OUR AIM

The Gender Group (GG) aims to strengthen gender-sensitive research at ZEF and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration on gender issues among ZEF researchers. The group focuses on supporting senior and junior researchers in integrating gender perspectives in their research projects, addressing gender differences as researchers, developing gender studies curricula and material for inter- and transdisciplinary courses, and sharing publications and ideas on gender-sensitive research.

WHAT DOES GENDER MEAN AND WHY DOES IT MATTER TO US?

Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been defined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG5) as a fundamental human right and a key aspect of a prosperous and sustainable world. Despite improvements in gender-related indicators during the last decade, there are still pervasive social norms in place that prevent women to execute their full potential and consequently hinder social progress. Moreover, women’s experiences and particular vulnerabilities tend to be invisible and excluded from research and policy implementation.

LATEST NEWS

Upcoming ZEFGG Monthly meeting

Date and Time: Thursday, 29th August 2024, at 15:00 CET
Venue: Room 1.049 and via Zoom

Zoom Link:
https://uni-bonn.zoom-x.de/j/67958906377?pwd=q2dGQ7VDHQENjeIRsYimoe0jazwJrK.1
Meeting ID: 679 5890 6377
Passcode: 873310

We have David Brandon Smith from the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) as our presenter this month. David, a doctoral researcher at BCDSS, will be delivering a presentation titled: "Intersectionality and Asymmetrical Dependencies: Theoretical Explorations and Case Studies in Religion".

Abstract:
This presentation will explore new possibilities for deploying intersectionality theory in asymmetrical dependency research (ADr). The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) seeks to complexify the traditional binary opposition of ‘slavery versus freedom’ with the broader analytical concept of asymmetrical dependency. Asymmetrical dependency is a complex relational process that occurs in relations between two or more actors. It is based on the ability of one actor to control the actions of another and/or their access to resources. Asymmetrical dependencies are usually supported by an institutional context in such a way as to ensure that the dependent actors cannot simply change their situation by ‘exiting’ the relationship or by articulating impactful protest (see Winnebeck et al. 2023). At the BCDSS, Research Area E investigates dependencies associated with gender, sexuality, status, class, ethnicity, religion, age, and other historical, anthropological, and representational aspects relevant to explaining differences among persons and human groups, both in the past and in present societies. While acknowledging the importance of contextual specificity in the work of the BCDSS, this presentation will sketch a general roadmap for navigating the topography of asymmetrical dependencies and their intersectional aspects. Various case studies about asymmetrical dependencies in the history and contemporary experiences of religious communities will provide helpful coordinates and clarify the contours of our approach.

Brief Bio of Presenter:
Rev. David B. Smith is a doctoral candidate in Church History at the Faculty of Protestant Theology and a Research Associate at the Center for Dependency & Slavery Studies (BCDSS) of the University of Bonn, Germany. David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion & Philosophy from Montreat College, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Ecumenical Studies from the University of Bonn. David has also studied at the University of Mainz, the Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji, the Church University (KiHo) of Wuppertal/Bethel, and the Rutgers University School of Social Work. Before moving to Germany, David served churches and nonprofit organizations in various capacities across the eastern United States, including posts in North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Most recently, he was a pastor at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, PA. After taking a brief leave from his doctoral studies and returning to the U.S. in 2021, he also served as a Resident Chaplain at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. David’s publications crisscross various fields and disciplinary boundaries, including the history of Christianity(ies), world Christianity studies and ecumenics, queer religious histories, slavery and dependency studies, practical theology, and religion in world affairs. He is currently serving as the Elected Representative of Research Area E (‘Gender and Intersectionality’) at BCDSS.
 

Co-coordinators

Dr. Dennis Lucy Avilés Irahola
+49-228-73-1722

Dr. Tina Beuchelt
+49-228-73-4922

Dr. Sundus Saleemi
+49-228-73-1841

PD Dr. Eva Youkhana
+49-228-73-4909

Purti Sadhwani
Research Assistant
+49-228-73-6707

 

Gender at ZEF

Find out more about research, staff, publications, projects and doctoral theses related to gender at ZEF

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