Intersecting Identities, Interwoven Practices: A Collaborative Reflection on Evaluation and Identity Disclosure

Intersectionality on the Horizon: Exploring Autism in Adulthood from a Unique Vantage Point.

The disclosure and expression of trans and non-binary gender identities introduce unique complexities and stressors to romantic relationships, affecting each partner and the relationship itself in distinct ways. The study aims to describe romantic relationship experiences regarding the disclosure and expression of trans and non-binary gender identities from the perspectives of trans and non-binary individuals from Chile. Interviews were conducted with 12 participants – six trans individuals and six non-binary individuals. The experiences of romantic relationships surrounding the disclosure and expression of trans and non-binary gender identities are diverse. Three types of experiences were identified: couples who co-transition, those who provide support, and those who reject. A single romantic relationship may likely move between these possibilities over time, depending on the composition and dynamics of the relationship, as well as familial and social factors. Couples reorganize in response to the processes of trans and non-binary gender identity disclosure and expression. These relationships can uniquely contribute to affirming and validating non-normative identity experiences.

There was a lack of qualitative research that sought to understand how gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals' disclosure processes affect their success in organizational contexts. This basic qualitative study aimed to unearth common themes that exist between a person's identity development process, and their ability to use self-monitoring skills in the workplace. Six gay, lesbian, or bisexual identifying leaders (in positions of authority with more than three people structurally beneath them) were chosen to participate in this study through criterion sampling. Each participated in an intake call, and one ~45-minute interview, during which they responded to open-ended questions that allowed for them to articulate their early childhood experiences, their leadership experiences, their sexual identity development and disclosure process, as well as their perceived usage of self-monitoring behaviors in the workplace. Study findings include broad themes of: (1) early leadership, (2) disclosure process development, (3) self-monitoring at work, and (4) career integration and synthesis of identity. The themes that were uncovered are relevant for managers and administrators, as well as theorists and researchers who seek to better understand identity development, identity management, and organizational dynamics. Findings also provided insight into the skill sets of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons in positions of leadership.

Background An account of how one Art Therapy training course links information about inequalities with the theory of intersectionality. In trying to understand intersectionality, the course community questions how clients and therapists respond to and experience health inequalities and discrimination. For both, there may be the pain of being ‘othered’ and the effects of unconscious privilege. Nevertheless, there are examples to be celebrated of how some people manage to use their identity in moving forward. Context Bizarrely, how identities link to socio-political conditions is not readily acknowledged within therapy professions. The focus of therapy has tended to stay on the inner world. Also, since the end of the second world war, there has been a gradual decoupling of political approaches concerned with social justice and the redistribution of resources and political approaches concerned with identity recognition. Approaches When health inequalities and identity issues became sharply visible during the Covid 19 pandemic, the profession responded with adaptations to its educational and therapeutic work. It is possible to see how clients, students, art therapists and colleagues adapt, consult and collaborate. The paper provides descriptions of students' adapted and collaborative practice. Outcomes, conclusions and implications for research The use of culture, art and identity-aware supervision in art therapy are ways of developing our understanding of health inequalities and intersecting identities. The research implications for Art Therapy are that generic knowledge of research about discrimination and glaring health inequalities is a valuable foundation for research in our discipline. Plain-language summary This paper discusses how one Art Therapy training course links information about health and social inequalities with ideas about intersecting identities. The course community explores and questions how clients and therapists experience health inequalities and discrimination. There are discussions about the pain of feeling unwanted and the response of people who are not conscious of their inherited privileges simply because they are born into specific societal structures. Whilst recognising that feelings about identity may be painful and a source of shame, the course also considers how it is that some people manage to acknowledge and use self-reflection about their less privileged identities in moving forward. It is strange how the effects of social and health inequalities are rarely acknowledged within psychological disciplines, including art therapy. That seems to be because the focus of therapy has tended to stay on the inner world. Also, since the end of the second world war, there has been a gradual shift in political approaches concerned with social justice and the redistribution of resources and political approaches concerned with identity recognition. When existing health inequalities and identity issues became sharply visible during the Covid 19 pandemic (the Health Foundation, 2020) the profession responded with adaptations that took its educational and therapeutic work online. There is hope because it is increasingly possible to see how clients, students, art therapists and colleagues consult one another and collaborate over adaptations in therapeutic approaches. The paper provides descriptions of some adapted student practices from placements. The use of culture and art, together with supervision in art therapy, are ways of developing our understanding of health inequalities and our intersecting identities. Nevertheless, the pace of social and cultural change can be slow, sometimes moving forward and sometimes backwards. The research implications for the Arts Therapies are that broad knowledge of research about discrimination and glaring health inequalities is valuable in the push for change. Also, research from other disciplines is often the foundation on which the research contribution of the Arts Therapies in this area and others can be built.

