Exploring DEI Topics

The purpose of this page is to provide resources and encourage you to further your knowledge of various DEI topics. There are several topics and types of resources (podcasts, books, scientific papers, etc.) that we have worked to provide you with.  There are also reflection questions that can be used in course settings, casual discussions, or just food for thought.  We hope that you are able to learn something new!

Table of Contents

Module 1: Race

1.1: Race, Racialization, and White Privilege

Race is a social construct that emerged as Europeans colonized Northern America during the 1500s. Understanding when and why racial classifications were invented, and how racialization is used to define individuals, is necessary to then understand the roots and ramifications of racism. 

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

The Invention of Race by WNYC [Podcast, transcript available on PRX, ~53 mins]

This podcast describes the development of racial and racist ideas especially during the founding of the United States. (content notes: slavery) 

The Invisibility of White Privilege by Speaking of Psychology, interviewing Brian Lowery [Podcast, transcript included, ~25 mins]

This podcast discusses the factors that drive many White Americans to ignore and even deny that white privilege exists, and what Lowery, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford and a social psychologist by training, believes needs to be done to combat racial injustice. 

Seeing White by the Scene on Radio [Podcast Series]

"Just what is going on with white people? Police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists. The renewed embrace of raw, undisguised white-identity politics. Unending racial inequity in schools, housing, criminal justice, and hiring. Some of this feels new, but in truth it’s an old story. Why? Where did the notion of “whiteness” come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for? Scene on Radio host and producer John Biewen took a deep dive into these questions, along with an array of leading scholars and regular guest Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, in this fourteen-part documentary series, released between February and August 2017. The series editor is Loretta Williams."

The Racialization Process and The History of Race and Racialization by Carlos Hoyt [Video, ~5 mins]

Hoyt, who earned a PhD in social work and now researches race and other identity constructs, outlines the process of racialization and how essentialization limits the possibility of change. 

Birthing Justice: Every Woman Deserves a Beautiful Birth Story written by Denise Pines and Monique N. Matthews [Documentary]

"Birthing Justice is a feature length documentary whose purpose is two-fold: to discuss issues fueling the maternal health crisis within the African American community and to advocate for best practices to enhance birthing equity for all women, especially Black women. Birthing Justice flips the victim-blaming narrative, centering on the lived experiences of Black women and their advocates as they fix a broken system and transform the

future, one birth at a time."

Race: The Power of an Illusion produced by California Newsreel [Docuseries]

There does not appear to be a place to watch the 3-episode series without charge, but there is an online companion that contains short clips and facilitator guides, as well as episode transcripts.

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

White Identity in America is Ideology, Not Biology by Nell irvin Painter [Short-Form Writing]

This think-piece by American historian and professor Nell Irvin Painter briefly describes the existence of the White identity and its evolution. Also, see ~5 minute interview clip from The Washington Post, and opinion article from the New York Times (content notes: racial violence) that further describe White racialization and the evolving American racial identity. 

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh [Article]

Published in 1989, McIntosh, whose research focuses on creating more inclusive spaces, composed this essay to help her and other White people to think more clearly about race, privilege and immense and overlapping systems of power. 

Fighting White Supremacy and White Privilege to Build a Human Rights Movement by Loretta Ross [Conference Notes, PDF download]

This presentation by academic and activist Loretta Ross addresses the foundations of the ideology behind White supremacy, the difference between White supremacy and White privilege, and the development of a new human rights movement centered on solidarity. 

Decentering Whiteness by Charley Flint and Jeff Hitchcock [Article]

This is the inaugural paper of a series of the same name that calls for the creation of a society which revolves around a multiracial center. Flint is a Professor of Sociology and studies the intersectionality of race, class, gender and sexual orientation in the crime processing system. Hitchcock is an author and activist. Together, they co-founded the Center for the Study of White American Culture.

A History of Race and Racism in America, in 24 Chapters edited by Ibram X. Kendi [Article]

Long Writing (Books)

The History of White People by Nell irvin Painter [Book, available at Shields Library]

"Telling perhaps the most important forgotten story in American history, eminent historian Nell Irvin Painter guides us through more than two thousand years of Western civilization, illuminating not only the invention of race but also the frequent praise of “whiteness” for economic, scientific, and political ends. A story filled with towering historical figures, The History of White People closes a huge gap in literature that has long focused on the non-white and forcefully reminds us that the concept of "race" is an all-too-human invention whose meaning, importance, and reality have changed as it has been driven by a long and rich history of events."

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi [Book, available at Shields Library]

"Contrary to popular conceptions, racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were devised and honed by some of the most brilliant minds of each era. These intellectuals used their brilliance to justify and rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation’s racial disparities in everything from wealth to health. And while racist ideas are easily produced and easily consumed, they can also be discredited. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, Stamped from the Beginning [and award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi] offers us the tools we need to expose them–and in the process, gives us reason to hope." - National Book Foundation

Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt [Book]

This book exposes racial bias at all levels of society—in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, as well as our criminal justice system. Yet this book also offers different tools to address these issues.  

So You Want to Talk About Race?  by Ijeoma Oluo

This book guide us through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.

