Intersectional Framework Research Articles

Wonder Woman on Screen: From Feminist Symbol to Stereotypical Figure

Wonder Woman, a founding female figure in superhero fiction, was initially celebrated as a symbol of women’s empowerment in the 1970s but faced criticism in the 2010s for embodying fetishized objectification. This article aims to explore the gender representation of the 1970s TV series Wonder Woman and the 2010s Wonder Woman movie through a feminist approach. The portrayal of Wonder Woman in the TV series challenged the traditional stereotypes of femininity and the subordinary roles of women under patriarchy at that time. The Wonder Woman movie, however, lacked diversity under an intersectional framework and signified the beauty myth for male pleasure, which undermined her validity as a feminist icon. Through close analysis, it is revealed that the white feminist privilege and fetish fashion of superheroines traditionally recognized as feminist icons are problematic, calling for more scholarly attention on discriminatory gender representation in contemporary popular culture.

Discriminatory experiences among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, and transgender and non-binary individuals: a cross sectional analysis

Several systems of oppression combine in complex ways to impact the lives of minority populations. Following an intersectionality framework, we assessed the frequency and perceived reasons for discrimination among gay, bisexual, and other cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender and non-binary individuals (TGNB), stratified by race. Online survey among MSM and TGNB ≥18 years living in Brazil, between November/2021 and January/2022. We used the 18-item Explicit Discrimination Scale to assess day-to-day experiences of differential treatment, and perceived discrimination. For each item, participants indicated their perceived reasons for differential treatment using 14 pre-defined options. Negative binomial regression models assessed if race was a significant predictor of discrimination. Subsequent models, stratified by race, examined associations of perceived reasons and number of reasons with perceived discrimination. Of 8464 MSM and TGNB, 4961 (58.6%) were White, 2173 (25.7%) Pardo (Brazil's official term for admixed populations), and 1024 (12.1%) Black. Black participants' scores for perceived discrimination (mean, standard deviation) were higher (10.2, 8.8) [Pardo (6.5, 6.8), White (5.2, 5.7)], and race was both the main reason for and the strongest predictor of perceived discrimination. The number of reasons participants used to interpret their discriminatory experiences was also a predictor of discrimination score among White, Pardo, and Black participants. LGBTQIA+phobia was highly prevalent among all participants. Additionally, our results indicated that Black MSM and TGNB participants were more frequently discriminated against than other racial groups, with racial discrimination uniquely contributing these experiences. Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Gender Expression, Skin Tone, Race/Ethnicity, LGBQ+ Identity, Discrimination, and Victimization: Moving Beyond Binaries

Applying an intersectional framework, this study moves beyond binary categories of sexuality, gender, and race/ethnicity and considers the role of skin tone (colorism), gender expression, and sexual identity, in victimization risk. Using data ( N = 9,108) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we evaluate associations between everyday discrimination, intimate partner violence (IVP), and lifetime sexual assault, and key sociodemographic covariates. Analyses suggest gender expression, sexual identity, and skin tone are significantly associated with everyday discrimination, but victimization outcomes vary by intersecting sociodemographic factors. Results from the current study suggest an intersectional framework is necessary for future victimization research and policy in the U.S.

A set-analytic approach to intersectionality

In this paper, we propose a set-analytic approach to the study of intersectionality. Our approach builds on the intersectional view that combinations of attributes, such as black females, should be understood as qualitatively distinct states, not reducible to their component attributes. We show that interaction-based, quantitative approaches are not only inconsistent with the core assumptions of intersectionality but also may underestimate the presence of penalties linked to multi-category memberships. In contrast, we show that truth table analysis, a core feature of Qualitative Comparative Analysis, directly implements several of the core methodological concerns of the intersectionality perspective. The truth table approach offers two important advantages. (1) It provides a foundation for the comparison of logically ‘adjacent’ configurations—combinations of case characteristics that differ by only a single attribute. (2) It can accommodate case attributes that vary by level or degree in a set-theoretic, intersectional framework.

