Optics & Photonics News

“This is your member of the National Academy.” Rather than turning to me, the President kept talking to my husband, saying, “Well, what do you do?” He never did talk to me!

Living with these stereotypes sometimes feels akin to water torture. Bit by bit, these incidents occur when we least expect them, and when combined, they add up to a serious impediment, if not to our careers, then at least to our life satisfaction.

Fighting biases

The first step is to become aware of these biases. We all harbor them. The women’s movement in the 1970s introduced the idea of consciousness-raising, and it is a concept that remains important today for women and minorities.

It helps to talk to others who are in the same situation. Once you have decided to enter a profession in which you will be in the minority, you’ll find that you’re now part of a new culture altogether—one that combines your profession and your minority status. This is where professional societies that target minorities come into play. There are several listed as resources at the end of the article. Becoming involved with other minorities through our own MWOSA (Minorities and Women in OSA) is important, particularly as you encounter these biases and struggle to understand them.

Once you are comfortable with your status within optics, you can begin to discover how to overcome these biases. For example, I could have introduced myself to the President rather than waiting for him to act. I’ve learned to identify myself as worthy of respect within a group by bringing up a subtle technical point and asking what others think of it. I’m always careful in a talk to provide a bit of in-depth analysis to prove that I know what I’m talking about.

Let people know who you are. Get involved in OSA professional activities. Volunteer for committee work. Your input is valuable because you offer a new point of view. Your reticence is a loss to the profession. Attend social functions

A woman’s place? In a demonstration of hidden biases, subjects are shown two scenes and a sequence of male and female names. They are first told to place the women in the kitchen and the men in the lab by yelling “left” or “right” as quickly as possible. Then they are asked to put the women in the lab and the men in the kitchen. It generally takes both men and women longer to place the female names in the laboratory than it does to place them in the kitchen.

I’ve noticed hidden bias within myself when I write letters of recommendation. Unless I fight it, I unwittingly describe my female students in a different way than males.

and make it a point to meet new people. I sought out authors of papers I respected, thereby building up a cadre of friends who knew me and my capabilities.

What if you’re not a minority?

What can you do to help? Identify the hidden biases and stereotypes within yourself. This is not easy, but constant vigilance will help. In what ways do you react to those who look different? Are your responses helpful or hindering? When asked to nominate someone for an award or volunteer position, look beyond the obvious choices.

I’ve noticed hidden bias within myself
when I write letters of recommendation.
Unless I fight it, I unwittingly describe my
female students in a different way than
males. I tend to write more about how
“nice” the female student is and less about
how “competent” she is. I tend toward
using the first names of my women
students more than I do with males.

Elsa Garmire ( elsa.garmire@dartmouth.edu) is the Sydney E. Junkins 1887 Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., U.S.A. She was OSA’s president in 1993.