Kinsey Institute’s Post

Behavioral Research: as I’m having new journal articles coming out, I’m posting links for my previous related and recently published research. This article is from 2018 about attitudes towards bisexuality in UK newspapers, “Ambiguity Tolerance Toward Nonbinary Sexuality Concepts”. The data was part of my doctoral research. The abstract is below and you can read it directly here: https://lnkd.in/eMdcZSJ2 Abstract: Humans tend to construct their worldview via binaries, that is, two distinct, nonoverlapping elements, such as the juxtapositions of human–animal, human–machine, or male–female. Our research focuses on the binary categories of “heterosexuality–homosexuality” and explores how stable or malleable they are. For this, the authors analyze newspaper coverage of sexuality concepts in the United Kingdom from 1995 to 2010 and quantify if and how tolerance toward ambiguous concepts including “bisexuality” vary across time as well as with gender, political opinion, and expertise. Our findings indicate a distinct “millennial effect” of intolerance toward sexual ambiguity, suggesting that resistance against ambiguity rears up during periods of instability. Conversely, we found higher levels of ambiguity tolerance in left-wing newspapers, broadsheet publications, female journalists, and expert writers, as opposed to right-wing newspapers, tabloid publications, male journalists, and novice writers. Our results can help to better understand to what degree concepts related to human sexuality are relatively hard-wired or rather fluid social categories. #evolutionaryanthropology #biologicalanthropology #bisexuality #bisexualbehavior #bisexualbehaviour #sexualorientation #ambiguitytolerance #ingroup #outgroup #dehumanization #infrahumanization #prejudice #bias #favoritism #socialidentitytheory #mediastudies #samesexsexualbehavior #sexualbehavior #evolutionarytheory #humanbehavioralecology #primates #primatology #zoology #kathleenbryson

As a writer for Simmons University, a women’s-centered institution, I find Women’s History Month to be an especially ebullient time of year.    This March, I had the pleasure to interview Assistant Professor of History Yunxin Li, whose recent research uncovers a fascinating history of malleable gender categories, emerging gynecology, and women healers in ancient China.   For Li, Women’s History Month reminds us of the profound diversity that constitutes humanity. “People have different experiences based on their gender,” she says. “If we want to understand a greater variety of human experiences, then we cannot ignore women.” Read the full article here:   https://lnkd.in/gDtN6Vyg

Ben Barres was a renowned scientist known for his groundbreaking work in the field of neuroscience. He made significant contributions to our understanding of glial cells and their role in brain function. Barres was also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the scientific community, often speaking out against gender bias in academia. His legacy continues to inspire aspiring scientists around the world. 🏳️⚧️⚧️♂️🏳️🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 #LGBTQAIplus #diversescientists #LGBTQinscience #inclusivescience #prideinSTEM #diversityinscience #queerscientists #LGBTQinSTEM #diversitymatters #scientistpride

Mariana knew from the start that research was her calling. Mariana Escobedo is an international student, passionate Gender and Women Studies (GWS) and Sociology double major and Gaines Fellow. She is driven to combat racism in her home country of Guatemala. "I wanted to do something against the prejudice faced by indigenous populations. In Guatemala: the three indigenous groups are often marginalized," Mariana says. Inspired by her GWS classes and professors, she connected with Dr. Rusty Barrett, a Linguistics and GWS professor, to learn more about sex education for Indigenous women in Guatemala. 🇬🇹 Mariana’s research is a reminder of a couple of points: 👉 The importance of faculty mentorship: Dr. Rusty Barrett’s approach sparked Mariana's research journey. “Dr. Barrett is very intelligent and has a wide knowledge and expertise in several areas. He has taught me things I never learned about the Indigenous populations, not even in my school years,” Mariana said. “I admire because he was able to go to a community and learn the most from it. And because he is the one teaching me K’iche’ and teaching me the Mayan worldview and culture – things I sadly did not learn in my own country,” she added. 👉 The impact of humanities research. Mariana said it best: “Humanities is how society works. Everyone is affected by humanities – daily. Everyone is affected by systems of oppressions, discrimination, biases. Doing research to understand the systems is how we can challenge the systems.” Are you a student interested in research? Mariana encourages you to connect with your professors! You might discover a project that aligns with your own passion. #UKArtsandSciences #HumanitiesResearch #SocialImpact