Reflection Questions

1. Why is the essentialization of race a violent part of the racialization process?

2. Is race a static construct? Can, for example, White people change what it means to be White?

3. How do you see yourself performing your race?

1.2: Scientific Racism

Beginning with the justification of slavery, the authority of science has been co-opted to make pseudoscientific claims to prove White biological “superiority” and “inherent” racial characteristics. Despite the current scientific consensus that race has no biological basis, scientific racism still influences social ideas about race can have on supposedly unbiased research. 

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

Is "Race Science" Making a Comeback? by NPR [Podcast, transcript included, ~22 mins]

This podcast interviews Angela Saini, an award-winning science journalist often reporting on the intersection of science, race and gender, on her latest book, Superior: The Return of Race Science which tracks the history and ideology of race science up to its current resurgence. 

A Study in Medical and Scientific Racism in America by Udodiri R. Okwandu [Video, ~29 mins]

Okwandu, a Doctorate student at Harvard University, traces the history of racial inequality and unethical medical and scientific practices in America. Subsequent presentations can be found here and here.

How Medica and Language can Fight Scientific Racism by Dorothy Roberts [Video, ~1 hr]

What Science Tells Us About Race and Racism by The Royal Institution [Video, ~3 mins]

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

Your DNA is Our History by Jenny Reardon and Kim Tallbear [Article]

"During the nineteenth century, the American School of Anthropology enfolded Native peoples into their histories, claiming knowledge about and artifacts of these cultures as their rightful inheritance and property. Drawing both on the Genographic Project and the recent struggles between Arizona State University and the Havasupai Tribe over the use of Havasupai DNA, in this essay we describe how similar enfoldments continue today—despite most contemporary human scientists’ explicit rejection of hierarchical ideas of race. We seek to bring greater clarity and visibility to these constitutive links between whiteness, property, and the human sciences in order that the fields of biological anthropology and population genetics might work to move toward their stated commitments to antiracism (a goal, we argue, that the fields’ antiracialism impedes). Specifically, we reflect on how these links can inform extralegal strategies to address tensions between U.S. and other indigenous peoples and genome scientists and their facilitators (ethicists, lawyers, and policy makers). We conclude by suggesting changes to scientific education and professional standards that might improve relations between indigenous peoples and those who study them, and we introduce mechanisms for networking between indigenous peoples, scholars, and policy makers concerned with expanding indigenous governance of science and technology."

A Troublesome Recurrence: Racialized Realities and Racist Reasoning Today by Lawrence D. Bobo [Article]

Developments in biological science and mapping the human genome created a new wave of racist reasoning. In this essay by Bobo, a professor of social science at Harvard University, presents the work of scholars who critique and speak out against contemporary scientific racism.

Cultivating Diversity as an Ethos with an Anti-Racism Approach in the Scientific Enterprise by Thomas et al. 2021 [Scientific Paper]

"The diversity of the U.S. population is currently not reflected in the genomic workforce and across the greater scientific enterprise. Although diversity and inclusion efforts have focused on increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups across sci- entific fields, structural racism remains. Thus, the cultivation and adoption of diversity as an ethos requires shifting our focus to being intentional about an institution’s character, culture, and climate. One way for this ethos to be sustained is by facilitating an intentional anti-racism approach within the field. Adopting a new perspective on diversity utilizing an anti-racism approach will support genomics researchers as we build supportive, collaborative research environments. We seek to expand critical thought in the framing of diversity in the research enterprise and propose an anti-racism approach that informs deliberate actions required to address structural racism."

DNA on Loan: Issues to Consider When Carrying Out Genetic Research with Aboriginal Families and Communities by Arbour and Cook 2006 [Scientific Paper]

This paper explores practical ways of maintaining a respectful research relationship when genetics research with aboriginal people is undertaken.  

Race and Genetic Ancestry in Medicine - A Time for Reckoning with Racism by Borrell et al. [Scientific Paper]

This article argues for a proper use of race and ethnicity in biomedical research and clinical practice. 

Long Writing (Books)

The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice, and Knowledge After the Genome - Chapter 3: Inclusion: Can Genomics Be Antiracist?  by Jenny Reardon [Book, available at Shields Library]

This chapter explains the opportunities and problems of efforts to include African Americans in genomics. Documented interview and fieldwork from 1999-2004 reveal the central issues and tensions that would define the decade ahead, as well as the importance of foregrounding questions of justice.

The Nature of Difference: Sciences of Race in the United States from Jefferson to Genomics edited by Evelynn M. Hammonds and Rebecca M. Herzig [Book, book and e-book available at Shields Library]

This collection of wide-ranging primary source material documents how distinctions between people have been generated in and by the life sciences. Through commentaries and a wide-ranging selection of primary documents, it charts the shifting boundaries of science and race over more than two centuries of American history.

Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-Create Race in the Twenty-First Century by Dorothy Roberts [Book, book and audiobook available at Shields Library]

"A decade after the Human Genome Project proved that human beings are not naturally divided by race, the emerging fields of personalized medicine, reproductive technologies, genetic genealogy, and DNA databanks are attempting to resuscitate race as a biological category written in our genes. In this provocative analysis, leading legal scholar and social critic Dorothy Roberts argues that America is once again at the brink of a virulent outbreak of classifying populations by race. By searching for differences at the molecular level, a new racial science is obscuring racism in our society and legitimizing state brutality against communities of color at a time when America claims to be post-racial."

