C-Hub Spotlight, Issue 11, June 2024

Featured Topic: Understanding Gender

The terms gender and sex are often used interchangeably in research and everyday speech, but they are distinct concepts. Sex refers to biological traits in humans and animals, such as hormones, chromosomes, gene expression, and sex characteristics (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2023). Gender refers to socially constructed behaviors, roles, expressions, and identities that inform cultural beliefs about masculinity, femininity, and other expressions of gender (ibid). Gender is also a deeply lived and felt identity that may or may not align with biological sex assigned at birth. Cultural definitions of gender change over time and may differ based on history, context, and location. For instance, physical appearance (e.g. hair length and hair style) and mannerisms have often been associated with concepts of femininity and masculinity across cultures.

What’s the evidence?

Some societies have up to 3-5 distinct genders associated with certain sets of behaviors (Peletz, 2009; Urquhart, 2019).  Many Western cultures primarily identify two genders, linked to biological sex as the primary determinant of gender including male and female (Blumer et al., 2013). Biological sex chromosomes and sex characteristics exist in wide variation beyond a binary (Ainsworth, 2015); intersex people are born with natural variations in sex characteristics such as chromosomal patterns, hormonal patterns, and reproductive organs that do not fit mainstream dichotomous ideas of male and female bodies (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 2019). 

Because sex has been shown to be more complex than a simple binary, defining gender by biological sex and limiting sex to only male and female categories affect people’s lives in medical care, public policy, and legal systems. For example, most societies do not have comprehensive legal anti-discrimination protections for trans people in accessing appropriate healthcare, housing, employment, dining, or toilets corresponding to their gender identity. While some governments have made progress in employment protections and legal recognition of gender based on self-determination rather than sex assigned at birth, there is still much work to be done to achieve basic human rights for privacy, free expression, and dignity for people of all genders (Ghoshal and Knight, 2016).

  “Cisgenderism constructs the world as having only two valid genders and sexes and has been used to describe the ideology that delegitimizes people’s own designations of their genders. A cisgenderist worldview maintains that gender should be assigned by external authorities, rather than self-designated. (Blumer et al, 2013)

In everyday settings, these are common ways that “cisgenderisms” occur:  

  • Binarizing: recognizing only 2 valid categories of gender (man/woman, girl/boy, transgender/cisgender)  
  • Misgendering: using language that does not respect an individual’s self-stated gender  
  • Erasure: a refusal to acknowledge the existence of people whose gender differs from their sex assigned at birth, or people who have a non-binary gender  
  • Pathologizing: Reinforcing narratives of disorder about trans people and identities – regarding both characteristics and behavior of people  
  • Marginalizing: The construction of trans and non-binary genders as less legitimate than cis genders or as inappropriate to discuss outside of LGBTQ-specific contexts or settings  

(Blumer et al, 2013; Shelton, 2022) 

What can YOU do?

For people who are not marginalized based on gender identity:  

For people who belong to the transgender, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, polygender, bigender, enby, queer, and part of the broader gender diverse community:  

For everyone:  

Learn more with these resources.  

Pride Month Events:

Featured event for Pride Month:  

Exploring the rainbow: An introduction to the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum. Wednesday, June 19, 2024. 12:10pm-12:55pm. Center Building, C210. In this event we will give an overview of different spectrums under the umbrella term LGBTQIA+ in a relaxed atmosphere. There will also be time for conversation afterwards. For all events of OIST LGBTQ+ Allies, please see: https://groups.oist.jp/lgbtq/pride-month-2024  

 External event for Pride Month:  

テーマ：「性の多様性に関するセミナー〜性の多様性を生物学的視点でとらえる」  

日　時：2024年6月8日（土）15時〜16時50分  

場　所：久留米大学御井学舎御井本館12A 教室  

開催方法：対面とオンライン  

お申し込みは、以下のURLからお願いいたします。  

https://x.gd/8etQB  

ご講演要旨は、以下のDI推進室の公式HPからご覧ください。  

https://d-inclusion.kurume-univ.jp/recurrent_education/variety_seminar202405/  

Upcoming C-Hub Events and Announcements

For students and researchers:

Non-Academic Job Market Workshop Series, Module 1: Resume Writing. June 20, 2024. 4:15pm-5:15pm. Lab 4, Floor F, Room 01 (L4F01).  

