Culture and Science: Their Dialogue in imagofeminae

By Dipl.-Psych. Paiman Maria Davarifard, imagofeminae
Published: September 2, 2025

Introduction

For centuries, culture and science have been presented as opposing realms: art and imagination on one side, rationality and evidence on the other. Yet this separation is misleading. Science is not born outside of culture—it reflects its values, languages, and norms. Culture, in turn, is constantly reshaped by scientific discoveries that influence medicine, psychology, technology, and everyday life. For women, this interconnection has always carried particular weight, as both cultural narratives and scientific practices have often defined, limited, or liberated their roles.

Culture Shapes Science

Scientific knowledge is never created in a vacuum. Thomas Kuhn’s influential concept of paradigm shifts(Kuhn, 1962) demonstrates that scientific progress is historically and socially situated. Feminist scholars such as Evelyn Fox Keller (1985) and Sandra Harding (1991) have further argued that science is deeply gendered, often reproducing cultural assumptions about masculinity and femininity. In the field of medicine, for example, women’s pain has long been minimized, reflecting not a lack of data but cultural biases in research and diagnosis (Hoffmann & Tarzian, 2001).

Science Shapes Culture

At the same time, science transforms cultural life. The development of reproductive technologies has changed narratives around motherhood and family; neuroscience has reshaped understandings of the mind; psychology has introduced new languages for emotions and identity. Each discovery enters not only academic discourse but also literature, art, and lifestyle. This exchange shows that culture is not only the domain of writers, artists, and communities but also of laboratories and clinics.

The Feminist Perspective

The relationship between culture and science must also be understood through a feminist lens. Donna Haraway (1988) reminds us that knowledge is always “situated”: produced from a particular standpoint, never neutral. In practice, this means women’s voices are essential in shaping both cultural and scientific narratives. Studies in psychology and sociology have shown that when women are included in research—not only as subjects but as knowledge producers—the scope and quality of science expand (Schiebinger, 1999; Pérez, 2019).

imagofeminae as a Bridge

imagofeminae positions itself where art, literature, culture, and science meet. By including research articles alongside personal testimonies, portraits, and essays, the journal recognizes that scientific knowledge is part of culture, and cultural narratives are vital to understanding science. Articles like Asiye Safayi’s study on Iranian mothers of children with autism highlight this approach: rigorous, evidence-based research becomes intertwined with women’s lived experiences, revealing the cultural dimension of stress, stigma, and care.

Conclusion

The dialogue between culture and science is not optional but necessary. Only when they are seen together can we understand the full complexity of women’s lives. imagofeminae seeks to embody this vision by offering a platform where cultural voices and scientific research speak to one another, shaping a more humane and holistic understanding of the world.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

• Harding, S. (1991). Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women’s Lives. Cornell University Press.

• Haraway, D. (1988). Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective. Feminist Studies, 14(3), 575–599.

• Hoffmann, D. E., & Tarzian, A. J. (2001). The girl who cried pain: A bias against women in the treatment of pain. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 29(1), 13–27.

• Keller, E. F. (1985). Reflections on Gender and Science. Yale University Press.

• Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press.

• Pérez, C. C. (2019). Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. Abrams Press.

• Schiebinger, L. (1999). Has Feminism Changed Science?Harvard University Press.

• Safayi, A. (2025). The Social Facet of Stress Among Iranian Mothers of Children with ASD: A Qualitative Study. Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie.

IMPRESSUM

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

imagofeminae WOMEN IMAGE LIFESTYLE ISSN 2195-2000 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.  EDITORS:  Dipl.-Psych. Paiman Maria Davarifard, Alicja Wawryniuk. Selma Vasilisa. imagofeminae summer 2025 # XLV © Berlin 2025 by imagofeminae.com. Mail: editors(at)imagofeminae.com