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot [Book, available at Shields Library]

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. It’s a story inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we’re made of."

Race Decoded: The Genomic Fight for Social Justice by Catherine Bliss [Book, book and e-book available at Shields Library]

This book explores how arguments against biological race after the discovery of the genome eventually fell back upon older discourses of racial difference. The author situates her engagement in a political economy of scientific knowledge production and its intersections with larger systems of racial inequality.

Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science by Kim TallBear [Book, book and e-book available at Shields Library]

"Because today’s DNA testing seems so compelling and powerful, increasing numbers of Native Americans have begun to believe their own metaphors: “in our blood” is giving way to “in our DNA.” In Native American DNA, Kim TallBear shows how Native American claims to land, resources, and sovereignty that have taken generations to ratify may be seriously—and permanently—undermined."

Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini [Book, book and e-book available at Shields Library]

"Angela Saini's latest book explores the murky history of race science and the ways in which it is being resurrected in the 21st century. Combining science, history and politics, it explains how race maps out biologically and how those on the far-right are attempting to repackage racism."

Reflection Questions

1. Can scientists study race in a way that doesn’t exacerbate racism?

2. How might interpretations of data from the Human Genome Project contribute to racism?

3. How would you explain the difference between the concepts of socially-constructed race and genetic ancestry? 

4. How can we see popular but untrue economic, political, or social ideas influencing the thinking of scientists in the past and present? 

1.3: Eugenics

“Ethnic cleansing”, “the Holocaust”, “crimes against humanity”, and “war crimes” are all denominations under the umbrella of genocide. This is a deliberate and systematic attempted annihilation of a national, racial, ethnic, or religious group of people with the idea of increasing the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable.

As examples of eugenics, we invite you to read more on the Holocaust and the current situation with the Uyghurs. The Holocaust took place in Europe between 1933 and 1945. Six million Jews were systematically and brutally murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. Millions of non-Jews, including Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Serbs, political dissidents, people with disabilities, homosexuals, and Jehovah's Witnesses, were also persecuted by the Nazis.

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

The Meaning of Eugenics: Historical and Present-Day Discussions of Eugenics and Scientific Racism by NHGRI [Video]

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

Who are the Uyghurs and why is China Being Accused of Genocide? by BBC News [Article]

Antisemitism: A Historical Survey by Mark Weitzman [Article]

A comprehensive summary of the history of antisemitism

Holocaust Resources by the Museum of Tolerance [Article]

Long Writing (Books)

Why DNA is no Key to Social Equality: On Katheryn Paige Harden's 'The Genetic Lottery' by Brenna M. Henn, Emily Klancher Merchant, Anne O'Connor,  and Tina Rulli [Book Review]

Routledge Handbook of Genomics, Health, and Society - Chapter 24: Eugenics and Enhancement in Contemporary Genomics by Silvia Camporesi and Giulia Cavaliere [Book, available at Shields Library]

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present - Chapter 8: The Black Stork: The Eugenic Control of African American Reproduction by Harriet A. Washington [Book, available at Shields Library]

Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia by Elizabeth Catte [Book]

Essays in Eugenics by Sir Francis Galton [Book]

Reflection Questions

1. What groups have been victims of genocide?

2. What key economic, political, and social factors might lead to genocide?

3. How does genocide begin?

4. How can genocide be prevented?

5. What are the consequences of DNA profiling of selected minorities?

1.4: Race Discrimination in Research and Academia

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

Diversity in the Biomedical Sciences: What, Why, Where, and How We Move Forward by Kenneth Gibbs [Video, ~52 mins]

This discussion is based on his seminal paper with more examples of DEI issues in academia and how modeling predicts some solutions that we can implement right now to impact our future.

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

Ray Wu as Fifth Business: Deconstructing Collective Memory in the History of DNA Sequencing by Lisa A. Onaga [Article]

HBCUs are Becoming More Diverse, but not Everyone Considers that a Good Thing by Mariah Steward [Article]

Wonderful, poignant aftermath of a white student who was admitted to a historically prominent Black college and university. Who has the right to be admitted where?

Genomics is Failing on Diversity by Popejoy and Fullerton 2016 [Scientific Paper]

This analysis indicates that some populations are still being left behind on the road to precision medicine. 

Decoupling of the Minority PhD Talent Pool and Assistant Professor Hiring in Medical School Basic Science Departments in the US by Gibbs et al. 2016 [Scientific Paper]

"Faculty diversity is a longstanding challenge in the US. However, we lack a quantitative and systemic understanding of how the career transitions into assistant professor positions of PhD scientists from underrepresented minority (URM) and well-represented (WR) racial/ethnic backgrounds compare. Between 1980 and 2013, the number of PhD graduates from URM backgrounds increased by a factor of 9.3, compared with a 2.6-fold increase in the number of PhD graduates from WR groups. However, the number of scientists from URM backgrounds hired as assistant professors in medical school basic science departments was not related to the number of potential candidates (R2=0.12, p>0.07), whereas there was a strong correlation between these two numbers for scientists from WR backgrounds (R2=0.48, p<0.0001). We built and validated a conceptual system dynamics model based on these data that explained 79% of the variance in the hiring of assistant professors and posited no hiring discrimination. Simulations show that, given current transition rates of scientists from URM backgrounds to faculty positions, faculty diversity would not increase significantly through the year 2080 even in the context of an exponential growth in the population of PhD graduates from URM backgrounds, or significant increases in the number of faculty positions. Instead, the simulations showed that diversity increased as more postdoctoral candidates from URM backgrounds transitioned onto the market and were hired."