This is a workshop series for those who are currently in the process of applying for non-academic positions and for those considering pursuing the non-academic job market in the future. Participants will hone their skills for writing compelling résumés (or hybrid CVs) and cover letters, discuss (and practice) job interviews, contextualize their academic research toward industry positions, and learn comprehensively about the process of searching for a job. Open to the OIST community; this workshop is especially helpful for postdocs and students.  

If you do plan to register for this series, please respond by the end of Monday, June 17.  

 Enhancing Your Professional & Scientific Web Presence – Module 1: Introducing Your Professional Self to the Online World. June 27, 2024. 4:15pm-5:30 pm. Lab 4, Level E, Room 01 (L4E01). Facilitator: Dr. Brandon Conlon, Assistant Director for Faculty and Postdoctoral Professional Development  

Whether we like it or not, we have a web presence. The way you represent your professional self online conveys important information and images to the circles of contacts and potential contacts who are interested in your work. When a prospective contact attempts to locate you online, having a less than optimal web presence could mean missed opportunities. Dedicating attention to the ways in which online platforms and processes can be used to create and enhance your professional visibility is a valuable step on your career path, whether in the academic world or beyond.   

If you plan to register for this series, please respond by the end of Monday, June 24.  

For staff:

第２回 大学職員向け勉強会 / #2 Study Sessions for OIST Staff (Japanese). Monday, June 10, 2024 - 14:00 to 15:00. Lab 3, C700. *This session will be conducted in Japanese. The English session will be offered beginning in September.「FY2023事務職員向け勉強会」を改題して内容もアップグレードしました。研究活動というものを良く知って、科学技術の大学院大学という職場の本質への理解を深めることに興味をお持ちではありませんか。毎日の仕事の中で、実際に研究者や研究活動に触れる機会は少ないかもしれませんが、それでも、大学組織への理解が深まれば、皆さん自身の視点や視野はどう広がるでしょうか。自分の役割の意識や、仕事のプロセス、部署間コミュニケーションは、どう変わっていくでしょうか。  

体系的な基礎知識を提供しつつ、気兼ねなく遠慮なく思い切り質問できるインタラクティブ形式で開催します。管理職の皆様はもちろん、全ての職員の皆様のご参加をお待ちしています。　
  
このシリーズは、4回のセッションで展開します。新情報も追加され、リピート参加大歓迎です。全シリーズ詳細はこちら。

 第２回　　「研究活動の内幕と背景」 (2024年6月10日（月）14時～15時 @C700)　  
プレゼンター：島貫瑞樹（プロボストオフィス）、ファシリテーター：永井あゆみ（C-Hub）  事前登録不要です。現地にて出席記録を行います。

第３回 大学職員向け勉強会 / #3 Study Sessions for OIST Staff (JPN). Thursday, June 20, 2024. 13:30-14:30. Lab 3, C700.「研究リソースと研究支援」 (2024年6月20日（木）13時半～１４時半 @C700)  プレゼンター：島貫瑞樹（プロボストオフィス）、ファシリテーター：永井あゆみ（C-Hub）. 事前登録不要です。現地にて出席記録を行います。  

  第４回 大学職員向け勉強会 / #4 Study Sessions for OIST Staff (JPN). Monday, July 1, 2024. 11:00-12:00. Lab 3, C700.  第４回　「大学組織」 (2024年7月７月１日（月）11時～12時 @C700)  プレゼンター：島貫瑞樹（プロボストオフィス）、ファシリテーター：永井あゆみ（C-Hub）  事前登録不要です。現地にて出席記録を行います。  

Other OIST Events  

Learn About Okinawa History: Irei no hi (Okinawa Memorial Day) 2024. Wednesday, June 12, 2024. 15:00-17:00. OIST Auditorium. (Language: Japanese with simultaneous English translation) June 23 is Okinawa Memorial Day. To mark the occasion, a special lecture on Okinawa's history and war will be held. Takahiro Seto, a Japanese historian from Onna Village Museum will be invited as a lecturer to give context about the war in Okinawa, combat zones in Onna Village, and how these events affected the people of Onna Village. Terunobu Yamauchi, who was born and raised in Onna Village, will also be invited to speak about his experiences living in Nakadomari in a dialogue with Mr. Seto. Register here.