Social Class, Gender and Psychological Distress in Mumbai: Risk and Protective Factors

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders contribute to a large proportion of the non-fatal disease burden in India. Mumbai is among the most crowded cities in Asia with half the population housed in slums creating an environment of vulnerability. In this context, the risks and protective factors associated with depression symptoms are explored by investigating the role of social class and gender in Mumbai. METHODS: 491lower income and 326 middle income respondents were screened for depressive symptoms and compared on 4 subscales of the GHQ 28: somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction and severe depression. RESULTS: The relative risk (RR) of depressive symptoms for lower income individuals was 1.27. The relative risk associated with being female was 1.04 in the lower income group and 1.55 in the middle-income group. Apart from stress and perceived health which proved to be significant predictors for every sub scale, hope emerged as a protective variable for somatization and severe depression, positive emotional style emerged as a protective factor against anxiety and severe depression and tobacco was found to be a risk factor for social dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The incidence of depressive symptoms was the highest for middle income women. This work provides insights from an intersectional framework of class and gender. The inclusion of positive variables in conjunction with risk factors highlight the role of positive protective factors such as hope and positive emotional style for mental health.

Building a workforce of diverse women leaders: Understanding intersectional identities.

Women have made significant advancements in the dentist workforce, growing from 20% of dentists in 2005 to 34.5% in 2020. Women have also made inroads in academic dentistry. While much scholarship has documented a growing feminization in dentistry and efforts to promote gender equity in the profession, there has been less exploration of the intersectional identities of these women. This manuscript explores how academic dentistry can support diverse women's leadership focusing on intersectional identities. Applying the theoretical framework of intersectionality, we assess publicly available data to explore the percentages of faculty and deans who are women of color. Drawing upon best practices in higher education and our personal experiences, we explore opportunities to increase participation and support the advancement of women of color in academia. In the academic year 2018-2019, of the 5066 full-time faculty members, 40.5% were women. Minoritized women comprised 13.4% of full-time faculty members, compared to White women who were 20.6% of full-time faculty. Minoritized women comprised 7.3% of dental school deans, compared to White women who were 17.6% of deans. Intersectionality allows for a deeper examination of women in academic dentistry. Women of color are often erased in discussions about women in academic dentistry, even as the profession celebrates the progress made by women. Embracing the intersectional identities of women and by extension, people who identify as gender non-confirming may help dental schools to become humanistic environments where faculty and leadership represent the growing diversity in the profession and in the world.

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Preconception Health Risk Factors and Access to Care.

Background: Black birthing people have significantly higher risks of maternal mortality and morbidity compared with White people. Preconception chronic conditions increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet little is known about disparities in preconception health. This study applies an intersectional framework to examine the simultaneous contributions of racial marginalization and economic deprivation in determining disparities in preconception risk factors and access to care. Methods: Using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2016-2020 (N = 123,697), we evaluated disparities by race and income in self-reported preconception hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, and smoking, as well as preconception insurance coverage and utilization of health care. We estimated linear regression models and calculated predicted probabilities. Results: Black respondents experienced higher probabilities of preconception obesity and high blood pressure at every income level compared with White respondents. Higher income did not attenuate the probability of obesity for Black respondents (linear trend p = 0.21), as it did for White respondents (p < 0.001). Conversely, while White respondents with low income were at higher risk of preconception depression and smoking than their Black counterparts, higher income was strongly associated with reduced risk, with significantly steeper reductions for White compared with Black respondents (difference in trends p < 0.001 for both risk factors). White respondents had higher probabilities of utilizing preconception care across all income levels, despite similar probabilities of insurance coverage. Conclusions: Higher income does not protect against the risk of preconception obesity and other preconception risk factors for Black birthing people as it does for White birthing people. Results point to the need to consider multiple forms of intersecting structural factors in policy and intervention research to improve preconception and maternal health.

