Intersectionality in Educational Research ed. by Dannielle Joy Davis, Rachelle J. Brunn-Bevel, and James L. Olive

Abstract

Reviewed by: Intersectionality in Educational Research ed. by Dannielle Joy Davis, Rachelle J. Brunn-Bevel, and James L. Olive Robin Phelps-Ward Dannielle Joy Davis, Rachelle J. Brunn-Bevel, and James L. Olive (Editors). Intersectionality in Educational Research. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. 2015. 330 pp. Paperback: $35.00. ISBN: 9781620360965 Numerous scholars in education have called for greater use of intersectionality theory as a means to engage in more critical analyses that unveil multiple oppressive and privileging systems in society that disenfranchise, marginalize, and devalue those living in the margins. However, the body of literature that demonstrates how to methodologically carry out such meaningful work remains scant, though growing. Answering the call to increase the body of literature devoted to the theoretical paradigm sparked from Black feminist thinkers (i.e., Collins, 2000; Combahee River Collective, 1995; Crenshaw, 1991, 1993) Intersectionality in Educational Research inspires readers to think of research, in all its forms, in more critical and nuanced ways through the use of intersectionality theory. With a focus on the formal spectrum of education, editors Dannielle Joy Davis, Rachelle J. Brunn-Bevel, and James L. Olive produce a book that not only implores researchers to incorporate intersectional analyses, but shows readers how to engage in such complicated work. Through fourteen chapters and reflection questions, which address the intersections of a range of identities, the collection of authors within this edited book demonstrate the utility of intersectionality when examining the complex nature of human experience and identity. More specifically, the chapters illustrate the far-reaching ability of intersectionality to assist those in education who aim to complicate identity, scrutinize privilege, and dismantle oppression embedded within systems. Useful for policy makers, higher education and student affairs scholars, and research methods instructors, Intersectionality in Educational Research is for "those interested in intersectionality's theoretical [End Page E-6] contributions who are seeking practical research methods to advance certain lines of inquiry" (p. 2). Further, the book is particularly functional for scholars—burgeoning and established—in search of concrete examples of intersectionality applied in the field of education. Whether assessment directors engaging in large-scale studies, doctoral candidates grappling with methodological decisions, or researchers striving to capture complexities within groups, across groups, and at the intersections of groups, this book provides clear and descriptive accounts of the methodological and theoretical processes of applying intersectionality. The text also serves as a companion to materials centered on identity development, learning theory, educational systems, organizational theory, and multiculturalism. With the three goals of introducing the basic tenets of intersectionality, demonstrating the theory's use in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and illustrating how intersectionality can be used to examine the experiences of those in education living at the intersections, the editors organize the book in four sections. After an introduction to the key concepts of intersectionality, its origins, and various theorizing from scholars about how to think about and conduct intersectional research, Part 1 discusses intersectionality and methodologies. While Part 2 focuses on intersectionality in K-12 education, Part 3 turns to the context of postsecondary education. Finally, Part 4 discusses intersectionality in academe with attention to diversity plans and faculty experiences. The book ends with a conclusion from James L. Olive in which he summarizes the chapters and calls for increased use of intersectionality theory because "future intersectional analyses necessitate methodological approaches that address a wide range of social phenomena that are not limited to a single subjugated group of individuals" (p. 278). What follows is a summary of each chapter within the edited book. This book review ends with critical observations and a discussion of important contributions from the book. Within the introduction, the editors describe intersectionality and its core concepts in an effort to provide readers with foundational knowledge of the theory. Nested within this discussion, among additional conversations about the theory's utility, is an explanation of Crenshaw's (1993) three types of intersectionality (structural, political, and representational), Choo and Ferree's (2010) styles of intersectionality (intersectionality as inclusion, process, and as a complex system), and Hancock's (2007) six assumptions of intersectionality (examining more than one axis, investigating influence, acknowledging the personal and structural levels of influence, examining within group difference, engaging...