Sex and gender have become buzzwords in the popular media, which often confuses them. Explore sex and gender from the vantage of a social psychologist by making the case that sex and gender are not natural, inevitable binaries and that gender is both complex and matters. Jan will present research findings that will help participants think more deeply about how sex and gender are discussed in everyday conversation and media.

Instructor: Jan Yoder earned her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Buffalo in 1979 and spent her academic career teaching and researching the psychology of women. Her scholarship has been published in national and international psychology journals, and she has been the recipient of professional awards for both her research and teaching. She served as the editor-in-chief of two top-ranked, peer-reviewed journals that publish gender research. She currently holds a courtesy position at Penn State as an academic affiliate professor of psychology and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.