Impact of the participation of women in science: on rethinking the place of women especially in occupational health.
Recently, women have become scientists in increasing numbers. The present article uses a perspective drawn from the sociology of knowledge to examine the impact of this participation on science, especially the study of occupational health and safety. Five evolutionary stages are described: (1) Inclusion of women as scientific workers; (2) Inclusion of women as subjects of scientific research; (3) Inclusion of variables relevant to women, rather than merely applying to women the factors used to explain men's situations; (4) Using new methodologies to reveal the complexity and the specificity of women's life situations, in addition to those tools developed while studying male populations; (5) Questioning the values on which traditional science has been based, and orienting research according to feminist values. Examples from the study of women's occupational health illustrate these five stages. It is suggested that scientific research oriented toward the well-being of women workers will not only yield a better understanding of women's conditions but also lead to a rethinking of standard practices for research on men's conditions.
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D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D012108:Research Personnel; D012586:Science; D012737:Sex Factors; D016387:Women's Health