Intersectional Motherhood and Candidate Evaluations in the United States

Abstract In the United States, emphasizing their families and talking about parenthood can be a potent strategy for political candidates as voters use information about a candidate’s family life to make assessments of the candidate’s personal attributes and issue competencies. We nonetheless know little about how a candidate’s race affects these assessments. We thus consider how Black women use and benefit from politicizing motherhood, and we argue that the unique intersectional identities of Black women shaped jointly by their race and gender can give Black women a stronger strategic advantage from highlighting motherhood compared to white women. Using both observational and experimental data, we apply this intersectional framework by examining motherhood messages. We identify the extent to which Black women rely on messages about motherhood and how voters respond. Our results show that Black women are just as likely to use motherhood messages relative to white women, and that Black women receive positive evaluations from voters from a message emphasizing motherhood. White and minority voters are equally likely to positively rate Black women who emphasize motherhood.

A Philosophical Approach to Intersectionality and Women’s Sexuality

This article explores the intersectionality of women’s sexuality, acknowledging the multifaceted nature of their experiences and identities. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of intersectionality, which recognizes the interconnectedness of social identities such as gender, race, class, and sexuality, this study delves into the ways in which these intersecting factors shape women’s sexual lives. By examining the intricate interplay between various axes of oppression and privilege, a more comprehensive understanding of women’s diverse sexual experiences emerges. The article using the philosophical method of analysis which has to do with in-depth breaking down of concepts for easy understanding, begins by providing an introduction to intersectionality as a powerful analytical tool, highlighting its relevance in unraveling the complexities of women’s sexuality. It emphasizes that women’s sexual experiences cannot be examined in isolation but must be understood within the broader context of intersecting identities and social structures. By acknowledging and examining the intricate interplay between gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability, this article aims to foster a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of women’s sexuality. It concludes by calling for further research, dialogue, and activism to dismantle intersecting systems of oppression and to create a more equitable and empowering environment for all women.

Associations between gendered racism, racial identity, and nicotine use among Asian American men.

The present study utilized an intersectional framework to examine if two forms of gendered racism, psychological emasculation and messages about Asian American men being undesirable partners, were associated with Asian American men's nicotine use. We also examined the potential mediating roles of two racial identity statuses, racial conformity and racial immersion. A sample of 356 Asian American men living in the United States of America (USA) completed a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics containing measures assessing the aforementioned constructs of interest. The primary analysis examined separate parallel mediation models, situating psychological emasculation and undesirable partner as separate independent variables, racial conformity and racial immersion as parallel mediators, nicotine use as the outcome, and age and employment as covariates. In separate parallel mediation models, the links between psychological emasculation and undesirable partner on one hand, and nicotine use on the other, were completely mediated only by racial conformity, and not significantly mediated by racial immersion. Specifically, greater endorsement of gendered racism was associated with greater conformity with (and internalization of) these gendered racist beliefs, which in turn were associated with greater nicotine use. Researchers and practitioners may consider racial conformity as an interventional target to ameliorate Asian American men's nicotine use. Future studies should continue to examine other culturally relevant and/or potentially protective constructs (e.g., on the basis of gender, race, and its intersection) that may mitigate Asian American men's nicotine use.

Migrating injustices in the small city: drought-impacted interstate migrant workers’ experiences in Tiruppur’s sanitation sector

ABSTRACT Climate stresses like droughts amplify economic precarity, pushing low-income, caste-oppressed communities across India to pursue temporary rural-urban migration as an adaptation strategy. This paper develops an intersectional framework on ‘migrating injustices’ to examine how caste and regional identity mediate interstate rural-urban migrants’ experiences of vulnerabilities and injustices, particularly as these experiences move and endure with migration, shaping migrants’ adaptive abilities. The framework is applied to trace the injustices that a group of 800-odd drought-impacted, caste-oppressed, landless persons from central India experience through their adverse economic incorporation as sanitation workers in Tiruppur’s privatized sanitation sector in southern India. Findings reveal that a history of caste oppression and uneven development in their home region produced unequal drought impacts for our informants, pushing them to migrate. However, migrants’ caste and regional identity combine with their climate and economic precarity to direct their migration into precarious, unjust working conditions and employer-provided, environmentally risky accommodations—both removed from local socio-political networks, undermining migrants’ ability to contest injustices in Tiruppur. In highlighting the translocal and trans-sectoral intersections between the migrating environmental, economic, and caste-based injustices for circular migrants, the paper argues that eliminating migrating injustices is crucial for achieving transformative adaptation and urban climate justice.

