Gender Segregation Research Articles

Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

This paper explores the moral right of girls to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys, examining the ethical implications of gender segregation in sports. It argues that boys-only competitions are morally problematic, reinforcing gender stereotypes and perpetuating structural injustices. The paper also critiques open-division competitions, which can disadvantage girls due to inherent physiological differences. Through a review of historical and contemporary cases, the study highlights the necessity of girls-only competitions to ensure fairness and to challenge societal norms that undermine female athletes. The conclusion advocates for a dual system of girls-only categories alongside open divisions, allowing girls the choice to compete independently or alongside boys, depending on their preferences and aspirations.

Comparative growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sex groups intank culture: A hormone-free approach for sustainable aquaculture in Dodoma, Tanzania

Male tilapia are globally preferred in aquaculture for their superior growth and uniform harvest sizes. However, hormonal sex reversal techniques used to produce all-male populations can pose health and environmental risks. This study investigated the growth performance of manually separated monosex males, monosex females, and mixed-sex groups of Nile tilapia in tank culture as a sustainable and hormone-free alternative. Over six weeks, the study measured various morphometric parameters, weight gain, specific growth rates, water quality parameters, and condition factors. The fish were fed isonitrogenous commercial feed, and the feeding regime was adjusted based on their weight. Results revealed that monosex tilapia groups attained higher growth rates than mixed-sex groups, with males achieving an average final weight of 56.5 g, followed by females at 53.3 g, and mixed-sex groups at 43.3 g. Males had higher morphometric values compared to females and mixed-sex groups. The water quality parameters remained optimal across all groups, indicating that sex composition does not impact water management. Monosex females and mixed-sex groups exhibited better condition factors. The study concludes that tilapia farming can be effectively conducted with either mono-sex male or mono-sex female tilapia, as their growth rates do not differ significantly. Further research and development of techniques to ease the separation of sexes and enhance the growth rates of monosex female tilapia are recommended as a viable, hormone-free alternative for sustainable aquaculture.

Gendered experience of military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (on the example of a military unit X 0000)

Over the past 10 years, the Ukrainian state has provided opportunities for women to serve in the army on an equal basis with men at the legislative level. Meanwhile, the army may still be identified as a maledominated institution, as Ukrainian servicewomen still face challenges during their service because of their sex.The empirical frame of the study was a case study (containing qualitative and quantitative components) of the experience of military service in the military unit X 0000. Based on the analysis of secondary sources and our own empirical research, we managed to identify gendered challenges specific to the experience of servicewomen in the Armed Forces, including during the Russian-Ukrainian war.The key gendered challenges of serving in the military unit X 0000 for women were vertical and horizontal gender segregation; the need to correspond with masculine standards and to combine the status of a military with the status of a woman, wife, and mother that sometimes have opposite role expectations, which can lead to role conflict; the need to combine childcare and household duties with work; stereotypes about servicewomen that exist within and outside the army; sexism and violence (psychological abuse and sexual harassment). The case study results allowed us to confirm empirically, illustrate with examples, and clarify the range of gendered challenges in the army, outlined in the analysis of secondary sources.The study highlights the special challenges for military women that arise during the period of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For example, women, unlike men, may be protected and prevented from working in ‘male’ positions. The article also shows that servicewomen may themselves uphold traditional gender roles, try to conform to patriarchal norms, and oppose gender equality. All this leads to the reproduction of gender inequality in the army.

The Role of Urban Care Sector in Women’s Employment and Gender Segregation in Colombian Regions

The Role of Urban Care Sector in Women’s Employment and Gender Segregation in Colombian Regions

Stuck at the Bottom? Gender and Immigrants’ Entrapment in Low-skilled Work

Immigrant women are widely portrayed as facing a serious labor market disadvantage, yet gender differences in immigrants’ occupational mobility have been little explored. The article studied gender gaps in immigrants’ occupational entrapment, defined as entering and remaining in low-skilled/low-prestige work rather than moving on to more skilled/prestigious work. The analyses were based on longitudinal register data and followed five immigrant cohorts arriving in Sweden in the early 2000s over a 12-year period. The results show that immigrant women were more likely than men to start out in a low-skilled/low-prestige job and less likely to experience occupational mobility. However, tertiary education strongly mitigated these gender gaps. At the same time, the differences between high- and low-educated individuals widened more among women than among men. Family-related factors and country-specific human capital did not explain these patterns, but the findings indicate that occupational gender segregation can be crucial to immigrants’ mobility prospects.

