All time references are in CEST
Embracing Diversity in Gender Identity in Survey Practices |
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| Session Organisers | Mrs Theresa Fabel (SHARE Berlin Institute) Dr Brita Dorer (GESIS-Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) |
| Time | Tuesday 18 July, 09:00 - 10:30 |
| Room | |
As societal understanding of gender identity evolves, so too must our methods of data collection and classification. Traditional, binary gender variables that have been used for decades no longer reflect the diversity of modern society, where gender identities are increasingly fluid. This shift presents both challenges and opportunities for survey practitioners. The adoption of multi-categorical gender variables and gender-fair language in survey questionnaires is now essential, not only to ensure accurate data collection but also to uphold ethical standards of inclusivity for gender minorities.
This session invites presentations from researchers, practitioners, and experts who have engaged with these challenges. Contributions could explore the following questions:
What specific steps are needed to ensure the accurate representation of diverse gender identities in survey designs and executions, from sampling strategies to data management and the alignment of survey data?
How were multi-categorical gender variables conceptualized and developed, and what insights can be drawn from cognitive pretests? How can an inclusive survey experience be fostered, and what role does gender-fair language play in achieving it?
How did respondents react to the inclusion of non-binary and fluid gender categories, and what forms of resistance or uncertainty were encountered? What barriers—whether technical, cultural, or mode-specific —arose during the integration of multi-categorical gender variables into existing survey frameworks and what strategies have proven effective in overcoming these challenges?
Which challenges are encountered in cross-cultural surveys and how are diverse gender identities best implemented in cross-cultural contexts where, e.g., approaches, sensitivities, legislation and language differ between countries and cultures?
We welcome discussions on the implications, the challenges, and the necessity of ensuring that our survey tools reflect the full diversity of gender identities. By sharing experiences, we can collectively work towards more inclusive and ethical survey practices.
Keywords: Gender diversity, Gender identity, gender-fair language, representativeness, inclusion
Dr Daniel Horn (SHARE Berlin Institute) - Presenting Author
Mrs Amanda Killian (Independent)
Dr Arne Bethmann (SHARE Germany / SHARE Berlin Institute)
Ms Charlotte Hunsicker (SHARE Germany / SHARE Berlin Institute)
Current longitudinal studies of aging face significant methodological challenges in measuring sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), often treating gender as fixed and conflating sex assigned at birth with lived gender. This study proposes a novel cross-national, multi-lingual qualitative testing approach to develop SOGI survey items for older populations (50+) across several European countries.
Through qualitative interviewing techniques, we plan to evaluate respondent receptivity and understanding of SOGI items across diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. The study aims to cover multiple European countries through a research partnership between SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) and AGE Platform Europe. This partnership allows us to leverage established networks for participant recruitment while ensuring methodological rigor through SHARE's expertise in cross-national survey research. Key aspects to be assessed include item content, placement, mode effects, data linkage concerns, and measurement frequency.
The research aims to test variations of SOGI items with older respondents while challenging common assumptions about 50+ population intolerance to such questions. Building on recent literature suggesting higher receptivity to alternative gender measurements than previously assumed, we seek to develop evidence-based practices for incorporating SOGI measurement in aging studies. The proposed methodology combines systematic review of current measurement practices with qualitative interviews and expert consultation from LGBTQI+ advocacy organizations, paying particular attention to cultural sensitivities, boundaries congruent with research intentions, and linguistic nuances in item development.
This research will contribute to the development of more inclusive aging research data infrastructure across Europe by providing empirical evidence on the feasibility and acceptability of SOGI measures among older populations. The findings will help inform potential future implementations in large-scale longitudinal aging studies, with implications for better understanding health and well-being disparities among sexual and gender minorities in later life.