Module 2: Human Sexuality and Gender

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

Gonads by Radiolab [Podcast]

"Radiolab Presents: Gonads is a multi-episode journey deep into the parts of us that let us make more of us. Longtime staff producer and host Molly Webster explores the primordial roots of our drive to reproduce, introduces a revolutionary fertility procedure that sounds like science fiction, reveals a profound secret about gender that lives inside all of us, and calls on writers, educators, musicians, artists and comedians to debate how we’re supposed to talk to kids about sex."

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

The Experiences of Dr. Ben Barres, the Transgender Scientist at Stanford on Wikipedia [Web Page]

Gender-Inclusive Biology by Gender-Inclusive Biology [Web Page]

"Our students will face decisions about health, science, and medicine that we can hardly imagine. Gender and sexuality diversity are more visible than ever, and our science curriculum must adapt if it is to serve our students and prepare them for the future. Biology teachers have rich opportunities to include gender and sexuality diversity in our teaching. This website offers ready-to-use lessons, a reflection framework for adapting curriculum, and professional development materials."

Trans Student Rights Toolkit by the LGBTQIA Resource Center at UC Davis [Web Page]

Best Practices for Supporting Transgender and Nonbinary Communities by the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy Implementation Committee at UC Davis [Article]

Tools for Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity in Biology Classrooms: Inclusive and Accurate Methods for Teaching Sex and Gender Related Topics by Project Biodiversity [Web Page]

"We have read the most commonly used biology textbooks and scoured the literature to see how sex- and gender-related topics in biology (e.g. sexual reproduction, sex determination, sexual dimorphism, and sexual selection) are currently taught and researched. While doing so we found many issues with biological accuracy and also inclusivity for women, LGBTQIA+ community, and people with non-nuclear families. To help instructors come up with solutions for these issues, we have developed a hands-on workshop for instructors to teach these topics in more inclusive and accurate ways."

Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes is Overly Simplistic by Clair Ainsworth [Article]

DA: San Francisco Police Used Rape Kit DNA to Arrest Victim by Amanda del Castillo [Article]

This article discusses a case where a rape-victim’s DNA, taken from the rape kit, was used against her in a felony property crime case years later. This case sheds light on unethical practices using DNA that further harm sexual assault survivors.

Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [Article]

Homosexuality and the Holocaust by the Wagner College Holocaust Museum [Article]

Gay People by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust [Article]

Gays and Lesbians by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [Article]

Is There a "Gay Gene"? The Problem with Studies Connecting Genetics and LGBTQ Identity by Michelangelo Signorile [Article]

"The largest study to date on genetics and same-sex sexual behavior was published last week, and it concluded something many queer people have been saying for a long time: Sexual orientation is complicated and can’t be explained away by a single “gay gene.” Yet there are LGBTQ people who are worried about the findings of the new study."

The "Gay Gene" Debate by WGBH Educational Foundation [Article]

"The phone rang off the hook with calls from reporters; there were TV cameramen lined up outside the lab; the mailbox and e-mail overflowed," Dean Hamer later remembered the reaction to his July, 1993 paper in the journal Science. "Rarely before have so many reacted so loudly to so little." Hamer's paper-- "A Linkage Between DNA Markers on the X Chromosome and Male Sexual Orientation"-- had the modest ring of science, where change is often slow and incremental. But the underlying idea seemed to carry enormous implications."

A New Age of Gay Genomics Is Here. Are We Ready for the Consequences? by Jeremy Yoder [Article]

"Ultimately, this paper represents to my mind the best possible way that a modern study of the genetics underlying sexual orientation could have turned out. It was informed by the community most affected by its results, designed to account for at least some of the complexity of sexual orientation (that identity vs. behavior distinction), and proved unable to produce the basis for a reliable genetic test of sexual orientation. That said, the hazards of this line of research aren’t really mitigated by ethical research practices, in the conventional sense. Those hazards lie not just in how the work is conducted and presented, but in how society receives it."

Large-Scale GWAS Reveals Insights Into the Genetic Architecture of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior by Ganna et al. 2019 [Scientific Paper]

"The largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) looking for a genetic basis for same-sex sexual behavior to date was published in Science in August, 2019. Heated debates regarding the study’s motivations, methods, and findings within and outside of academia ensued. These debates connect to a long history of discourse on both the specific research of biological basis for homosexuality and more broadly on the problematic treatment of “traits” and the lack of agency of studied populations. These resources explore some of the study’s criticism and support, as well as its broader implications for science. In particular, this topic tackles subjects such as what it means to be a responsible scientist, the gray areas around consenting genetic samples, the ethics of minority research and its societal impact."