Acknowledging the Intersectionality of Geoscientists With Disabilities to Enhance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

The geosciences have implemented a variety of efforts designed to strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) of underrepresented groups. While these efforts have had substantial financial investment, recruitment and retention for underrepresented individuals has yet to reflect this. To improve the resources available for underrepresented scholars, the geoscience community must expand its exploration of identity beyond a singular construct, and instead focus on how identities intersect. In this exploratory study, the framework of intersectionality will be highlighted to better understand the convergence of disability with other underrepresented identities in the geoscience disciplines. Major themes of social inclusion and belonging, power, safety, and opportunity are presented through the lived experiences of geoscientists, along with recommendations on expanding broadening participation efforts for underrepresented individuals in the geosciences.

An intersectionality framework for identifying relevant covariates in health equity research.

Health equity research uses impact evaluations to estimate the effectiveness of new interventions that aim to mitigate health inequities. Health inequities are influenced by many experiential factors and failure of research to account for such experiential factors and their potential interactions may jeopardize findings and lead to promoted methods that may unintentionally sustain or even worsen the targeted health inequity. Thus, it is imperative that health equity impact evaluations identify and include variables related to the circumstances, conditions, and experiences of the sample being studied in analyses. In this review, we promote intersectionality as a conceptual framework for brainstorming important yet often overlooked covariates in health equity related impact evaluations. We briefly review and define concepts and terminology relevant to health equity, then detail four domains of experiential factors that often intersect in ways that may obscure findings: Biological, Social, Environmental, and Economic. We provide examples of the framework's application to lupus-related research and examples of covariates used in our own health equity impact evaluations with minority patients who have lupus. Applying an intersectionality framework during covariate selection is an important component to actualizing precision prevention. While we do not provide an exhaustive list, our aim is to provide a springboard for brainstorming meaningful covariates for health equity evaluation that may further help unveil sustainable solutions to persisting health inequities.

HERO: A Hierarchical Set Partitioning and Join Framework for Speeding up the Set Intersection Over Graphs

As one of the most primitive operators in graph algorithms, such as the triangle counting, maximal clique enumeration, and subgraph listing, a set intersection operator returns common vertices between any two given sets of vertices in data graphs. It is therefore very important to accelerate the set intersection, which will benefit a bunch of tasks that take it as a built-in block. Existing works on the set intersection usually followed the merge intersection or galloping-search framework, and most optimization research focused on how to leverage the SIMD hardware instructions. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-level set intersection framework, namely hierarchical set partitioning and join (HERO), by using our well-designed set intersection bitmap tree (SIB-tree) index, which is independent of SIMD instructions and completely orthogonal to the merge intersection framework. We recursively decompose the set intersection task into small-sized subtasks and solve each subtask using bitmap and boolean AND operations. To sufficiently achieve the acceleration brought by our proposed intersection approach, we formulate a graph reordering problem, prove its NP-hardness, and then develop a heuristic algorithm to tackle this problem. Extensive experiments on real-world graphs have been conducted to confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of our HERO approach. The speedup over classic merge intersection achieves up to 188x and 176x for triangle counting and maximal clique enumeration, respectively.

Sandwich Generation and Ever-married Women’s Perceived Stress: Do “Gone Lovers” Matter?

