Gender in Ecology & Neuroscience Seminar Series
In Human societies sex and gender are intertwined in a very complex way. While often the attribution of gender differences to either of them is controversial, it is clear that gender influences our behavior and how we think of a person and ourselves, as well as for example our chances to get into a certain position.
Does this very human concept also influence how we interpret the behavior of animals of different sexes? Are we expecting differences in animals of different sexes rather than similarities? Can we for example speak even of two distinct types of brains? Are we biased in what we consider a suitable test animal? And what effects do our gender-related presumptions have on research methods and results?
This seminar series has two aims: To contribute to the untangling of the two concepts and a precise and un-biased understanding of sex in ecology and neuroscience and to put a spotlight on the situation of researchers of different genders in the field.