April 22 - 24, 2026, Seminaris Hotel in Bad Honnef, Germany

Organising team:
Marina C. Orifici, FernUniversität in Hagen, University of Cologne, marina.orifici@fernuni-hagen.de
Angela R. Dorrough, FernUniversität in Hagen, University of Cologne, angela.dorrough@fernuni-hagen.de
Laura Froehlich, FernUniversität in Hagen, laura.froehlich@fernuni-hagen.de
Sarah E. Martiny, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, sarah.martiny@uit.no

Gender research has a long tradition in social psychology. However, most findings rely on WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialised, rich, democratic, e.g., Henrich et al., 2010) samples, and theories and methodologies have often been developed in the US or other Western countries (Rad et al., 2018). This raises the question of whether findings can be generalised to different contexts or vary cross-culturally. In a globalised world with increasing diversification of societies, understanding gender dynamics within and across various cultural contexts is becoming increasingly important.

The EASP Small Group Meeting on “New Directions in Intercultural Gender Research” was held at the Seminaris Conference Hotel in Bad Honnef, Germany, from April 22 to April 24, 2026. The meeting brought together 32 researchers from 13 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The participants represented all career levels and different disciplines, including social psychology, sociology, and economics. The venue’s accessibility and residential setting facilitated intensive scientific exchange. The organisers thank Christina Schneider for her support as a research assistant during the meeting. Thanks to generous funding from the EASP and additional funding from FernUniversität in Hagen, there was no participation fee, and coffee breaks, lunches, dinners, and a social event were covered. Additionally, we were able to offer four stipends, including travel and accommodation, for researchers who would otherwise not have been able to participate.

The scientific programme included two keynote talks by leading scholars in the field. Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka (University of Gdańsk) opened the meeting with a keynote talk titled “In Search of the ‘Equaman’: When, Where, and Why Men and Boys Support (or Resist) Gender Equality”, presenting data from two international large-scale research projects on key factors that shape adolescent boys’ and men’s attitudes toward gender equality across countries. Ernesto Reuben (NYU Abu Dhabi) held an online keynote titled “From Beliefs to Behavior: Gender in Markets and Organizations”, offering an economic perspective on how gendered beliefs shape behavior. Both keynote talks were also made accessible to a broader audience via online participation.

In addition, the scientific programme featured 19 talks, organised into six thematic sessions, as well as a blitz session consisting of 6 talks. Topics included gender equality and egalitarianism, gender stereotypes and behavioural differences, gender dynamics in times of social and political change, gender differences in education and gendered occupational pathways, masculinity, discrimination, and gender-based violence.

Interactive elements were an integral part of the programme. Two additional experts, Colette van Laar (KU Leuven) and Sabine Sczesny (University of Bern), contributed to these sessions. The first day of the meeting ended with an Ask-the-Editor Session moderated by Laura Froehlich. Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka, Colette van Laar, Sabine Sczesny, and Angela R. Dorrough shared their experiences as editors, followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A on the publication process focusing on intercultural gender research. On the final day of the meeting, a Round Table Session addressed the characteristics, chances, and challenges in intercultural gender research. The participants could join the following round tables: a) funding opportunities (Colette van Laar, Sabine Sczesny, Laura Froehlich), b) methods and materials across countries/cultures (Angela R. Dorrough, Sarah E. Martiny), and c) cross-cultural data collection (Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka, Marina C. Orifici). These round tables, followed by a plenary discussion, fostered in-depth exchange and knowledge sharing.

Beyond the scientific programme, participants engaged in informal exchanges during coffee breaks, shared meals, and the social event at the Drachenfels, a well-known regional landmark. In excellent weather, the group explored the Drachenfels by hiking or by the historic rack railway. These interactions further strengthened networking and collaboration.

Overall, the meeting achieved its goals. The group discussed the characteristics, chances, and challenges of gender research in an intercultural context and explored new directions in the field, including intercultural theory development, advancing methodological approaches, and utilising different data sets and sources. Given the participants' diverse backgrounds, the meeting could contribute to a more globally informed perspective on gender research. The meeting provided ample opportunities for discussion, exchange on ongoing projects, ideas for future collaboration, and networking. Moreover, the meeting resulted in a special issue in Social Psychology on “Current and New Directions in Cross-Cultural Gender Research in Psychology” with Sarah E. Martiny, Laura Froehlich, Elizabeth J. Parks-Stamm, and Angela R. Dorrough as guest editors (https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1864-9335/a000590).

The organisers received very positive and appreciative feedback from participants and would like to thank everyone involved. Finally, the organisers would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to EASP and the FernUniversität in Hagen for their generous funding and their support in making the event possible.