REPRESENTATIONS OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS ON CHILDREN'S GENDER AS A FACTOR IN DIFFERENTIATING THEIR FREE PLAY IN THE SCHOOLYARD

Gendered subjectivities are shaped within social structures, such as education, where gender inequalities intersect with other forms of social disparity. The individuals who operate within these structures play a role in both reproducing and maintaining ine-qualities, as well as in actively challenging them. However, as active agents, they can challenge gender order and inequalities, but their capacity to do so is subject to the constraints imposed by the framework in which they operate. The interaction between teachers and children in the schoolyard is a given, with the schoolyard serving as a space of socialization and interaction, thus becoming a field for the formation and nego-tiation of children's subjectivities. Teachers, through their presence in the schoolyard and their representations of children's gender characteristics, are expected to influence the formation of gendered subjectivities. The representations of preschool teachers re-garding children's gender as a factor in differentiating their free play in the schoolyard were the subject of this qualitative study, conducted through interviews. Twelve kin-dergarten teachers working in public and private schools in the Thessaloniki area par-ticipated. The thematic analysis of the data revealed that while the sample of teachers expressed opposition to gender segregation and inequalities, they adopted a neutral stance toward what occurs in the schoolyard. Moreover, many justified the differences they observed in boys' and girls' play in biological terms, among other reasons.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0773/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

How Saudi parents rationalize the choice of school for their children

In societies where education holds high significance and parental ambitions for their children’s academic achievements are profound, understanding the rationale behind parental school choice becomes crucial. This study aims to explore the question: Are Saudi parents rational in selecting their children’s schools? Through an in-depth analysis of preferences and decision-making factors, this research endeavors to shed light on the intricate dynamics influencing parental school choice within the Saudi Arabian context. To achieve this objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Saudi parents whose children were enrolled in private schools (K-12). The findings indicate that cultural or religious identity emerged as a predominant factor, encompassing elements such as gender segregation in schools, parental preference for English over Arabic language learning, and the emphasis on Islamic religious education. Additionally, accessibility factors such as the physical location of the school and school fees emerged as significant determinants of parental preferences for their children’s schools. Wellbeing emerged as a crucial factor in parental decision-making. Furthermore, certain academic considerations emerged as a primary influencing factor in Saudi parents’ school selection. These considerations included skills development, school pedagogy, school staff quality, and learning outcomes.

The Effects of an Oral Supplementation of a Natural Keratin Hydrolysate on Skin Aging: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study in Healthy Women.

Keratin hydrolysates are active components used in food supplements to alleviate aging signs on skin, hair, and nails. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluates a novel keratin hydrolysate obtained from poultry feathers. This feather keratin hydrolysate (FKH) results in a characteristic mix of free L-amino acids (≥ 83.5%). FKH was administered as a food supplement to a panel of adult women showing aging physiological signs. Participants were randomly assigned in three groups to receive daily dosages of 500 or 1000 mg of FKH or placebo for 90 days. Parameters of skin roughness, wrinkle features, deep skin moisturization, skin maximum elongation and elasticity, skin thickness, skin anisotropy, skin density, gloss of skin, hair and nails, and nail hardness were evaluated. Subjects also answered a questionnaire related to the treatment efficacy perception. Both FKH treatments showed a significant improvement of all parameters compared to day 0 and to placebo, with an exception for fiber anisotropy and fiber density which showed a significant improvement compared to day 0 and a tendency to improve compared to placebo. These measurements were bolstered by the results of a self-assessment questionnaire, showing an overall set of positive answers for both treatments compared to placebo. Oral supplementation of FKH for 90 days is associated with an improvement in the appearance of facial skin, hair, and nails. This study highlights the benefits of free L-amino acids mix as potential aminobiotics and not just as building blocks of proteins, suggesting a new perspective of nutricosmetic food.