Women's Involvement in Clinical Trials: Historical Perspective and Future Implications by Liu et al. 2016 [Scientific Paper]

Women are Under-Represented in Fields Where Success is Believed to Require Brilliance by Meyer et al. 2015 [Scientific Paper]

Understanding Current Causes of Women's Under-Representation in Science by Ceci et al. 2011 [Scientific Paper]

Sex Bias in Trials and Treatment Must End by Kim et al. 2010 [Scientific Paper]

"Gender inequalities in biomedical research are undermining patient care. In the first of three related pieces, Alison M. Kim, Candace M. Tingen and Teresa K. Woodruff call on journals, funding agencies and researchers to give women parity with men, in studies and in the clinic."

Asking Different Questions: Feminist Practices for the Natural Sciences by Deboleena Roy 2008 [Scientific Paper]

Long Writing (Books)

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline C. Perez [Book]

The author presents the root cause of gender inequality​, diving into women’s lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more. Built on data from hundreds of studies in the US and worldwide, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cardelia Fine [Book]

"Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, Cordelia Fine debunks the myth of hardwired differences between men’s and women’s brains, unraveling the evidence behind such claims as men’s brains aren’t wired for empathy and women’s brains aren’t made to fix cars. She then goes one step further, offering a very different explanation of the dissimilarities between men’s and women’s behavior."

Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein [Book]

"A new way of thinking about data science and data ethics that is informed by the ideas of intersectional feminism. Today, data science is a form of power. It has been used to expose injustice, improve health outcomes, and topple governments. But it has also been used to discriminate, police, and surveil. This potential for good, on the one hand, and harm, on the other, makes it essential to ask: Data science by whom? Data science for whom? Data science with whose interests in mind? The narratives around big data and data science are overwhelmingly white, male, and techno-heroic. In Data Feminism, Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein present a new way of thinking about data science and data ethics—one that is informed by intersectional feminist thought."

Peculiar Places: A Queer Crip History of White Rural Nonconformity by Ryan Lee Cartwright [Book]

"In Peculiar Places, [UC Davis Professor] Ryan Lee Cartwright examines the deep archive of these contrary formations, mapping racialized queer and disability histories of white social nonconformity across the rural twentieth-century United States."

What Works: Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet [Book]

Reflection Questions

1. For new human biodiversity acolytes, what do you think comes first in the assessment of human sexuality and gender, the science or the politics?

2. How might genetic associations with traits, particularly behavioral traits, be confounded?

3. The consent form allows the study of medically relevant traits. Does studying same-sex sexual behavior fall under this purview?

4. The general reactions to Ganna et al. 2019 included (1) it was valid but had some flaws and (2) a study like this has no place in modern science. Which do you support?

5. Are there traits you think should not be studied? If so, what distinguishes traits that should or should not be studied?

6. Was the study published as science for science’s sake, or for prestige? Think about the motivation to study same-sex sexual behavior. 

7. Science has the one of the highest impact factors of any publication. Did this study deserve to be published in Science? Do you think it will have far reaching impacts? What are the possible consequences, particularly given its high profile nature?

8. What can we learn from this study? How can we go forward as more responsible scientists / science consumers?

9. Can people use a potential “same sex gene” to “fix” the trait or to foster discrimination in places where same-sex bahavior is punished?

10. What consequences do we face as a society when studies focus primarily on one sex (males)?

11. What is the difference between sex and gender?

12. What role does science, and specifically genetics, play in better understanding sex vs. gender?

Module 3: Social Status

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

How America's Public Schools Keep kids in Poverty by Kandice Sumner [Video, ~14 mins]

"Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools -- things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields -- and this has a real impact on the potential of students. Kandice Sumner sees the disparity every day in her classroom in Boston. In this inspiring talk, she asks us to face facts -- and change them. "

Unnatural Causes by the National Minority Consortia of Public Television [Film]

"UNNATURAL CAUSES is the acclaimed documentary series broadcast by PBS and now used by thousands of organizations around the country to tackle the root causes of our alarming socio-economic and racial inequities in health."

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

Make Science Education Better, More Equitable, Says National Panel by Sarah D. Sparks [Article]

The ‘Geno-Economists’ Say DNA Can Predict Our Chances of Success by Jacob Ward [Article]

A Discovery Genome-Wide Association Study of Entrepreneurship by Quaye et al. 2012 [Scientific Paper]

"To identify specific genetic variants influencing the phenotype of entrepreneurship, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 3,933 Caucasian females from the TwinsUK Adult Twin Registry. Following stringent genotype quality control, GWAF (genome-wide association analyses for family data) software was used to assess the association between each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and entrepreneurship. The most promising genetic variant (rs10791283 of the OPCML gene on chromosome 11q25) was significant at the 6 × 10–7 level. Suggestive associations with entrepreneurship were also identified with variants of KIAA1199, SYT13 and PARD3B. Of the top 30 SNPs, 13 (43%) were located on chromosome 11, 7 (23%) on chromosome 14, and 5 (17%) on chromosome 15. However, the effect of each SNP was small, accounting for less than 1% of the variance. Our results suggest that the effects of individual common risk variants on entrepreneurship are probably very small and very large sample sizes are required to identify variants that reach genome-wide significance. "