Cfp! ‘Contributions are welcome on various themes. The list below is not exhaustive, and we encourage creative interpretations related to Race, Gender, and Representation in Higher Education: Academic un/belonging Building and sustaining networks and supportive communities Academic mentoring The future of anti-racist and/or equalities work in HE Impact of pregnancy, motherhood, parenthood on doctoral research experiences and career trajectories Financial implications of pursuing doctoral studies Intersections of caring responsibilities and academic careers Policy interventions and theoretical approaches Afrofuturism Promotion of racially minoritised women to high level positions in HE: does representation matter? International and comparative perspectives on racial and gender disparities in HE The dominance of Eurocentric paradigms in doctoral research Intersections of gender and race with other protected characteristics (disability, age, sexuality, religion etc) and impacts on academic careers’

On Feminist Exhaustion In May, Newcastle Sociology, the Gender Research Group and the Abolition Feminism for Ending Sexual Violence collective will be hosting an online seminar by Professor Jennifer Nash (Duke University) and Professor Samantha Pinto (University of Texas at Austin). The talk is entitled ‘On Feminist Exhaustion’. Date: May 1st 2024 Time: 4pm London time Venue: Zoom Please register here: https://lnkd.in/eGrp8F_Q   All welcome - please share widely with your networks! Abstract  Recent feminist, queer, trans, and sexuality studies work, alongside work in Black studies and critical ethnic studies, has rested on re-evaluating care– radical care, mutual aid, communities of care, care away from family unit, the medical industrial complex, the state, capitalism, and other infrastructural sites of remedy, remediation, restoration, and repair. While we welcome this revaluation of a core feminist tenant and its recovery from dismissal because of care’s feminization, we seek to rethink the generative role of exhaustion in feminist theory and feminist institutional practice. We ask: What does it mean to think feminism through this affective lens, rather than against it, or with a recipe for its affective reanimation through the cure of communal or self-care, or the reframing of that exhaustive work as radical? What does feminism look like if we sit with and think with exhaustion as a feminist and particularly an intersectional mode of feeling political, and doing institutional work around feminist thought and study? In this talk, we’ll explore what a turn away from care and toward a feminist politics of exhaustion that nonetheless keeps the institutional lights on might look like, as investment rather than just divestment from feminist labor. Biographies  Jennifer C. Nash is the Jean Fox O'Barr Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University. She is the author of four books, most recently How We Write Now: Living With Black Feminist Theory (2024). Samantha Pinto is Director of the Humanities Institute and Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Difficult Diasporas (NYU Press, 2013) and Infamous Bodies (Duke UP, 2020).

Next week marks my last week as a co-editor (along with Ryan Light and Aaron Gullickson) of Socius journal, an experience that has been a highlight of my career thus far. I had two goals as an co-editor : 1) to encourage the submission of more qualitative research and 2) to give sexuality focused manuscripts a fair read & appropriate reviewers, something that research (not to mention personal experience) tells us does not always happen at generalist (& especially high status) journals. That moment when, at the 2012 ASA Sexualities pre-conference, Janice Irvine shared the dismal state of peer review and publishing for sexuality focused research in sociology journals was a galvanizing one for me. To make sure this research got a fair read and good feedback meant that I asked a lot of many of you sexuality scholars over the past five years (years that haven’t been particular easy for most of us). And so many of you responded with incredible generosity and careful feedback. THANK YOU! Your thoughtful reviews meant that we at Socius were able to publish an impressive list of sexuality focused articles. Socius’ open access model means that many of these articles have been frequently downloaded and received notable media attention. If you are interested in reading some of this sexuality focused scholarship, you can find a (likely incomplete) list in the comments below.