Influence of back pressure adjustment of porous media on cavity flow noise control

Control of self-sustained oscillation and noise reduction poses a significant challenge. The present study employs Implicit Large Eddy Simulation at a Mach number of 0.85 to investigate the influence of a porous cavity floor on flow dynamics. By substituting the solid floor with porous media, the fundamental pressure–velocity relationship within the medium is established according to Darcy's law. Findings reveal marked suppression of wall pulsations, accompanied by a 10 dB decrease in sound pressure levels. The porous medium induces blowing and suction effects, effectively modulating large-scale re-circulation and mitigating shear layer instability, thereby approximating free mixing layer characteristics and suppressing cavity flow oscillations. At an optimized porosity for maximum noise reduction, altering back pressure at the cavity floor induces a transition in the local flow regime from suction-dominated to blowing-dominated state. Excessive reduction of back pressure promotes suction; conversely, increased pressure intensifies blowing, further attenuating feedback mechanisms and enhancing noise reduction. To explore noise reduction mechanisms, mode decomposition analyses demonstrate the efficacy of porous media in disrupting large-scale coherence structures within shear layer and redistributing energy from dominant modes to a broader frequency spectrum that engages smaller flow structures. This energy reallocation mechanism contributes to the mitigation of cavity flow noise and deepens insights into the role of porous media in flow modulation and noise control.

What makes transitional housing in Manitoba unsafe for transgender people?

Transgender people across Canada face high rates of housing insecurity and homelessness compared to people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Yet shelters and transitional housing meant to provide temporary places to stay do not always meet the needs of transgender people. This community-based study asked what can make transitional housing safer and more comfortable for transgender people, with a focus on the Westman region of Manitoba. In collaboration with YWCA Brandon, the first author interviewed nine service providers who work in housing organizations or in service provision for transgender people in Manitoba, to learn about good practices from their perspectives. In the process we learned about the factors that make transitional housing and shelters unsafe and unwelcoming for transgender people; these factors are the focus of this article. We highlight barriers to access to existing transitional housing, including the prevalence of faith-based shelters, gender segregation policies and practices, intake and referral procedures that create risks for transgender people, and insufficient training for organization leaders. These findings are relevant to shelter and transitional housing providers and to allies and advocates for the well-being of transgender people in Manitoba and beyond.

The impact of the university social responsibility on LGBTIQ+ inclusion and gender segregation in STEM fields

The impact of the university social responsibility on LGBTIQ+ inclusion and gender segregation in STEM fields

Gender segregation in the friendship networks of Muslim youth in Germany: the role of chastity norms

ABSTRACT Western Muslim youth engage less in romantic relationships than their non-Muslim peers, an observation usually attributed to chastity norms that oppose Muslim youths’ premarital sexual activity. In this study, I ask whether chastity norms also shape cross-gender interaction beyond romantic relationships and lead to fewer cross-gender friendships among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. To isolate the consequences of chastity norms from institutionalized practices of gender segregation in Muslim religious communities, I study friendship-making in German coeducational schools, which provide ample opportunities for cross-gender friendships. I apply multilevel exponential random graph models to large-scale data on adolescents’ school-based friendship networks, finding cross-gender friendships to be generally infrequent but notably rarer among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. However, this lack of cross-gender friendships is limited to Muslim youth who hold strong chastity norms, while more liberal Muslim youth have as many cross-gender friends as non-Muslims. Among non-Muslims, chastity norms are unrelated to cross-gender friendships.

Satellite DNAs and the evolution of the multiple X1X2Y sex chromosomes in the wolf fish Hoplias malabaricus (Teleostei; Characiformes)

Multiple sex chromosomes usually arise from chromosomal rearrangements which involve ancestral sex chromosomes. There is a fundamental condition to be met for their long-term fixation: the meiosis must function, leading to the stability of the emerged system, mainly concerning the segregation of the sex multivalent. Here, we sought to analyze the degree of differentiation and meiotic pairing properties in the selected fish multiple sex chromosome system present in the wolf-fish Hoplias malabaricus (HMA). This species complex encompasses seven known karyotype forms (karyomorphs) where the karyomorph C (HMA-C) exhibits a nascent XY sex chromosomes from which the multiple X1X2Y system evolved in karyomorph HMA-D via a Y-autosome fusion. We combined genomic and cytogenetic approaches to analyze the satellite DNA (satDNA) content in the genome of HMA-D karyomorph and to investigate its potential contribution to X1X2Y sex chromosome differentiation. We revealed 56 satDNA monomers of which the majority was AT-rich and with repeat units longer than 100 bp. Seven out of 18 satDNA families chosen for chromosomal mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) formed detectable accumulation in at least one of the three sex chromosomes (X1, X2 and neo-Y). Nine satDNA monomers showed only two hybridization signals limited to HMA-D autosomes, and the two remaining ones provided no visible FISH signals. Out of seven satDNAs located on the HMA-D sex chromosomes, five mapped also to XY chromosomes of HMA-C. We showed that after the autosome-Y fusion event, the neo-Y chromosome has not substantially accumulated or eliminated satDNA sequences except for minor changes in the centromere-proximal region. Finally, based on the obtained FISHpatterns, we speculate on the possible contribution of satDNA to sex trivalent pairing and segregation.

