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  His and Hers 

Zachary Huang and colleagues found that the honey bee’s complementary sex determination (csd) gene first appeared in a shared ancestor and developed into different versions (alleles) before species evolved. The combinations of alleles determine bees’ gender and role. A single allele yields a fertile male; two identical ones, an infertile male. A bee with two different alleles is a female worker unless she's fed royal jelly to become a queen.

Sex and gender didn’t necessarily coincide in early 20^th century Igboland, an area of eastern Nigeria. In her study of women’s authority and the female principle in spiritual life there, Nwando Achebe found female husbands—social, not sexual, relationships—and a woman who became a king. Women’s individual and group strategies for resisting precolonial policies that favored men were later adapted to resist British colonial policies.

In surveys of Russian, Armenian, and Kazakh employees to study gender gaps in income, Susan Linz found a correlation between gender, earnings, and personality traits. Men tended to exhibit the need for challenge and an internal locus of control (LOC), believing their actions influenced outcomes. Women—who typically earned less—more frequently exhibited the need for affiliation and an external LOC, believing luck or fate had more effect.

Women in contemporary Indian films and other media often appear meek and submissive, becoming empowered through service to their husbands. Diana Dimitrova says these portrayals reflect classical Hindu myths and images. She cites reactions against Western influences as well as a resurgence of traditional Hinduism to explain why Bollywood movies often show independent women as isolated, unhappy, and unsuccessful in relationships.

Angela Barton found that science projects, storytelling, and identity role-playing help urban girls get and stay interested in science. She followed the science studies of a group of 14 girls in New York City throughout their sixth grade year. The successful techniques merged science activities with the girls’ social worlds, allowing them to engage in science without giving up their social identities.

Nwando Achebe, associate professor of history, 517-432-8222x131

Angela Calabrese Barton, associate professor of teacher education, 517-432-4876

Diana Dimitrova, assistant professor of religious studies, 517-353-0830

Zachary Huang, associate professor of entomology, 517-353-8136

Susan Linz, professor of economics, 517-353-7280