of the structure of DNA? How much does
Watson’s account of Franklin reflect the values of the 1950s? Does such a negative
portrayal of women in science affect the number of women entering science as a
profession? Does that matter? Has the controversy done too much too obscure
Franklin’s scientific achievements? How should we represent Franklin in the history
of science?
Sources: Watson,
Double Helix,
Anne Sayre,
Rosalind Franklin and DNA
(New
York: Norton & Co., 1975). Bowler and Morus ch. 21 “science and gender.” Creager
and Morgan, “After the Double Helix.”