Embrace the stereotype

Untameable hair and spectacles or skinny jeans and superhero t-shirts – should we worry about the publics’ stereotypical image of a scientist? Far from it says Russ Swan, time to embrace it…   I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being told what to think. Specifically, I’m tired of being told to cast aside my preconceptions about just about everything, and that harmlessly cherishing a stereotype is the same thing as being prejudiced. I think, on the other hand, that it's merely a convenient and non-judgemental cerebral shorthand that we all need and use on a routine basis. We’ve all been tarred with the brush of stereotyping at some time, and some of us more than others. As scientists, we’re probably on the receiving end of it more often than most – but it’s not as if we’re the only ones. Most professions, indeed most walks of life, have a standard image to content with. It doesn’t matter whether you're a stockbroker or a plumber, the simple mention of your trade will create a vision in the mind of anybody listening. So tell me, what picture do you conjure up when you think of the word ‘scientist’? You might cheat by glancing across the lab bench, but the chances are that you will think of a stereotypical image. We all do. It’s normal, and it doesn’t make you a bad person. Not long ago the British Standard Scientist would have been drawn as being a bit dishevelled, with untamed (and untameable) hair, a white lab coat, and thick lensed-spectacles. Today, probably thanks to the popular nerds of television series such as The Big Bang Theory and various crime scene dramas, the scientist may be seen by the person in the street (another stereotype, incidentally) as wearing skinny jeans and graphical t-shirts and having a juvenile interest in superheroes and comics. Today’s version is significantly younger than his predecessor, which is probably a good thing. But he still wears glasses, and he’s still a he. Only the last of these is worth fretting over, and it’s always a pleasure to acknowledge the small victories achieved by campaigners for gender equality. Scientist Barbie might not be quite the ultimate achievement here (and I'm afraid she is a real thing), but the inclusion in the latest batch of Lego minifigures of a scientist (complete with Erlenmeyer flasks and white coat) who just happens to be female is certainly worth noting. The various professional organisations that represent us will, from time to time, get into a real lather about the apparently negative images generated by the supposedly-unfair scientific stereotype. But I don’t think they’ve really thought this through. If we were ever able to train Jane and Joe Public to cast aside their ignorance and see scientists for the varied cross-section of different human sub-species that we really are, I fear we would lose far more than we would gain. For a start, we’d have to return the favour for every other stereotype in our own minds. Can you think of a teacher without leather elbow patches? A real ale drinker without a beard? Or a dentist without a Porsche? It’s like trying to imagine an elephant without ears.

Scientist Barbie might not be quite the ultimate achievement here (and I'm afraid she is a real thing),

And, let’s be honest, there are few things more satisfying than having a preconception upheld. We all take a little delight in discovering an accountant who has little interesting to say, or a librarian wearing horn-rimmed spectacles and talking in whispers. Don’t we? More seriously, I fear we might lose a critical part of our very identity. For some groups, this might be a good thing – our close professional cousins the engineers in particular have nothing to lose but their boiler suits. But for scientists, we may be throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. As long as we have a stereotypical image, at least we have an image. It might not represent you, or me, accurately, but it's a relatively simple task to gently polish that picture to something a little more accurate. Failing that, a little more sexy would do fine. If we lose the stereotype altogether, we will also lose the excitement and romance associated with scientific investigation. We will lose the mystery and the cuteness and the intrigue of being just a little bit cleverer – or at least inquisitive – than the average Homo sapiens. Instead, we would become anodyne, identikit, rather dull creatures – to all intents indistinguishable from hairdressers or (the horror!) civil servants. I say it’s time to stop worrying about the cartoon image, stand up, and embrace your stereotype.