PurposeThis study investigated public school principals’ perceptions of the policies and practices involved in their evaluation. The processes, impacts and challenges of the principals’ evaluation practices were identified within the Kuwaiti context.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this qualitative study were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 32 Kuwaiti government high school principals.FindingsThese findings point to inefficient evaluation policies and practices that do not determine the level of effectiveness of school principals. In addition, the results identify limited awareness of the system of principals’ evaluations among school districts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to the perceptions of government school principals in Kuwait, and the results are based on semi-structured interviews with school principals.Practical implicationsThis study presents implications for policymakers and school principals to improve principals’ evaluation processes and impacts, especially in educationally centralized systems.Originality/valueThe novelty and significance of the present study reside in the scarcity of research undertaken on the evaluation of school principals despite the importance of their position. Furthermore, there is a tendency to prioritize the assessment of learners and teachers while disregarding the evaluation and methodologies used to evaluate school principals. Hence, the objective of this study is to address this gap, specifically within a centralized educational framework.

This article presents a transcultural and intersectional ego state model that takes into consideration the reality of systemic oppression and the influence of transcultural and intersectional identity on self and other. The model considers the intersect and interplay between race, gender, and other cultural selves and takes into account the complexity of cultural experience and narrative. Through inquiry about cultural selves and mapping those onto an ego state model, it is possible to develop more insight into intersectional identity, including how privilege and oppression are manifested in the self and enacted in the world. The author asks how we might reflect on and locate cultural impasse, unconscious bias, generational oppression, White privilege, othering, and power dynamics in our work. A dialogue with a colleague is offered, and intersectional identities are mapped and discussed. Readers are invited to consider their transcultural experience and locate their intersectional identity, thus accounting for power dynamics.

Black females experience significant sexual health disparities. Intersectionality theory offers nurses a framework to address health disparities. Intersectionality theory examines how categorical identities of difference confer power or oppression, affect social interactions, and influence individuals' engagement with institutional structures. This secondary analysis of qualitative data details the damaging effects that power, oppression, and disadvantaged identities have on the sexual health of Black women. Twenty participants explained how the intersection of race, gender, age, education, and sexuality influences sexual health risk. Our expanded model of intersectionality theory emphasizes historical context with implications for research, practice, and education to promote health equity.

Disclosure of LGBTQ+ identities at work may reap benefits, but may also exacerbate harms. Faced with ambiguous outcomes, people engage in complex concealment/disclosure decision-making. For health professionals, in contexts of pervasive heteronormativity where disclosure to patients/clients is deemed to violate professional boundaries, stakes are high. This qualitative study with 13 LGBTQ+ health professionals across Canada used semi-structured interviews to explore factors affecting disclosure decision-making, particularly attending to power structures at multiple levels. Most participants engaged in constant risk-benefit assessment, disclosing strategically to colleagues, rarely to clients/patients. At the individual level they were affected by degree of LGBTQ+ visibility. At the institutional level they were affected by the culture of particular professional fields and practice settings, including type of care and type of patients/clients, as well as colleague interactions. Professional power–held by them, and held by others over them–directly affected disclosures. Finally, intersections of queer identities with other privileged or marginalized identities complicated disclosures. Power relations in the health professions shape LGBTQ+ identity disclosures in complex ways, with unpredictable outcomes. Concepts of professionalism are infused with heteronormativity, serving to regulate the gender and sexual identity expression of queer professionals. Disrupting heteronormativity is essential to forge more open professional cultures.

