Exploring Norms in Watson's 'Double Helix'

It is clear throughout the “Double Helix” that there are a set of well-defined norms that underlie the actions of the researchers in the labs discussed by Watson. These norms are consistent throughout Watson’s tale and shape much of the narrative, they include: competitiveness between labs, a vast network of interdisciplinary shared information that Merton would refer to as communism, and a rigid hierarchy that determines to some extent whose work is deemed credible. These norms affected each of the players in Watson’s book to different degrees, and both helped and hindered the advancement of discovery. While these norms all played a role in leading Watson to his discovery, the competitive nature of scientific worse was arguably

This hierarchy is based on characteristics such as institutional prestige, social class, gender, publications, and in some instances personality traits. This hierarchy is antithetical to the Mertonian norm of universalism, that calls for all scientific claims to be subjected to the pre-established personal criteria regardless of their source. Watson’s treatment of Rosalind is the most egregious divergence from universalism. In his first description of her, he comments on her looks stating that she “did not emphasize her feminine qualities,” and also stated “if she could only keep her emotions under control” that she would have been a big help to Maurice. This blatant sexism, and focus on her perceived lack of femininity, haunts Rosalind (who they call Rosey as opposed to her full name to spite her) throughout The Double Helix. She is continually characterised as hypersensitive and overly erratic. Only in the epilogue does Watson admit to his faults in the way he and others treated her. He states “realizing only years too late the struggle an intelligent woman faces to be accepted by a scientific world which often regards women as mere diversions from serious thinking.” This mindset placed Rosalind at the bottom of this culturally constructed hierarchy, despite the fact that her intellect, qualifications, and skill far surmounted that of the “assistant” position that Maurice tried to force her into. As a result of this unfair characterization, Watson did not take her work and criticisms seriously, and thought them to be emotional attacks rather than the reasoned scientific critiques they were. The opposite can be said for a person like Linus Pauling. Due to his status as a charismatic white male with several publications under his belt, he was much more likely to be taken seriously than others around him. Watson mused that “even if he were