Urban food (In)security and the role of migrant informal food waste recyclers in Delhi

Urban food systems in developing countries like India are rife with inequalities that preclude food security for all. In this context, the paper examines the role played by informal workers in the ‘circular economy’ for food in improving the accessibility of food and urban food security in Delhi, India. Evidence from an informal street market close to one of the country's largest urban wholesale markets of food grains, pulses and spices in Delhi reveals rare details of how urban food waste plays a significant role in the livelihood strategies of the city's poor migrants while also contributing to the urban food security of the low-income households. Although there is a growing recognition that the street food sector plays an important role in urban food security, the vital role played by waste collectors, home-based workers and street vendors in restoring discarded food grain, pulses and spices, and bringing them back into the urban food system has been largely invisible. This invisibility extends to the gendered segregation of work in food waste recycling, where our study found that predominantly women undertake labour-intensive and lower paid tasks at the bottom of the hierarchy. The paper provides an overview of the nature of informal livelihood, the contribution of informal workers and challenges and opportunities in the urban circular economy for food. However, their contributions are often overshadowed by health and safety concerns about the reuse of discarded food. Further, an analysis of the current policy landscape in urban India also indicates that informal workers are marginalised in the circular economy for food. While the state owes these informal workers support and protection for their contribution to the ‘Circular economy’ for food and urban food security, any effort to sustain these practices would need to incorporate adequate health and safety procedures.

Setting boundaries between crime and rights

Abstract In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson overturned two precedents, thus ending American women’s 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion. Drawing on Van Leeuwen’s legitimation framework and Labov’s model of narrative structure, this study focuses on how justices (de)legitimate abortion rights in contrasting narratives in Dobbs through authorization, moral evaluation, rationalization, and mythopoesis. Specifically, we propose a theoretical model of judicial narrative strata to deconstruct the language of justices and explain how judicial narratives set boundaries between two different moral economies around abortion and realize the transformation of a conceived right into a punishable crime. Furthermore, this study suggests that in the post-Dobbs era, the justices’ narrative reconfiguration of moral boundaries may turn into social boundaries and trigger more gender segregation, which might also have theoretical and practical implications for legislation and judicial practices in other jurisdictions.

Socio-cultural adaptation of Mental Health First Aid to insular religious communities: the case of ultra-Orthodox society in Israel

ABSTRACT Objective The introduction of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in Israel has required a dynamic adaptation of the curriculum to the local social, cultural and religious context. The adaptation to the Jewish ultra-Orthodox community has been particularly rigorous and challenging. This article aims to analyse this process, its principles and steps, as well as the challenges and dilemmas it entails. Method The article employs a qualitative case study design, specifically, the instrumental case study. The adaptation procedure includes five steps: engaging local experts, organising focus groups, collaboration with communities, pilot testing in diverse communities, and iterative feedback loops. The article draws primarily on the perspectives of 45 community members, rabbis and health professionals who participated in four focus groups. Results The adaptation in ultra-Orthodox society addressed stigmatisation, silencing and concealment of mental health issues; gender segregation; educational gaps; and cultural misunderstandings of healthcare approaches. We demonstrate the need to modify the language, scenarios and examples in the curriculum, and engage with religious leaders and educational institutions. This process raises professional and ethical dilemmas, such as how MHFA should approach topics that remain unspoken in ultra-Orthodox communities. Discussion This case demonstrates that cultural adaptation is vital but may be insufficient. Attention should also be paid to social and structural forces, such as social hierarchies and systemic discrimination. A structurally competent approach should be adopted. This is the first case of accommodating MHFA for an insular religious group. It can contribute to adapting MHFA to other insular, encompassing, high-tension religious communities worldwide.