Building on the stress process model and adopting an intersectionality framework, this study highlights the formation of a stronger intergenerational family symbiosis system in China. It offers a systematic understanding of the association between multigenerational caregiving and sandwich women’s stress, extending prior research by exploring the mitigating effect of husbands. Drawing upon China Health and Nutrition Survey data, findings indicate that sandwich women experience less stress than non-sandwich women. Particularly among sandwich women, upward care has a stress-reducing impact, while downward care has a stress-enhancing impact compared with carefree sandwich women. Providing active dual care has no significant effect, but when active help shifts to passive need, sandwich women’s stress reaches a peak. Husbands living at home could not buffer wives’ stress. These analyses depict the vulnerability of Chinese sandwich women under the revival of patriarchy and the imbalanced population structure and warrant a sounder public care system.

A global study into Indian women's experiences of domestic violence and control: the role of patriarchal beliefs.

Domestic violence (DV) is a serious and preventable human rights issue that disproportionately affects certain groups of people, including Indian women. Feminist theory suggests that patriarchal ideologies produce an entitlement in male perpetrators of DV; however, this has not been examined in the context of women from the Indian subcontinent. This study examined Indian women's experiences of abuse (physical, sexual, and psychological) and controlling behavior across 31 countries by examining the relationship between the patriarchal beliefs held by the women's partners and the women's experience of DV. This study uses an intersectional feminist framework to examine the variables. Data from an online questionnaire was collected from 825 Indian women aged between 18 and 77 years (M = 35.64, SD = 8.71) living in 31 countries across Asia (37.1%), Europe (18.3%), Oceania (23.8%), the Americas (16.1%) and Africa (3.2%) and analyzed using a hierarchical linear regression. A majority of participants (72.5%) had experienced at least one form of abuse during their relationship, and over a third (35.1%) had experienced controlling behavior. In support of the central hypotheses, after controlling for potential confounders, women whose partners showed greater endorsement of patriarchal beliefs were less likely to have access to freedom during their relationship (ß = -0.38, p < 0.001) and were more likely to have been abused by their partner or a member of his family (ß = 0.34, p < 0.001). The findings of this study highlight the need to engage with men in Indian communities through culturally-tailored intervention strategies designed to challenge the patriarchal ideologies that propagate, justify, and excuse DV.

A Scoping Review of Risk Factors of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Black Women Living in High-Income Countries: An Intersectional Approach.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are maternity-related increases in blood pressure (eg, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia). Compared with women of other races in high-income countries, Black women have a comparatively higher risk of an HDP. Intersectionality helps to provide a deeper understanding of the multifactorial identities that affect health outcomes in this high-risk population. In this review, we sought to explore the literature on HDP risk factors in Black women living in high-income countries and to assess the interaction of these risk factors using the conceptual framework of intersectionality. We conducted this review using the Arksey and O'Malley methodology with enhancements from Levac and colleagues. Published articles in English on HDP risk factors with a sample of not less than 10% of Black women in high-income countries were included. Six databases, theses, and dissertations were searched from January 2000 to July 2021. A thematic analysis was used to summarize the results. A final total of 36 studies were included from the 15 480 studies retrieved; 4 key themes of HDP risks were identified: (1) biological; (2) individual traditional; (3) race and ethnicity, geographical location, and immigration status; and (4) gender related. These intersectional HDP risk factors intersect to increase the risk of HDP among Black women living in high-income countries. Upstream approaches are recommended to lower the risks of HDP in this population.

Gulf Male Migration in Kerala: How do the Female Spouses Cope with It?

