Intersectional Identities Research Articles

Shared social identity and social safety as health promoting factors for gender diverse individuals with a chronic illness and/or disability: A qualitative analysis of intersectional experiences

Background Gender diverse people with a chronic illness and/or disability (CI/D) encounter stigma and disempowerment at all social-ecological levels, reducing access to individual health promoting behaviors and resulting in population health disparities. Living at the intersection of two populations experiencing social marginalization, this group is also at higher risk of experiencing chronic stress—a factor that leads to suboptimal health outcomes over the life span. Aims To better understand the experiences of individuals embodying this intersection of identity and experience, and to learn more about promoting health within this population, qualitative interviews were conducted. Methods Fifteen gender diverse people who live with a CI/D acquired in adulthood took part in in-depth, semi-structured narrative interviews about life stressors and experiences related to their intersecting identities. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Participants described social isolation and mental health struggles as significant challenges. Support from communities of shared identity mediated stress and bolstered mental health, but participants reported few opportunities to make such connections. Consistent with existing literature, these results highlight the significant role social safety plays in health and well-being. Conclusion This work emphasizes the critical role of applying intersectional frameworks to health promotion in gender diverse communities. The findings can be leveraged by psychologists, community health workers, and other professionals to support this population.

Further Disadvantages of Socioeconomic Status: The Role of Subjective Social Status in University Students' Sense of Belonging

ABSTRACTAttention has been given to increasing the sense of belonging of students from disadvantaged socioeconomic groups in higher education (HE). Research in belonging has focused on objective indicators of socioeconomic status (SES; i.e., educational status, household income), yet focus on subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) is more limited. We address this gap in two studies, including a cross‐sectional survey (N = 503) and semi‐structured interviews (N = 16), to address two questions: (a) to what extent SSS and a sense of belonging are associated; and (b) what are the social identity processes that might help to explain the relationship between SSS and belonging. As expected, SSS was positively associated with a sense of belonging, such that higher SSS was associated with higher levels of a sense of belonging. Together, these studies illustrate that SSS (a) is yet another way that SES operates to benefit some and disadvantage others; (b) provides an opportunity to analyse the role of intergroup relations in individuals' experiences and (c) is interlocked with intersectional identities, such as ethnicity and race.

Saints and City Models: Contested Borders and the Representation of Subject Towns Between Florence and Siena

The Black Death in 1348 was followed by a period of ongoing skirmishes between the city-states of Florence and Siena, marked by active territorial expansion, mercenary raids, and larger wars. Subject towns were profoundly affected by this turmoil and came under the alternating influence and control of the two dominant cities. In the face of this unrest, one way for inhabitants of subject towns – including Lucignano, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Cortona – to manifest both local identity and political allegiance was to commission artworks. Of the paintings made for these contested sites from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries, a number include depictions of the town for which the image was made, held by a patron saint. These city models offer a valuable lens on a marginalized area, providing insight into how subject towns were conceptualized and understood by patrons, artists, and viewers. Saintly advocacy and protection are frequently invoked in relation to recent or ongoing political upheaval, emphasizing civic and sacred loyalties or affiliations. The depiction of towns as models held by saints also echoes the actual transactional changes of ownership that frequently occurred, reflecting the multifaceted power dynamics between artist and patron, or between dominant city and subject town. Furthermore, the prevalence of such city models in paintings commissioned from Sienese artists suggests a particular Sienese “border mentality,” or an awareness of the intersections of identity that result from existing on shifting cultural and political borders.

HONOUR, IDENTITY, AND ALIENATION IN FADIA FAQIR’S MY NAME IS SALMA (2007)

This article analyses the relationship between communal identity and honour killings in Fadia Faqir's My Name is Salma through Edward Said's humanist critique. The novel's protagonist, Salma, experiences a deep conflict between individual freedoms and a sense of social belonging. Salma's migration to the United Kingdom symbolises her escape from social norms that foresee her death and her rejection of those norms. However, her exclusion in the new individualistic society and the lack of a sense of belonging lead to her inability to adapt to life in the UK. Salma’s sense of identity is deeply tied to her past and the society in which she grew up, and therefore the individualistic freedoms offered by society cannot resolve her issues. This study revisits My Name is Salma in the context of immigration, interpreting honour killings through the lens of individual and communal identity conflict. For Salma, the individualistic society is not something to be desired, as it leads to a fragmented sense of identity. What she truly desires is to regain her communal identity and feel whole again. The article presents a new perspective on the destructive effects of honour culture and the complex intersection of individual and communal identities. Moreover, it demonstrates that the need to belong to a community can lead individuals to maintain their ties to that community despite violent social norms, such as killing or being killed for honour.

