DEI-Reading Circle

We organize the Gender Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Reading Circle.

Our goal is to engage a larger audience and raise awareness for gender (in)equality and intersecting topics in our work and study environments.

The DEI-Reading Circle meets regularly to read and discuss papers and articles about gender inequity and related and intersecting topics, with a focus on academic settings and STEM fields. Through the readings and discussions, we want to improve gender equity and counteract sexism in our immediate work and study environments. Information about meeting dates, topics, and readings can be found below.

• Regular participants in the reading circle (especially if you are not a WoBio member!)
• Reading circle moderators, who are committing to moderating the discussion for single meetings.
• Reading circle presenters who will summarize the reading and discussion for the WoBio resources blog for single meetings.
• If you are a student, this is a great place to get some experience in doing these things, and the working group members can provide help.

• Raise awareness for gender inequity and solutions to persistent problems
• Empower participants to confront and counteract sexism and inequities
• Initiate changes in practice and decision making on individual and institutional levels

• To recognize the causes and consequences of gender inequities.
• To be aware of our own biases and problematic behaviors, and to change them.
• The language to name the issues and problems.
• Facts and arguments for discussing gender inequities.
• About possible solutions to existing problems.
• To create/become allies within privileged groups and in positions of power. 

• Discussing readings
• Using worksheets for reflection and perspective taking
• Voluntary/anonymous sharing of experiences
• Activities
• Creating resources

The following ground rules are taken from a course taught by Dr. Corrie Moreau at Cornell University: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM: The Science Behind Bias seminar (Cornell ENTOM 4040).

Information on this course, associated peer-reviewed papers, and the slides the following content is based on, can be found on her website: https://www.moreaulab.entomology.cornell.edu/science-behind-bias-seminar-course/

Ground Rules:

We are all coming from different levels of understanding around these topics.

Some of these topics can be triggering, so take care of yourself.

 Use the list below as a guide for your actions in this course.

• Listen often.
• Stories stay, lessons leave
• Use “I” statements
• Take Space, Make Space
• Be both teachers and learners
• Accept that things may remain unresolved
• Embrace discomfort, but take a moment if you need
• If you feel yourself getting angry or defensive, ask yourself why.
• You will make mistakes and apologize if you do
  • It is not about your intent it is about your impact.
  • With apologies, take ownership of your words and actions. Be specific what you apologize for. (NO: I am sorry you were hurt.) 

SS 2025 - Sexgender diversity in biology

Join us this summer semester SS2025 to explore "Sexgender diversity in biology". 

You can find all the information about meeting times, place, and links to the readings below.

These events are in collaboration with the WoBio Inclusivity group. 

Before participating, please make sure you have read the ground rules so the meetings will be a respectful and safe experience for everyone.

"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. 

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

Ahmed, S., "Patriarchal Hammers - Some thoughts on the recent judgement by the Supreme Court". Retrieved April 30th, 2025, from https://feministkilljoys.substack.com/p/patriarchal-hammers

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.

Summer Term 2024 Meeting Dates and Times

Meetings last 60 minutes, and will be held in person. 

For students and external people, please meet at 9.55 on the 5^th floor, staircase 1 so we can let you in. 

Before participating, please make sure you have read the ground rules so the meetings will be a respectful and safe experience for everyone.

For access to all the readings, other resources, and information for the meetings, please contact Caro Deimel. We will send you a link to a shared folder. 

References

Gigerenzer, Gerd. "The idea of a peculiarly female intelligence: A brief history of bias masked as science." Intelligence in Context: The Cultural and Historical Foundations of Human Intelligence. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. 93-120.

Hanasono, L. K., Broido, E. M., Yacobucci, M. M., Root, K. V., Peña, S., & O'Neil, D. A. (2019). Secret service: Revealing gender biases in the visibility and value of faculty service. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(1), 85.

Holman, Luke, Devi Stuart-Fox, and Cindy E. Hauser. "The gender gap in science: How long until women are equally represented?." PLoS biology 16.4 (2018): e2004956.

Huang, Junming, et al. "Historical comparison of gender inequality in scientific careers across countries and disciplines." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117.9 (2020): 4609-4616.

Khelifa, Rassim, and Hayat Mahdjoub. "An intersectionality lens is needed to establish a global view of equity, diversity and inclusion." Ecology letters 25.5 (2022): 1049-1054.

Llorens, Anaïs, et al. "Gender bias in academia: A lifetime problem that needs solutions." Neuron 109.13 (2021): 2047-2074.

Rossiter, Margaret W. "The Matthew Matilda effect in science." Social studies of science 23.2 (1993): 325-341.

Steinþórsdóttir, F. S., Brorsen Smidt, T., Pétursdóttir, G. M., Einarsdóttir, Þ., & Le Feuvre, N. (2019). New managerialism in the academy: Gender bias and precarity. Gender, Work & Organization, 26(2), 124-139.

Wu, Cary. "The gender citation gap: Approaches, explanations, and implications." Sociology Compass 18.2 (2024): e13189.