"No one likes being reduced to their genitals!" Positive discrimination, diversity and symbolic capital

“Scarlett?” My PhD compatriot, Jens* leans over to me, a glint in his eye and a bemused smile on his face that makes it difficult to work out whether this will be a joke, a statement, or something to deliberately challenge me. Past history tells me probably a combination of all three, but lets see. “Can I ask you a question, before you go?” (I am just on my way out of the PhD office** we share, coat on, mug...