International male migration, where they have to leave their wives and families behind is becoming an increasingly visible trend in India in general and Kerala in particular. The scholars of international migration have produced a number of studies that research in detail about the economic implications on the household of these migrants. However, there have been a very limited number of studies that endeavored to look into the experiences of the wives of these migrants, especially within the context of India. This study attempts to bridge this gap by conducting a qualitative investigation on the effects of international migration of adult male members in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, specifically on their wives with the broader objective of unravelling the difficulties and concerns (if any) faced by these women in the physical absence of their husbands. In doing so, it also efforts to explore the continuity and changes in the discourse. Contextualized against the Indian landscape of patriarchy, the paper particularly intends to delineate the gendered experiences of these women especially with respect to the agency, autonomy, and decision making power exercised by them within familial settings. Further ahead, the research also aims to look into the nature of their relationship with their migrant spouses and the implications this has on their personal lives. Theoretically situated within the relational autonomy and intersectional frameworks of feminism, the study will base its findings on the data acquired qualitatively from the semi-structured interviews conducted with fifteen women from Thiruvananthapuram, whose husbands have migrated to Gulf countries for work.

Operationalizing the Women-Centred HIV Care Model for trans women and persons with transfeminine experience living with and affected by HIV: a qualitative study

Background The Women-Centered HIV Care (WCHC) Model and associated toolkits were created to address the health care barriers and disparities that women and gender diverse people living with HIV experience. Since trans women and transfeminine people experience disproportionately high rates of HIV acquisition (in comparison to their cisgender peers) amidst biologic, social, political, and historical factors that affect their general care experiences negatively, more research is needed. Aim We aimed to obtain feedback on the WCHC Model regarding the acceptability, applicability, usability, gaps, and potential adaptations needed to meet the needs of trans women and gender diverse people with transfeminine experience. Methods Our study was grounded in community-based research principles and intersectionality frameworks. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 trans women and transfeminine people residing in Ontario, Canada. We analyzed the data using a descriptive qualitative content analysis approach. Results Participants were largely satisfied with the WCHC Model. However, participants were concerned with the model’s implementation due to a lack of knowledge among healthcare providers regarding trans women’s experiences within broader social contexts. Simultaneously, participants affirmed the need for care providers to offer person-centered care – a central component of the WCHC Model. Lastly, participants spoke to the healthcare system limitations and failures that disproportionately affected trans women and posed significant barriers to WCHC access and engagement. Discussion Our findings demonstrate that trans women perceive successful healthcare delivery as combining holistic care frameworks – like the WCHC Model – with healthcare providers’ understanding of individual and community needs. There is a need for policy reform to improve the healthcare system. We offer reflections and recommendations for improving healthcare for trans women.

Shattering the ceiling: exploring culture and religion’s impact on female empowerment in the Nigerian hospitality industry

PurposeThis study addresses the persistent impact of patriarchal societal structures on women’s empowerment in Nigeria, where social power, political authority and autonomy continue to elude them. Despite advancements made by women in workplaces worldwide, gender inequalities prevail, particularly in the Nigerian hotel industry. Existing qualitative evidence on the intersection of gender, culture and religion in shaping gender diversity and career progression within this industry remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs intersectionality and hegemonic masculinity frameworks to explore the influence of local cultures, religion and gender practices on gender imbalances in three distinct cultural settings in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from in-depth interviews with 38 hotel workers, this research provides original insights into their lived experiences, offering a deeper understanding of the narratives underlying gender inequality statistics. By delving beyond surface-level observations, this study uncovers the multifaceted dynamics that perpetuate gender imbalances. By examining the interplay between gender, culture and religion, this research contributes to a nuanced comprehension of the factors that shape career trajectories in the Nigerian hotel industry.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal the enduring influence of patriarchal societal structures, highlighting the challenges faced by women in accessing social power, political authority and autonomy. By extending intersectionality and hegemonic masculinity approaches, this research unveils the intricate stories that illustrate the underlying complexities of gender imbalances. In doing so, it fills critical gaps in the qualitative evidence surrounding gender diversity and career progression in the Nigerian hotel industry.Originality/valueThis study is original in its comprehensive examination of the intersection of gender, culture and religion in the Nigerian hotel industry. It offers unique insights by conducting in-depth interviews with 38 hotel workers, unravelling the underlying factors contributing to gender imbalances. By extending intersectionality and hegemonic masculinity frameworks, it provides a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by women and highlights the need for tailored interventions to promote gender equality.