 Career Talk: “How I made My Living From Fish: The Balancing Act Between My Own Interests and the Interests of Others” by Manfred Schartl. Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 13:00. Lab 5, Floor D, Room 23 ( L5D23).  

Get Involved with OIST Graduate School Mini Courses. We are in search of volunteers to teach a variety of topics requested by students and community members.  Please have a look at upcoming topics here and contact gs-cp@oist.jp if you would like to contribute to teaching any of these topics. If you would like to suggest another topic to teach or to learn, please submit this form.  We can't wait to work with you on enhancing OIST's educational environment for everyone!  

C-Hub Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Updates  

  • OIST has submitted a major institutional diversity grant application to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology (MEXT) focused on women’s leadership. We will be sharing updates on the initiatives included in the grant application in the coming months.  
  • We engaged in preliminary discussions about developing institutional processes and policies for determining childcare support and eligibility during events, workshops, and conferences at OIST  
  • We had consultations with groups and individuals developing ideas for promoting inclusive campus climate and harassment prevention.  
  • We had consultations with groups related to contributing to Okinawa and promoting Okinawan culture at OIST.  
  • We had consultations with groups planning OIST-wide events seeking perspectives on inclusivity, planning, and facilitation.  

If you or your team would like assistance with topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, please submit a request through ServiceNow.   

 References and Further Reading

  Ainsworth, C. (2015). Sex redefined. Nature, 518(7539), 288–291. https://doi.org/10.1038/518288a  

‌Blumer, M. L. C., Gavriel Ansara, Y., & Watson, C. M. (2013). Cisgenderism in Family Therapy: How Everyday Clinical Practices Can Delegitimize People’s Gender Self-Designations. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 24(4), 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2013.849551  

Canadian Institutes of Health Research. (2023). What is gender? What is sex? Cihr-Irsc.gc.ca. https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html

Gender Spectrum. (2019). The Language of Gender. Gender Spectrum Resources and FAQ. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63ebbd468a9d2d129d622b91/t/64db93a93f8fd737be18e581/1692111785914/The+Language+of+Gender.pdf 

George Mason University. (2019). Resources for Allies to Trans and Non-Binary Folks – LGBTQ+ Resources Center. George Mason University LGBTQ+ Resources Center. https://lgbtq.gmu.edu/local-resources/resources-for-allies-to-trans-and-nonbinary-folks/ 

Ghoshal, N., & Knight, K. (2016, January 7). World Report 2016: Rights Trends in Rights in Transition. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2016/country-chapters/africa-americas-asia-europe/central-asia-middle-east/north-0 

Human Rights Campaign. (2024). Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace: A Toolkit for Employers. HRC Foundation. https://www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/gender-identity-and-gender-expression-workplace-review

Peletz, M. G. (2009). Gender Pluralism. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203880043 

Right To Be. (2022). 5 D’s of Bystander Intervention. Righttobe.org. https://righttobe.org/guides/bystander-intervention-training/ 

Shelton, J. (2022). Moving Beyond the Gender Binary in Practice, Education, and Research [YouTube Video]. In Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7cD-KDQqgc&list=PL5RuOGGP95MEL3Ph_E6q5Td3fygcTObea&index=16 

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. (2019). Intersex people. OHCHR. https://www.ohchr.org/en/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/intersex-people 

Urquhart, I. (2019, October 14). Exploring the history of gender expression. University of California Office of the President. https://link.ucop.edu/2019/10/14/exploring-the-history-of-gender-expression/