Research on disabled youth accounting for the intersection of multiple marginalized identities is lacking. This study explored the lived experiences of racially and/or gender minoritized disabled youth, focusing on how they negotiate their identities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 disabled youth who identified as gender diverse and/or racially minoritized. Thematic analysis was used to organize data into three main themes: (i) External influences on identity; (ii) Identity development/management; and (iii) Negotiating identity in space. Findings suggest that the development of identity is a complex process, where youth were influenced by external discriminatory beliefs and expectations, but also actively negotiated their identities through challenging these beliefs, accepting their identities, enacting agency regarding identity disclosure, and finding community and accessible spaces. We highlight the need to consider how differences of gender, race, sexuality, and class factor into the ability of disabled youth to occupy space.

Intersecting identities influence the career values and expectations of Black STEM doctoral students. While previous research on this population focuses primarily on Black students attending predominately White institutions (PWIs), this study adds to the literature by amplifying the voices of Black historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) STEM doctoral students. The authors used interpretive phenomenological analysis to understand the influence of intersecting identities of Black HBCU STEM doctoral students intending to enter the professoriate. Using critical race and intersectionality theories as a lens, the authors analyzed the responses of 11 doctoral students across several focus groups. Four themes captured the influence of their overlapping identities on their career values and expectations: (1) Representation, emphasizing the presence of "someone like me" in the professoriate; (2) Intersecting identities, leaning into being part of multiple groups marginalized within STEM yet unapologetically bringing their whole selves into STEM spaces and pushing back against racism, sexism, and other "isms"; (3) inclusivity and affirmation, promoting STEM diversity, enhancing opportunities, and validating the scholarly contributions of and with people who might otherwise be excluded; and (4) changing the narrative, working to change prevailing stereotypes about Black people in STEM. The authors conclude this work with implications that could improve the scholarship, experiences, and success of Black HBCU STEM doctoral students intending to enter the professoriate.

This study explores the identity formation and coming out experiences of 14 sexual minority students at a religiously affiliated university in the USA. Participants described their experiences of cultural, religious, and societal pressure that extended the process of self-acceptance and identity disclosure. We used consensual qualitative research method to analyse each interview. Our analysis led to the identification of eight domains: identity formation; barriers to understanding identity; evolution of label; adoption of label, avoidance of label; coming out process; barriers to coming out; and reactions to coming out. Self-defining moments such as adopting an affirming identity label, disclosing that identity to others, and beginning to initiate non-heterosexual relationships, formed the basis of these domains. Overall, we found that participants described some experiences identified in previous literature. However, we also analysed new information which indicates that the coming out process is lengthy, heavily dependent on context, and problematic issues may arise throughout a lifetime. Findings point to under-researched factors influencing the complexities sexual minority students face within conservative religious institutions.