The E Is in the G: Gene–Environment–Trait Correlations and Findings From Genome-Wide Association Studies by Avinun 2020 [Scientific Paper]

"Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have shown that pleiotropy is widespread (i.e., the same genetic variants affect multiple traits) and that complex traits are polygenic (i.e., affected by many genetic variants with very small effect sizes). However, despite the growing number of GWASs, the possible contribution of gene-environment correlations (rGEs) to pleiotropy and polygenicity has been mostly ignored. rGEs can lead to environmentally mediated pleiotropy or gene-environment-trait correlations (rGETs), given that an environment that is affected by one genetically influenced phenotype, can in turn affect a different phenotype. By adding correlations with environmentally mediated genetic variants, rGETs can contribute to polygenicity. Socioeconomic status (SES) and the experience of stressful life events may, for example, be involved in rGETs. Both are genetically influenced and have been associated with a myriad of physical and mental disorders. As a result, GWASs of these disorders may find the genetic correlates of SES and stressful life events. Consequently, some of the genetic correlates of physical and mental disorders may be modified by public policy that affects environments such as SES and stressful life events. Thus, identifying rGETs can shed light on findings from GWASs and have important implications for public health. "

Long Writing (Books)

A People's History of Science: Miners, Midwives, and Low Mechanicks by Clifford D. Conner

"A People's History of Science shows how ordinary people participate in creating science and have done so throughout history. It documents how the development of science has affected ordinary people, and how ordinary people perceived that development."

The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges are Failing Disadvantaged Students by Anthony Abraham Jack

Although most colleges have opened their doors to increase diversity in their student body, the struggles of less privileged students after they’ve arrived on campus are still evident. Admission is not the same as acceptance. This book documents how university policies and cultures can exacerbate preexisting inequalities and reveals why these policies hit some students harder than others.

Module 4: Disability

Audio (Podcasts, Videos, Documentaries)

A Reading and Discussion with George Estreich by Genetics and Society [Video, ~1 hr 10 mins]

"From next-generation prenatal tests, to virtual children, to the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, new biotechnologies grant us unprecedented power to predict and shape future people. That power implies a question about belonging: which people, which variations, will we welcome?"

Biomedical Ethics and the Existential Threat to Persons with Disabilities | Rosemarie Garland-Thomsan by Columbia Center for Clinical Medical Ethics [Video, ~1 hr]

"Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is a disability justice and culture thought leader, bioethicist, teacher, and humanities scholar."

Alice Wong - Resisting Ableism: Disabled People and Human Gene Editing by Stanford Medicine X  [Video, ~13 mins]

"Alice Wong is a San Francisco-based night owl, tv watcher, cat lover, and coffee drinker. She is the Founder and Project Coordinator for the Disability Visibility Project™ (DVP), a community partnership with StoryCorps and an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability stories and culture created in 2014."

Below the Belt by Shannon Cohn [Film]

"Through the lens of endometriosis, a disease that affects 1 in 9 women, the film shows how women are often dismissed, discounted & disbelieved. From societal taboos and gender bias to misinformed doctors and profit-driven healthcare, the film reveals how millions are silenced and how, by fighting back, we can improve healthcare for everyone."

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

The Patients Who Don't Want to be Cured by Sarah Zhang [Article]

"A hemophiliac says his genetic disorder is part of his identity, and therapies like CRISPR threaten to erase it."

Please Don't Edit Me Out by Rebecca Cokley [Article]

"Nearly 1 out of every 5 people in this country has a disability. What would it mean for society to render such a large group of people “unfit” for the human germline?"

My "Orphan Disease" Has Given Me a New Family by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson [Article]

"Now that I have an orphan disease instead of a birth defect, I’m no longer an orphan but instead newly a member of several distinctive tribes, a heretofore hidden web of kinship and clan affiliations."

Can We Cure Genetic Diseases Without Slipping Into Eugenics? by Nathaniel Comfort [Article]

"Gene editing could correct genetic mutations for serious illnesses. Will it also create a new eugenics of personal choice?"

Illness or Identity? A Disability Rights Scholar Comments on the Plan to Use CRISPR to Prevent Deafness by Katie Hasson [Article]

"Jackie Leach Scully is Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Disability Innovation Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. When news broke that Denis Rebrikov was planning to use CRISPR to edit a hereditary mutation that leads to deafness, CGS asked her to share her perspective on this development as a scholar in the disability rights community."

Russia's CRISPR "Deaf Babies": The Next Genome Editing Frontier by Jackie Leach Scully and Teresa Blankmeyer Burke [Article]

"Jackie Leach Scully and Teresa Blankmeyer Burke worry about the ableist and audist assumptions hidden in this venture."

5 Reasons Why We Need People with Disabilities in the CRISPR Debates by Emily Beitiks [Article]

"'Why do I have to keep justifying my existence?' How gene editing policy discussions reproduce ableist assumptions and generate advocacy fatigue despite the crucial need for disability perspectives…."