Shark shuffle: segregated co-occurrence of multiple dusky and sandbar lineages at a human-altered habitat in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Requiem sharks (genus Carcharhinus) have previously been reported to form large aggregations around marine infrastructures in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. While this behaviour may offer fitness advantages at the individual level, the implications of extended residency at human-altered habitats for population persistence have yet to be assessed. In this work, we investigated the phylogeographic and demographic composition of sharks near a coal-fired power and desalination station in Israel. Our aim was to infer habitat use and the mechanisms underlying the aggregation behaviour, and to highlight potential conservation impacts. We sampled, measured, and released 70 individuals between 2016 and 2022 to assess genetic variability within the cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) region and to analyse the aggregation’s structure based on the sharks’ size and sex distribution. In addition, we performed meristic counts on a reference specimen collected dead at another power station in Israel to supplement species identification using the abovementioned techniques. Our findings indicate size-based sex segregation of adult female dusky and male sandbar sharks (Carcharhinusobscurus and Carcharhinusplumbeus, respectively), with each species comprising two COI haplotypes. In the dusky shark, one haplotype corresponded to an Indo-Pacific lineage, and the other matched an Atlantic lineage. In the sandbar shark, we observed a haplotype previously sampled in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Northwest Indian Ocean, and South Africa, and another haplotype that was unique to our study site and genetically closer to the former than to sequences sampled in other ocean basins. This study provides the first indication of sympatric aggregation amongst phylogeographically distinct dusky and sandbar shark lineages, suggesting that human-altered habitats in the eastern Mediterranean Sea may influence the distribution of these species. Based on the observed segregation pattern, we conclude that the site does not function as a nursery, parturition, or mating area, and discuss other plausible explanations that warrant further research. Finally, we highlight important directions for future research and the implications of our findings for management and conservation.

Addressing Health Illiteracy and Stunting in Culture-Shocked Indigenous Populations: A Case Study of Outer Baduy in Indonesia.

This research aims to determine the factors, impacts, and solutions for health literacy in the Outer Baduy hamlets of Kanekes Village, Indonesia. The method used in this research is qualitative, which produces an in-depth explanation of the existing problems. Data were collected through interviews and documentation. Interviews were conducted with key figures, including two female Baduy residents with stunted children, one retainer, the head of the NGO SRI, a midwife who works in the Baduy village, and the head of the Lebak social service. Apart from that, secondary data in the form of recordings of community service talk shows conducted by the University of Indonesia to overcome stunting in Baduy were also analysed. The results show that the factors associated with the low health literacy of the Baduy community are literacy, writing and reading, taboos on eating certain foods, people spending too much time in the fields, people learning by imitating their parents, demanding access to villages, lack of consistency from external parties in providing health programs, and gender segregation in Baduy society. The impact of the low health literacy of the Baduy community is fatalism, high maternal and child mortality rates, and high health costs. The proposed strategies for increasing the health literacy of the Baduy community based on the findings of this research include developing health literacy by targeting community leaders, managing information-technology-based health-information groups, and always presenting at least one health worker among the residents who provides an example of healthy living, encouraging collective reflection. when health cases occur, and balancing gender communication.

Women migrant workers’ (WMWS) deskilling

Women are key actresses in sending and receiving countries’ developments, and their contributions includes social and financial remittances, education and the transmission of social and cultural values (United Nations, 2006). Despite, women migrants’ undeniable contributions, they too often undergo deskilling, a process defined as the employment of workers in a different field or below their qualifications. The factors influencing deskilling include the lack of recognition of skills and qualifications, difficult access to information and employment opportunities, lack of support in the destination country and linguistic barriers. Migration can impact the social mobility of women migrants, yet not always positively (Nowicka, 2012). In the labour market, women migrants are generally disadvantaged because of occupational gender segregation, the lack of network support and childcare responsibilities (EU Commission, 2022), with higher risks of deskilling and downward social mobility. The objective of the brief is to shed light on WMWs’ deskilling and explore the impact of gender and ethnicity in labour segmentation, de-emancipation being a consequence of WMWs’ deskilling and overrepresentation in reproductive unskilled jobs.

Gender wage gap among young adults: A comparison across British cohorts

We study the evolution of the gender wage gap among young adults in Britain between 1972 and 2015 using data from four British cohorts born in 1946, 1958, 1970 and 1989/90 on early life factors, human capital, family formation and job characteristics. We account for non-random selection of men and women into the labour market and compare the gender wage gap among graduates and non-graduates. The raw and covariate-adjusted gender wage gaps at the mean decline over the period among non-graduates, but they rise among young graduates. The gender wage gap across the wage distribution narrows over time for lower wages. Allowing for positive selection into employment increases the size of the gender wage gap in earlier cohorts, but selection is not apparent in the two most recent cohorts. Thus the rate of convergence in the wages of young men and women is understated when estimates do not account for positive selection in earlier cohorts. Differences in traditional human capital variables explain only a very small component of the gender wage gaps among young people in all four cohorts, but occupational gender segregation plays an important role in the later cohorts.