Bringing gender into research with international students

This chapter considers the role of gender identity and gendered experiences in research with international students. Although gender is an area of growing research interest in this subfield, there are a number of considerations that we raise for further contemplation. The first is the need to consider cultural variations in conceptualisations of gender and gendered norms, which may lead international students to (re)negotiating normative expectations of what it means to ‘do’ and express gender. The second is the tendency for research to frame women in particular as vulnerable research subjects while ignoring their agency. The third is the tendency for research about the intersection of gender and international student status to focus on women’s experiences, with limited research about men international students or those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or third gender. Finally, we consider the ways research processes may be gendered, regardless of whether the subject is ‘about gender’. Altogether, we offer suggestions for areas with significant research gaps and considerations for gendering research with international students.