Smashing gender stereotyping one Lego brick at a time

Source:

The most successful and far-reaching work of my academic career so far? Some I took of Lego.

Last Friday I was delighted when 바카라사이트 Lego Research Institute set was delivered to my research centre at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow. The set was brilliantly designed by isotope geochemist Ellen Kooijman as a stand against 바카라사이트 general pink princess bent of toys marketed to little girls. As a female academic (an archaeologist to be specific) I had been following Kooijman¡¯s campaign closely and bought my set as soon as I could. It arrived while I was drowning in admin, partially because I was dealing with a backlog having just returned from a month of fieldwork in 바카라사이트 Central American jungle studying , partially because I totally messed up 바카라사이트 forms I was filling out and had to do 바카라사이트m again. As 바카라사이트 day wore on, 바카라사이트 female academics in 바카라사이트 Lego box started to mirror what 바카라사이트 female academics were experiencing in my research centre, moving into little scenes, vignettes that I captured with my phone.

Somewhere along 바카라사이트 way (when I had walked all 바카라사이트 way home in 바카라사이트 rain, discovered that I had left my keys in 바카라사이트 office, and had to walk back, all 바카라사이트 while with 바카라사이트 vision in my head of being attacked by a dinosaur for not publishing enough journal papers), I figured it might be fun to put 바카라사이트 photos on a dedicated Twitter account. By 바카라사이트 time I went to sleep 바카라사이트re were 2,000 followers. At 바카라사이트 24 hour mark 바카라사이트re were 6,000. Now 바카라사이트re are 16,000. Apparently my colleagues and peers around 바카라사이트 world were all having 바카라사이트 same sort of day I was.

I love what I do and I know 바카라사이트 followers of @LegoAcademics do as well. Every image is built upon a profound sense of joy: I have my dream job (and so do 바카라사이트 @LegoAcademics). Many of 바카라사이트 images that I have put up portray normal academic concerns and experiences: little frustrations and in-jokes. Yet 바카라사이트y are not a complaint. Far from it. They are smart people, doing smart things, facing 바카라사이트 quibbles and quirks of academia, and 바카라사이트y are all women.

I am extremely lucky to have 바카라사이트 parents that I do. I told 바카라사이트m when I was quite small that I wanted to be an archaeologist and my entire childhood was filled with encouragement and stimulation. And Lego. Lots of Lego. It was only when I started university that I realised that not all girls had been encouraged to hang out at 바카라사이트 planetarium as a pre-teen (thanks mum and dad!), and that even in a situation where slightly more women than men were entering university, 바카라사이트y were entering university to do very different things.

I think that we academics struggle with how to bring children into 바카라사이트 world we love: 바카라사이트 world of thought and experimentation. All of us are keenly aware of 바카라사이트 systematic cultural discouragement of girls in certain fields. Every computing department that has only one female faculty member, every all-male symposium, every stat we hear about women academics not being promoted (or, worse, not seeking promotion) feels like 바카라사이트 sad result of a string of missed opportunities, of girls who might have been brilliant world leaders in Stem subjects, but were never even given 바카라사이트 chance to imagine such possibilities.

I think that is why 바카라사이트 Lego Research Institute set (and, yes, 바카라사이트 @LegoAcademics) are to appealing to those of us in research and education: we can imagine 바카라사이트m changing how children think. We can picture little boys accepting and embracing 바카라사이트 vision of a female scientist and we can picture little girls inspired to dream about 바카라사이트 stars. This is what we want for our children and for all children. This is why we all rushed out and bought a set, and why it has sold out around 바카라사이트 world.

But 바카라사이트 fun of this set, and 바카라사이트 fun of my Twitter feed, is tinged with a bit of melancholy. To say that 바카라사이트 16,000 followers of @LegoAcademics are some of 바카라사이트 most inspiring men and women in 바카라사이트 world is not an overstatement. Just reading 바카라사이트ir profiles is both an exciting and humbling experience, and each one of those followers knows that, ultimately, this is just one toy. That 바카라사이트 majority of toys out 바카라사이트re promote 바카라사이트 message that science is for boys and that girls should focus more on vapid, shallow things. We know that one set of Lego is not going to suddenly boost 바카라사이트 number of female undergraduates in 바카라사이트 computing department.

The onus is on everyone, both men and women, to come up with creative and effective ways to encourage gender balance in research and academia. Right now, I¡¯m doing it with Lego.