Why I'm Speaking About Human Genetic Engineering as a Black Woman with Disabilities by Anita Cameron [Article]

"Human genetic engineering isn’t counted as one of the “usual” disability and racial advocacy issues, even if this technology, whether used for disease eradication or human trait enhancement, spells bad news for the disability community and racial minorities, particularly Black people with disabilities like me."

Becoming Disabled by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson [Article]

"Not long ago, a good friend of mine said something revealing to me: ‘I don’t think of you as disabled,’ she confessed."

Nothing About Us Without Us - Towards Genuine Inclusion of Disabled Scientists and Science Students Post Pandemic by Julia P. Sarju 2021 [Scientific Paper]

"Scientists and students with disabilities have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this must be urgently addressed to avoid further entrenching existing inequalities. The need for rapid decision-making, often by senior colleagues without lived experience of disabilities, can lead to policies which discriminate against scientists with disabilities. This article reflects on disability declaration statistics and research in critical disability studies and social science to explore the challenges experienced by disabled scientists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights recommendations and examples of good practice to adopt in order to challenge ableism in STEM communities and workplaces. It is vital that disabled staff and students are fully involved in decision making. This is particularly important as we continue to respond to the challenges and opportunities associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and plan for a post-COVID-19 future. This time of great change can be used as an opportunity to listen, learn, and improve working conditions and access for scientists with disabilities, and by doing so, for everyone."

We Need to Address Ableism in Science by Raven J. Peterson 2021 [Scientific Paper]

"In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, disabled people remain a significantly underrepresented part of the workforce. Recent data suggests that about 20% of undergraduates in the United States have disabilities, but representation in STEM fields is consistently lower than in the general population. Of those earning STEM degrees, only about 10% of undergraduates, 6% of graduate students, and 2% of doctoral students identify as disabled. This suggests that STEM fields have difficulty recruiting and retaining disabled students, which ultimately hurts the field, because disabled scientists bring unique problem-solving perspectives and input. This essay briefly explores the ways in which ableism—prejudice against disabled people based on the assumption that they are “less than” their nondisabled peers—in research contributes to the exclusion of disabled scientists and suggests ways in which the scientific community can improve accessibility and promote the inclusion of disabled scientists in academic science."

Dyslexia Simulator 

This simulator allows individuals to experience how dyslexia might impact reading and comprehension. By stepping into the shoes of someone with dyslexia, it fosters empathy and awareness about the challenges they face. This firsthand encounter promotes a better understanding of neurodiversity, fostering an inclusive environment where diverse learning styles are recognized and accommodated. Such tools contribute to a more empathetic and inclusive society that values the uniqueness of each individual. 

Long Writing (Books)

Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness, and the Body by Lennard J. Davis [Book]

"In this highly original study of the cultural assumptions governing our conception of people with disabilities, Lennard J. Davis argues forcefully against “ableist” discourse and for a complete recasting of the category of disability itself."

Module 5: Pedagogy

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

Reimagining STEM Workforce Development as a Braided River by RL Batchelor, H Ali, KG Gardner-Vandy, AU Gold, JA MacKinnon, and PM Asher. 2021. [Article]

A contemporary approach to today’s science careers looks less like a structured pipeline and more like a collection of paths that change and adapt to the needs of the individual.

How Do We Bring More Diversity to STEM? by James McConchie. 2022. [Article]

Students — particularly students of color — are more interested and successful in STEM when they learn how it helps real people.

Gender-Inclusive Biology by Gender-Inclusive Biology [Web Page]

"Our students will face decisions about health, science, and medicine that we can hardly imagine. Gender and sexuality diversity are more visible than ever, and our science curriculum must adapt if it is to serve our students and prepare them for the future. Biology teachers have rich opportunities to include gender and sexuality diversity in our teaching. This website offers ready-to-use lessons, a reflection framework for adapting curriculum, and professional development materials."

Tools for Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity in Biology Classrooms: Inclusive and Accurate Methods for Teaching Sex and Gender Related Topics by Project Biodiversity [Web Page]

"We have read the most commonly used biology textbooks and scoured the literature to see how sex- and gender-related topics in biology (e.g. sexual reproduction, sex determination, sexual dimorphism, and sexual selection) are currently taught and researched. While doing so we found many issues with biological accuracy and also inclusivity for women, LGBTQIA+ community, and people with non-nuclear families. To help instructors come up with solutions for these issues, we have developed a hands-on workshop for instructors to teach these topics in more inclusive and accurate ways."

From Basic to Humane Genomics Literacy by Donovan et al. 2020 [Scientific Paper]

"Genetic essentialism of race is the belief that racial groups have different underlying genetic essences which cause them to differ physically, cognitively, or behaviorally. Apparently, no published studies have explored if belief in genetic essentialism of race among adolescents differs after many weeks of formal instruction about different domains of genetics knowledge. Nor have any studies explored if such differences reflect a coherent change in students’ racial beliefs. We use a quasi-experimental design (N = 254 students in 7th–12th grade) to explore these gaps. Over the course of 3 months, we compared students who learned from a curriculum on multifactorial inheritance and genetic ancestry to students who learned from their business as usual (BAU) genetics curriculum that discussed Mendelian and molecular genetics without any reference to race, multifactorial genetics, or genetic ancestry. Relative to the BAU condition, classrooms that learned from the multifactorial genetics and ancestry curriculum grew significantly more in their knowledge of multifactorial genetics and decreased significantly more in their genetic essentialist perceptions, attributions, and beliefs. From a conceptual change perspective, these findings suggest that classrooms using a curriculum emphasizing genetic complexity are more likely to shift toward a coherent anti-essentialist understanding of racial difference."

