SS2025 - Sexgender diversity in biology
SS2025 - Sexgender diversity in biology
"Biology is a continuum, but we biologists, because of our limitations, divide ourselves into categories, and then we pretend that those categories exist in the living systems that we study."
Bartholomew, G. A. (1958). The role of physiology in the distribution of terrestrial vertebrates. Zoogeography, 51, 81-95.
“Biological facts” are often central to current public debates about sex and gender in humans. But is biology enough to understand the complexity and variation of human sex, gender, and sexuality? And why and how should biologists contribute to this debate? The DEI Reading Circle, organized by Women in Biology, wants to explore these topics this summer semester.
We are convinced that biologists should deeply care about this topic because it has real consequences for people’s lives as science is being weaponized to discriminate against marginalized groups. We will take a look at how we historically conceptualize and operationalize biological sex in animals and humans, and learn which biases these categories carry with them. We will also scrutinize these influences on how we do and talk about our science, and look at new concepts and frameworks beyond simplistic binary models of sex and gender to do better. Finally, we will consider how can we make teaching more inclusive with regard to sex and gender diversity content.
Summer Semester 2025 Meeting Dates and Times
We meet in the UBB Mensa in the comfy sitting area at the very back.
Meetings start at 16:30, and last about 60-90 mins.
The bistro closes at 17:00, so if you want to get something from them arrive a bit early.
Before participating, please make sure you have read the ground rules so the meetings will be a respectful and safe experience for everyone.
For each meeting, we have selected a short, fast reading (~ 15min), and a longer, in depth reading for the topic. Depending on how much time you have, you can choose either one to read ahead of the meeting. And even if you did not have any time, you are welcome to participate in the discussion.
We tried to choose readings that are available without any paywalls. But in case you do not have access, please contact Caro Deimel. We can send you a link to a shared folder.
| Dates | Topic | Short/Fast Reading | Long/Deep Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 Tuesday 25.03.2025 | Why biologists need to talk about sex and gender | tinyurl.com/ycwj4xjs | tinyurl.com/dxfpe6sr |
| Session 2 Tuesday 08.04.2025 | Biological variation and sex diversity in animals | tinyurl.com/2uk2kmws | tinyurl.com/3xs4ekje |
| Session 3 Monday 05.05.2025 | Biological variation and sexgender diversity of humans | tinyurl.com/5m5ert5x | tinyurl.com/2wfwvbpx |
| Session 4 Monday 23.06.2025 | Teaching sex and gender in biology | tinyurl.com/7hakdf7r | tinyurl.com/2wd4s23h |
References
Session 1 - Why biologists need to talk about sex and gender
Karkazis, K. (2019). The misuses of “biological sex”. The Lancet, 394(10212), 1898-1899.
Sudai, M., et al. (2022). Law, policy, biology, and sex: critical issues for researchers. Science, 376(6595), 802-804.
Further resources for the interested ones
Molteni, M. "Trump executive order declaring only ‘two sexes’ gets the biology wrong, scientists say" Retrieved March 14th, 2025, from https://archive.ph/KyYXF#selection-1263.0-1263.87
Session 2 - Biological variation and sex diversity in animals
Velocci, B. (2024). The history of sex research: Is “sex” a useful category? Cell, 187(6), 1343-1346.
McLaughlin, J. F., et al. (2023). Multivariate models of animal sex: breaking binaries leads to a better understanding of ecology and evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 63(4), 891-906.
Further resources for the interested ones
t.b.a.
Session 3 - Biological variation and sexgender diversity in humans
Lockhart, J.W., "What sex-difference science misses about the messy reality of sex" Retrieved March 14th, 2025, from https://psyche.co/ideas/what-sex-difference-science-misses-about-the-messy-reality-of-sex
DuBois, L. Z., & Shattuck‐Heidorn, H. (2021). Challenging the binary: Gender/sex and the bio‐logics of normalcy. American Journal of Human Biology, 33(5), e23623.
Further resources for the interested ones
Session 4 - Teaching sex and gender in biology
Eddy, S., "Trans students benefit from gender-inclusive classrooms, research shows – and so do the other students and science itself" Retrieved March 14th, 2025, from https://theconversation.com/trans-students-benefit-from-gender-inclusive-classrooms-research-shows-and-so-do-the-other-students-and-science-itself-204777
Harris, B. N., et al. (2024). Incorporating sex-diverse and gender-inclusive perspectives in higher education biology courses. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 64(6), 1694-1716.
Further resources for the interested ones
t.b.a.