This dissertation explored the stories of choice around disclosure in the workplace, for autistic adults. To date, there is relatively little research on the process of workplace disclosure of invisible identities, such as Asperger Syndrome (AS) or Autism (ASD) (Johnson & Joshi, 2014). While early studies have shown disclosure and supported employment increase the rate of employment, job level, volume of productive time, and wage rate for adults with AS/ASD (Howlin, Alcock, & Burkin, 2005; Mawhood & Howlin, 1999), autistic adults have been found to keep their identity a secret due to perceived potential risks of disclosure (Brownlow, 2010; Krieger, Kinebanian, Prodinger, & Heigl, 2010; Morris, Begel, & Wiedermann, 2015; Rebholz, 2012; Van Wieren, Reid, & McMahon, 2008), attempting to manage their work environment without accommodations. To explore the stories of choice around disclosure, this research utilized The Conceptual Model of the Decision to Pass or Reveal (Clair, Beatty & MacLean, 2005), as the primary theoretical framework. Routed in Identity Theory (Haslam, Jetten, Postmes & Haslam, 2009; Tajfel & Turner, 1985), specific to invisible social identities (Olney & Brockelman, 2003; Tsui & Gutek, 1999; Watson, 2002), this model described a process through which individuals assess the benefits and risks of identity disclosure in the workplace. Clair, Beatty, and MacLean (2005) posit an individual's choice to disclose is influenced by 1) an individual's awareness and sense of self with regard to their diagnosis, 2) an individual's past experiences with disclosing their identity, and 3) an individual's awareness of their workplace environment. To engage in an understanding of the experience of choice, a narrative inquiry approach was utilized in this study. 10 autistic adults, above the age of 21, either currently employed or previously employment in a professional setting were interviewed. During the interview, the participants shared stories about their awareness and sense of self with regard to their diagnosis, discussing past experiences with their families and in school, current experiences within the workplace, and future hopes around employment. Analysis of their stories identified six themes influencing their choice around disclosure. The research supported the influences as identified by Clair, Beatty and MacLean (2005), while also highlighting some new influences. In line with Clair, Beatty & MacLean (2005), the conducted research identified the following six categories of influences on the decision to disclose in the workplace: (a) coming to terms with a diagnosis, (b) identity development with regard to diagnosis, (c) previous experiences with identity management, (d) experiences requesting and receiving supports, (e) management of self-esteem, and (f) experiences with employment. The additional influences were subthemes found in the category of individual differences, and the category of past experiences. The subthemes found in the category of individual differences included identity acceptance, access to positive role models, and self-care skills. The subthemes found in the category of part experiences included past experiences requesting and receiving supports from family, school, friends, and professional agencies. Concluding statements suggested: (1) identity matters to autistic individuals, (2) removing stigma at every age is crucial, (3) a late diagnosis can be empowering, (4) maintaining a positive self-esteem is crucial, (5) prior experiences linger, (6) access to positive autistic role models is critical, and (7) respectful work environments matter. These findings reinforced the need for autistic individuals to be treated respectfully, at every point in their lives, to ensure they maintain positive self-esteem. Positive self-esteem influences identity acceptance, which influences identity disclosure in the workplace.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) Latines face complex decisions about disclosing their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to others, navigating systemic and interpersonal discrimination. Little is known about the ways SGM Latines make these decisions in the face of these challenges, highlighting the need for studies that include multiple experiences within the SGM Latine community to better understand their unique identity disclosure processes. The present study investigated the coming out experiences of 30 SGM Latines (M age = 24.5) through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and two overarching themes were developed: Coming Out Narratives in an Intersectional Context and Where Do I Go When There is Nowhere to Go? These themes represented the cultural and systemic factors that affect these participants’ decision to come out, while also showcasing the dynamic process of identity disclosure. Findings indicated a desire to build intersectional communities as a way of coping with systematic oppression and discrimination and seeking authenticity. These findings highlighted the importance of understanding the intersection of Latinidad(es) and queerness and how these identities, and the systems that oppress those who possess them, play a role in the decision of when and how to come out.

This paper is about ‘coming out’ and the process of disclosure and non-disclosure of minority sexual identity in organizations. The process of ‘coming out’ is important for the individual lesbian or gay man since it is concerned with the discursive recognition and renegotiation of their identity. The study uses storytelling and a double narrative approach, where 92 individuals were interviewed to produce 15 stories of coming out, which were used for discussion in focus groups. The research took place within 6 organizations – 2 emergency services, the police and the fire service, 2 civil service departments and 2 banks. A conceptual framework is developed to explain the process of disclosure, showing it to be a continuing process rather than a single event. The concept of performativity is used to explain how in coming out the discursive practice and the telling of sexuality performs the act of coming out, making it an illocutionary speech act, and one which is made as an active or forced choice. The performative and perlocutionary speech acts interact with available subject positions thereby impacting on the individual's subjectivity. Sexuality is an under-researched area of diversity in work organizations, as well as being one of the most difficult to research, so the level of access afforded by this research and the framework it produces provides a significant contribution to our understanding of minority sexual identity at work.

ABSTRACTThis descriptive case study examined how undergraduate pre‐service teachers (PSTs) enrolled in a digital literacies course evaluated online information as part of a module digital project. PSTs were tasked with assessing peer‐selected online texts using multiple strategies in an unrestricted web environment. Data were collected from multiple sources, including PSTs' digital projects, which captured their evaluation processes with think‐aloud, oral reflections, and feedback on their peers' evaluation processes. Using illustrative examples, this study identified four tendencies that emerged as PSTs engaged in evaluating online information. It also explored PSTs' insights and experiences related to their own evaluation processes, as well as their observations of their peers' evaluation practices. The online information literacy task helped PSTs link their text knowledge, applied knowledge, and reflections. The findings suggested that applying evaluation strategies requires familiarity with the strategies themselves, the ability to apply a range of evaluation strategies, and a mindset of healthy skepticism toward all online information. Throughout the process, PSTs deepened their understanding of online information evaluation by reviewing and commenting on their peers' evaluation processes. This study has implications for instruction, assessment, and future research on information literacy for PSTs and other learners.