Ms Alexia Vallenas Wiesse (Sciences Po) - Presenting Author
Dr Jen Schradie (Sciences Po)
Dr Isabelle Langrock (Sciences Po)
In the 20th century, feminist and intersectional scholars began to critique how researchers excluded women and other marginalized groups from the construction of survey variables by failing to pose questions relevant to their experiences and using language that “othered” identities of people who were not white men. Today, inclusive language practices are more common, but are often heavily politicized. This presents a challenge for survey researchers who need to recruit representative samples across a variety of ideological groups while not repeating the exclusionary survey practices of the past. This only gets more difficult in comparative work, as different countries approach inclusive language in various ways. For example, American feminists have struggled for more gender-neutral language while in France, “feminized” language is seen as more inclusive. Drawing on the process of designing and fielding a trilingual representative panel survey in France and the United States, we detail the challenges of writing consistent surveys across these two countries. Specifically, we document the challenges of balancing gender-inclusivity, respecting cultural differences around racial categories, and standardizing social class measures across these countries’ distinct economic and political systems, all while maximizing response rate and quality. In so doing, we analyze the incorporation of AI translation tools into the TRAPD workflow and the implications for creating diverse and inclusive surveys. In particular, while AI makes the process of translation more efficient, it is impossible to create surveys responsive to diverse gender identities and social contexts with these tools alone. We find how the well documented gender and racial biases within AI, therefore, also create bias in the adoption of AI tools in survey translation.
Dr Clément Meier (University of Lausanne) - Presenting Author
Mrs Theresa Fabel (SHARE Berlin Institute)
Background:
Incorporating questions on gender identity into social science research is essential for capturing the diversity of lived experiences. However, aging studies face unique challenges, including the risk of nonresponse or survey dropout, data quality issues stemming from misunderstanding or misinterpreting questions, interviewer bias or lack of training, stigmatization or perceived judgment, cultural inappropriateness in certain contexts, generational differences in understanding contemporary terminology, and ethical concerns related to privacy and confidentiality. Despite these challenges, addressing gender diversity is crucial for ensuring inclusivity and data relevance as the prevalence of gender diversity among older adults remains largely unknown. As part of Wave 10 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in Switzerland, a test was conducted to explore ways to enhance the inclusivity of the survey, while analyzing the response rate among the older adult target population in Switzerland.
Method:
In Wave 10 of SHARE Switzerland (2024/2025), two questions on gender identity were included in a paper-and-pencil questionnaire completed at the end of the general face-to-face SHARE interview. The nationally representative sample of adults aged 50+ combined panel respondents and new refresher participants (targeted sample of 4,000 participants). The questions asked about sex assigned at birth (Man/Woman) and current gender identity (Man/Woman/Non-binary/Other/Don’t know).
Results:
As data collection is ongoing, preliminary results will be accessible by July 2025, allowing for an exploration of response rates, patterns of nonresponse, and the reception of gender identity questions among older adults.
Conclusion:
This preliminary implementation of gender identity questions is an important step toward potentially integrating such measures into the main SHARE questionnaire across 28 countries. Despite challenges, it may demonstrate the feasibility of capturing gender diversity in aging studies while guiding the design of inclusive, culturally
Mr Max Felder (FORS - Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences) - Presenting Author
Mrs Roxane Mordasini (FORS - Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences)
Mr Nicolas Pekari (FORS - Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences)
Despite growing recognition of gender diversity, many Swiss surveys continue to rely on binary sex/gender measures. Concerns about respondent reactions, questionnaire completion rates, and conservative backlash can deter the implementation of more inclusive gender measures. This paper presents empirical evidence on the acceptability and feasibility of implementing comprehensive gender identity measures in general population surveys.
Using an experimental design within an online Swiss panel survey, we tested various approaches to measuring assigned sex and gender identity. Participants were randomly assigned to four conditions varying the placement and combination of questions about sex assigned at birth and a non-dichotomous gender identity measure. We assessed completion rates, perceived question difficulty, and potential selective dropouts, particularly among conservative respondents or those holding biological essentialist views of gender.
Our results challenge concerns about implementing inclusive gender measures in surveys. We found no significant differences in questionnaire completion rates between groups presented with traditional binary sex questions versus non-dichotomous gender measures. The perceived difficulty of answering gender identity questions was remarkably low and comparable to traditional sex questions. Importantly, we observed no selective dropout among conservative respondents or those holding biological essentialist views of gender differences. Finally, we analyzed potential linguistic differences in the perceived difficulty of answering sex and gender questions between German and French-speaking respondents, to address considerations for multilingual contexts.
These findings provide empirical support for the feasibility of implementing more inclusive gender measures in general population surveys. We demonstrate that some concerns about respondent reactions and data quality, while understandable, may be overstated. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for survey researchers seeking to implement more inclusive gender measures while maintaining high response rates and data quality.