Maggie's Farm

Academic/Intellectual Challenge for MF

Dear MF ers. This new way of "doing research"--that is to say getting more research money without having to do the scientific method is becoming the thesis song for more and more females working on graduate degrees. However, I would love to hear from BD, BD, The Barrister, GWTW and buddy(where did he go?) as to what there thoughts are on this "new way of legitimizing fact". Anyone with an understanding of science, engineering, or even the arts is welcome to take a look at this new philosophy click on the link please and give me your thoughts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenography

I have never thought, nor suggested that women should be blocked from working in any field, or holding any job for which they are truly qualified. MY concern is the "qualified" part of this conversation. If women cannot succeed in a field in which we have typically relied upon scientific reasoning--then what is wrong with omitting the "hard part" (scientific reasoning)? If a woman is not able to carry the 80 pound pack and rifle should she get paid the same as the soldier in the field who does. What we have witnessed over and over and over and over is this: women get put onto research projects for the express purpose of managing the calendar, doing the paper work--but, many are not really interested in doing the hard intellectual heavy lifting. HOWEVER, because they are "on the team" they get credit as research scientist, even though all they did was keep track of email and daily bookkeeping. IT DOES NOT MAKE THEM QUALIFIED SCIENTISTS. I once saw a woman appointed to a leadership role who had sat on her girlfriends' committees and they on hers. When interviewed for the job she put her hands under her knees like a child and claimed boldly: "just because I don't know the big words doesn't mean it's not my turn!" She got the job--and helped drive the school into bankruptcy. We must get back to being a country that truly cares about accomplishment, about merit, about in the field experience that pertains to the job at hand. Women doing clean up duty in their youngster's 4 th grade cafeteria do not qualify as leaders. I once spoke with an 11 year old girl who told me: "my mommy says it's alright to steal a man's research and paper, because women have been held down for so many years!" Do you know what she does now--many years later? The NOW puts her into scientific research companies to "take down" straight, white men, who are just pigs and won't give their work to the women in their company. Do you know what she does: suggests sexual abuse, strategizes public embarrassment, etc. SHE GETS PAID TO GO INTO DIFFERENT COMPANIES AND TAKE OUT THE GUYS WHO STILL BELIEVE IN MERIT!