[en] Gender inequality and diversity in STEM is a challenging field of research. Although the relation between the sex/gender of the researcher and the scientific research practices has been previously examined, less interest has been demonstrated towards the relation between sex/gender of the researcher and the way sex/gender as a variable is explored. Here, we examine, from a neurofeminist perspective, both questions: whether sex/gender identity is related to the examination of sex/gender as a variable and whether different approaches towards examining sex/gender are being used in different topics of study within neuroscience. Using the database of submitted posters to the Organization of Human Brain Mapping 2022 annual conference, we identified abstracts examining a sex/gender-related research question. Among these target abstracts, we identified four analytical categories, varying in their degree of content-related complexity: (1) sex/gender as a covariate, (2) sex/gender as a binary variable for the study of sex/gender differences, (3) sex/gender with additional biological information, and (4) sex/gender with additional social information. Statistical comparisons between sex/gender of researcher and the target abstract showed that the proportion of abstracts from Non-binary or Other first authors compared to both Women and Men was lower for all submitted abstracts than for the target abstracts; that more researchers with sex/gender-identity other than man implemented analytical category of sex/gender with additional social information; and, for instance, that research involving cognitive, affective, and behavioural neuroscience more frequently fit into the sex/gender with additional social information-category. Word cloud analysis confirmed the validity of the four exploratorily identified analytical categories. We conclude by discussing how raising awareness about contemporary neurofeminist approaches, including perspectives from the global south, is critical to neuroscientific and societal progress.
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Picó-Pérez, Maria; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal ; Departamento de Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
Marco, Elena Abalos; Gender in STEM, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Thurston, Lindsey T; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Ambrosi, Valerie; Institute Technology and Education, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Genon, Sarah ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques ; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
Bryant, Katherine L; Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
Martínez, Ana Belén; Filosofía de la Biología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ciccia, Lu; Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios de Género, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Kaiser Trujillo, Anelis; Gender in STEM, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. anelis.kaiser@tf.uni-freiburg.de
Language :
English
Title :
Researchers' sex/gender identity influences how sex/gender question is investigated in neuroscience: an example from an OHBM meeting.
Publication date :
April 2024
Journal title :
Brain Structure and Function
ISSN :
1863-2653
eISSN :
1863-2661
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, Germany
FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology EU - European Union DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Funding text :
Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. No one common funding was received to specifically prepare this manuscript. However, this work has been supported by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—project UIDB/50026/2020, UIDP/50026/2020 and EXPL/PSI-GER/1030/2021. SG was supported by the Heisenberg Program of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GE 2835/2–1). MPP was supported by the grant RYC2021‐031228‐I, funded by MCIN/AEI/ https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and by the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau
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