ingressive

Drawing on category theory, she classifies people as ‘congressive’ — collaborative, emphasizing community and interdependence — or ‘ingressive’: more competitive, prioritizing individualism and independence.

Offering insights for my own research into inequity in publishing, Cheng shows how ingressive — sometimes even aggressive — structures of peer review slide easily from constructive criticism to gatekeeping.

She writes: “I nurture, encourage and reward congressive behaviour such as curiosity, open-mindedness and collaboration, not ingressive behaviour such as showing off, posturing or belittling others.”

She highlights the congressive Finnish education system and identifies possible alternatives to ingressive practices in the classroom.

Cheng enjoins us to consider our place on the congressive–ingressive spectrum, to take time to ensure that our language, actions and priorities reflect non-gendered values.