Gender & Diversity

Research group

At the Gender & Diversity Studies department, we critically examine how social inequalities are created and perpetuated and how we can change them. We start from the recognition that each individual embodies multiple intersecting identities that significantly influence their opportunities and experiences. We study how these intersecting social categories manifest at various interacting levels and how their embedded power differences are (re)produced or transformed. Since 1985, our objective has been to play a pivotal role in advancing social justice through our research and education.

Gender & Diversity is one of the research groups within the interdisciplinary collaboration Radboud Gender & Diversity Studies.

Find a staff member

Research

Our research is embedded within the Radboud Social and Cultural Research Institute. We employ an intersectional and interdisciplinary framework integrating theories and methods from various fields, including Organisation studies, Sexuality studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy and Education Studies, History, Feminist Science and Technology Studies, Literature Studies, Philosophy, and Disability studies. Our methodological toolkit includes conceptual and empirical approaches, emphasising the latter. It encompasses qualitative and quantitative research techniques, such as discourse analysis, interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and surveys. These approaches enable us to rigorously investigate the complex interplay of power dynamics, knowledge production, societal norms, and individual experiences. Our research translates into policies and interventions contributing to equal rights and opportunities for all.

Our research can be divided into three subthemes, although a significant amount of our work spans across more than one subtheme:

Diversities in everyday culture and politics

We study social, cultural, and political in- and exclusion processes, including the (un)making of social identities, social movements, (in)formal organisations, knowledge production, kinship, citizenship, and human rights. By studying everyday practices and discourses, we aim to understand how power inequalities and identities interact and how some are included while others are excluded.

Diversities in organisations

We examine the (re)production and impact of power inequalities in various organisations. We also study processes and interventions that aim to improve intersectional equality, examining when and why these processes and interventions are effective, ineffective, or even counterproductive.

Diversities in care

We study how intersecting inequalities impact the accessibility and effectiveness of care and how we can reduce power imbalances and inequalities in health and wellbeing. In this theme, care concerns informal care work, such as parenting, institutionalised care and ethics of care in the research process.

News

Photo of a black woman in a red sweater, laughing and writing

Why we should take singlehood seriously in academia

For gender scientist Ea Høg Utoft, singlehood is more than just a personal affair; it underscores a deeper societal inequality. Many people fail to recognise that singlehood is a vital aspect of human diversity.

Foto: Ea Utoft

Ea Utoft about Inequality and Diversity in Academia

How does inequality manifest in women’s work and personal life? As International Women’s Day sheds light on those topics on a global level, Ea Utoft aims to illuminate these issues specifically in academia.

Picture of a red heart against a blue background with two logos of smartphones and the arabic word 'halal'

Tinder for Muslims: who uses halal dating apps?

Francesco Cerchiaro explores whether deeply held religious values can coexist with the digital world of dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. Apps like Muzz and Salams show that things can be done differently.

Projects

Halal dating

Faith Meets Swipe

This project explores how Muslim users in the Netherlands engage with halal dating applications.

A busy street, photo shot from above

Research on Intersectionality in Policy and Interventions

Intersectionality is essential for just policymaking that ensures all citizens are recognized and supported, regardless of their background. This project focuses on analyzing and strengthening intersectional policy via participatory action research.

Ruimte van het Maria Montessorigebouw met studenten.

Doing Gender Studies amidst changing political climates

This research focuses on the experiences of Gender Studies scholars working amidst changing political climates in the Netherlands, exploring how these scholars navigate and resist the ongoing pushback against critical feminist work.

Publications

Check out our latest scientific publications on gender and diversity

Radboud Repository
Studenten lopen in het voorjaar buiten het Maria Montessorigebouw

Radboud Social Cultural Research

This research group is part of the Radboud Social Cultural Research Institute

/en/rscr/about-rscr

Master's programme

Intersectional Gender Studies

Are you interested in issues of diversity, inequality and social justice? Become an expert in intersectional research and apply your academic knowledge to real-world challenges. Make a difference - start here!

Contact information

Visiting address
Thomas Van Aquinostraat 4
6525GD Nijmegen