New research shows that Ice Age adolescents, like modern teens, went through similar stages of puberty, shedding light on their health and social roles. 🧬 Shared experiences across millennia: Ice Age teens, 25,000 years ago, entered puberty at ages similar to today's adolescents, starting around 13.5 years old. 🦴 Advanced scientific techniques: Researchers used methods like bone mineralization and peptide analysis to assess puberty stages in ancient human skeletons. 🗣️ Humanizing the past: Findings reveal that these early humans, much like modern teens, faced voice changes, physical maturation, and social identity challenges. 👥 The unique case of Romito 2: A 16-year-old Ice Age teen with dwarfism was found to be in the middle of puberty, with a deepening voice and other adult traits. 🌍 Global collaboration: The study involved experts from six institutions across Canada, the UK, Monaco, and Italy, opening doors to further research on Ice Age adolescence. #Anthropology #IceAge #HumanEvolution 🏛️ Cross-institutional research: Researchers from prestigious universities combined expertise to decode ancient puberty markers. 🧠 Evolutionary insight: This study provides a deeper understanding of how early humans matured physically and socially. https://lnkd.in/eu_6RPVK

Criminology & Sociology 🕵️♀️ GRIMY/ GRIMES 🧐 As an Ex Offender me as in wee, my definition of Grimy music and experience of criminal structures differs somewhat from others ! How much is this genre worth to the UK music industry, and its not only the UK this has also spread like a disease spreading throughout the world in every country where exploitation can take place, if you look at a lot of those who make the tracks that have penetrated society's youths and adults reflecting criminal behavior, this music is normalised and intercultural, drawing in the weak and vulnerably minded it is a culture those who are against the system, drawn in to drug, gun and knife crime, as a student criminologist / sociologist we must evidence claims in order to publish articles, well, how many (Grime) artists have been stabbed, shot, in custody for them actual offences who are established artists within the (Grimy) genre, for the crimes I have mentioned who are dead through that life style ??? Dr. Joy White is Visiting Lecturer at the University of Roehampton. In 2015/2016, I lifted the paragraph below from her writing ! Follow link for the full research document- file:///F:/site%20EQA/Teresa/cameo%20cuts%206.pdf Defining Grime Grime is part of the ‘urban music economy’, a term I use to describe a grassroots and informal economic community of interacting music-making individuals, organisations and consumers. Solidly underpinned by a DIY ethic, these individuals and organisations provide goods and services that are allied to black musical practice. Collaborative working is a prominent feature in this economy. It is a complex fabric containing a multiplicity of roles and practitioners operating within and across the sector as artists and as entrepreneurs. I am aware that ‘urban’ is a contested category, nevertheless it serves as a useful shorthand to denote UK black musical expression such as Hip-Hop, Bassline, Garage, Dubstep, RnB, Drum and Bass, UK Funky, Dancehall, Afrobeats and of course, Grime. Grime music emerged from East London in the early part of this century (Mason, 2008;

I'm incredibly grateful and humbled to share that a dream I harbored throughout my undergraduate journey—to contribute a paper to academia demonstrating my learning and skills—has come to fruition in my final year! My latest academic essay, titled "The Labour Movement and the Sex Work Movement–A Comparative Essay," has been published in the esteemed Sociology and Criminology Society's Academic Journal, The Society. The Sociology and Criminology Academic Journal "The Society" is an academic platform that provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to publish scholastic work in the field of sociological and criminological phenomenon. With a broad range of topics, varying from discussions to the criminal justice system, implications of Canadian legislation and relations between socio-political contexts and marginalized communities, University of Toronto Mississauga students have the means to apply their developed knowledge and writing capabilities to explore their daily reality with the sociology or criminological theoretical framework. This research delves into the intriguing dynamics between two distinct movements—the labor movement and the sex work movement—and offers insights into how the latter could have enhanced its success by adopting strategies similar to the former. Through a comparative lens, the essay explores the unconventional nature of sex work as a form of employment and the consequent challenges it faces in gaining recognition within the labor arena. By examining the strategies employed by the labor movement in advocating for rights and protections for workers, the essay highlights potential avenues for the sex work movement to overcome obstacles and achieve its objectives more effectively. This publication represents not only a personal milestone but also an opportunity to contribute to our collective understanding of social movements and the struggles faced by marginalized communities. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the Sociology and Criminology Society of for providing a platform to share this work with the academic community. I invite you to delve into the full essay in The Society journal to explore the insights and implications of this comparative analysis. My paper is included on page 70 to 78 in Volume 8 of The Society, as linked here: https://lnkd.in/gbg7WjTu Thank you to all who have supported and guided me along this journey—I'm deeply appreciative and excited to continue learning and growing in this field! #AcademicPublication #Sociology #Criminology #SocialMovements #LaborRights #SexWorkAdvocacy #TheSocietyJournal #UndergraduateResearch #LinkedIn