A Critical Analysis of Assessment Quality in Genomics and Bioinformatics Education Research by Campbell et al. 2013 [Scientific Paper]

"The growing importance of genomics and bioinformatics methods and paradigms in biology has been accompanied by an explosion of new curricula and pedagogies. An important question to ask about these educational innovations is whether they are having a meaningful impact on students’ knowledge, attitudes, or skills. Although assessments are necessary tools for answering this question, their outputs are dependent on their quality. Our study 1) reviews the central importance of reliability and construct validity evidence in the development and evaluation of science assessments and 2) examines the extent to which published assessments in genomics and bioinformatics education (GBE) have been developed using such evidence. We identified 95 GBE articles (out of 226) that contained claims of knowledge increases, affective changes, or skill acquisition. We found that 1) the purpose of most of these studies was to assess summative learning gains associated with curricular change at the undergraduate level, and 2) a minority (<10%) of studies provided any reliability or validity evidence, and only one study out of the 95 sampled mentioned both validity and reliability. Our findings raise concerns about the quality of evidence derived from these instruments. We end with recommendations for improving assessment quality in GBE."

Long Writing (Books)

The Drama of DNA: Narrative Genomics by Karen H. Rothenberg and Lynn Wein Bush [Book]

"Through the use of dramatic narratives, The Drama of DNA brings to life the complexities raised by the application of genomic technologies to health care and diagnosis. This creative, pedagogical approach shines a unique light on the ethical, psychosocial, and policy challenges that emerge as comprehensive sequencing of the human genome transitions from research to clinical medicine. Narrative genomics aims to enhance understanding of how we evaluate, process, and share genomic information, and to cultivate a deeper appreciation for difficult decisions encountered by health care professionals, bioethicists, families, and society as this technology reaches the bedside. This innovative book includes both original genomic plays and theatrical excerpts that illuminate the implications of genomic information and emerging technologies for physicians, scientists, counselors, patients, blood relatives, and society. In addition to the plays, the authors provide an analytical foundation to frame the many challenges that often arise."

The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching by Isis Artze-Vega, Flower Darby, Bryan Dewsbury, and Mays Imad [Book]

"Written by renowned teaching and learning experts, this guide offers concrete steps to help any instructor striving to ensure that all students―and, in particular, historically underserved students―have an equal chance for success. Here you’ll find actionable tips, grounded in research, for teaching college classes online, in person, and everywhere in between." 

The Human Genome Project in College Curriculum: Ethical Issues and Practical Strategies by Aine Donovan and Ronald M. Green [Book]

Module 6: Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility

Short Writing (Articles, Scientific Papers)

(Dis)owning Hispanic: Inside the Varity that is "Latinidad" by Nicole Acevedo and Isa Gutierrez [Article]

Health Equity Tourists: How White Scholars are Colonizing Research on Health Disparities by Usha Lee McFarling [Article]

Cultural Competence or Cultural Humility? Moving Beyond the Debate by Greene-Moton et al. 2019 [Scientific Paper]

Accessibility

Podcasts

We have tried to include transcripts with the provided podcasts.

Articles

Some of the articles above link to news outlets that may not be free of charge for most users. However, in cases like the New York Times, UC Davis grants free access to students. We have tried making most of the linked articles easily accessible, but in select cases, you may need to see if UC Davis has resources available for access.

Scientific Papers

UC Davis has a huge push for open access and also provides students access to many journals that are not considered open access as well. The UC Davis library has a VPN that can be used when you are not on campus to access these resources.

Books

Many of the books listed above are linked to Amazon. However, they can be found via other avenues, such as Libby. Libby is an app that allows users digital access to books in libraries they are members of. The Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library card (which is free to get for Davis residents) grants access to the Yolo County Public Library book bank, which includes over 20,000 books (audiobooks included).  Many libraries will also issue electronic library cards based on your phone number. These will also grant access to library collections on Libby. Thus, many of the books recommended above can be checked out completely free of charge. It may even be easier than going to Shields Library for you!

Please let us know if there are other ways we can make these materials more accessible to you.

Acknowledgments

The idea to put together these resources belonged to Ellen Osborn. They were compiled by the collective effort of Ellen Osborn, Viktoria Haghani, Fiona Buchanan, Ismael Acedo, and Cecilia Giulivi. It was uploaded here by Viktoria Haghani. If you are interested in getting involved or adding resources, please reach out to Viktoria at vhaghani@ucdavis.edu. 

Furthermore, these resources were compiled from a large number of locations, including the UW Toolkit on Race, Ethics, and Justice in Genetics, and individual searches for material.

Last Updated: April 21, 2023 by Viktoria Haghani