Last Friday, Miriam Wickham defended her dissertation entitled "Square Peg in a Round Hole. Gender Beyond the Binary" at Utrecht University. It was an insightful and inspiring defense, with a good dose of humor (from both the candidate and the committee). In this interesting and thought-provoking dissertation, Miriam provides much-needed insight into the psychological factors relevant to the societal move away from the gender binary by providing convincing evidence debunking common assumptions (1) that the gender binary is helpful, either as a cognitive heuristic or as a way for us to identify with one another, and (2) that it is natural, in that it is upheld by something innate to humans. I much recommend requesting a copy.