Migration and memory: Intersections of black diasporic identities in African and Caribbean literature

Migration and memory are central themes in African and Caribbean literature, offering profound insights into the complexities of Black diasporic identities. This study explores how writers from these regions, such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Derek Walcott, and Edwidge Danticat, portray the lived experiences of migration and its intricate interplay with memory. Migration, often accompanied by displacement and loss, serves as both a physical and emotional journey that shapes the diasporic identity. Memory acts as a bridge between past and present, enabling characters to navigate their sense of belonging while reconciling their histories and the realities of their new environments. Through an analysis of literary works, this paper examines how migration narratives capture the tensions between nostalgia for homeland and the struggle to assimilate into foreign spaces. Adichie’s works, for instance, delve into the challenges of cultural hybridity, while Walcott’s poetry reflects on the fractures of colonial legacies and the search for rootedness. Danticat’s storytelling, deeply infused with the Haitian diasporic experience, emphasizes the intergenerational trauma and resilience that characterize Black diasporic identities. Themes of displacement, nostalgia, and belonging are analyzed to reveal how memory serves as a repository of identity, a site of resistance, and a tool for healing. By situating these narratives within broader socio-historical contexts, the study highlights the universal yet unique struggles of diasporic communities. Ultimately, it argues that African and Caribbean literature not only preserves the cultural heritage of its peoples but also amplifies the voices of those navigating the intersections of migration, memory, and identity.

‘I Want to Break Free’: Breaking Gender Stereotypes and Reconstructing Gender Identities by Women Entrepreneurs in India

In India, though women form a significant part of the population, gender stereotypes prevent women from engaging in entrepreneurship because they gain identities that are counterproductive. It is therefore important to study how Indian women entrepreneurs break the gender stereotype, reconstructing new gender identities. A longitudinal study with unstructured interviews capturing narratives of the entrepreneur and her team members was conducted adopting a qualitative, multi-method approach including focus groups and secondary data. Employing the Gioia method for analysis, our study makes three important contributions. First, it identifies enablers, obstacles, blockages and accelerators that help Indian women entrepreneurs reconstruct gender identity. Second, our study shows the intersectionality of concurrent identities and gender stereotyping at workplace, societal and personal levels. Third, our study brings out identity evolution drivers that helped in breaking the gender stereotype. The research advances knowledge on gender identity and gender stereotypes in entrepreneurship literature, particularly in the context of women entrepreneurs.

“A capacious hermeneutics” of The World That Belongs to Us: Akhil Katyal and Aditi Angiras in conversation

ABSTRACT In this interview, poet practitioners and scholars Akhil Katyal and Aditi Angiras, traverse the intersections of queer identities, poetry/literature, digital spaces, and activism. Katyal and Angiras revisit/rethink the complexities of queer progress, emphasising a ‘capacious hermeneutics’ and deconstructing monolithic narratives that centres on same-sex marriage or assimilation into heteronormative structures. They reflect on the fluidity of queer identities, highlighting the evolving relationship individuals have with the names/labels they choose for themselves. The interview further explores the disparity in queer representation within academic versus popular culture, with a focus on the underrepresentation of queer women and trans men in media/television/popular culture, in contrast to their prominence in academia. Katyal and Angiras accentuate the transformative potential of digital platforms, examining how they both amplify queer voices and expose individuals to heightened vulnerability, ‘accelerated versions of reality’, and trolling. The poets emphasise the need to embrace heterotopias, diverse, coexisting spaces of queer expressions and activism, while acknowledging the ongoing struggles for trans/queer safety, homelessness, and marginalised communities within the larger queer movement. As well, the conversation informs the ongoing evolution of queer narratives both in literature, poetry, and broader cultural spaces, advocating for inclusivity, intersectionality, and a departure from monolithic understandings of queer progress.

Considering the interconnected nature of social identities in neuroimaging research.

Considerable heterogeneity exists in the expression of complex human behaviors across the cognitive, personality and mental health domains. It is increasingly evident that individual variability in behavioral expression is substantially affected by sociodemographic factors that often interact with life experiences. Here, we formally address the urgent need to incorporate intersectional identities in neuroimaging studies of behavior, with a focus on research in mental health. We highlight how diverse sociodemographic factors influence the study of psychiatric conditions, focusing on how interactions between those factors might contribute to brain biology and illness expression, including prevalence, symptom burden, help seeking, treatment response and tolerance, and relapse and remission. We conclude with a discussion of the considerations and actionable items related to participant recruitment, data acquisition and data analysis to facilitate the inclusion and incorporation of diverse intersectional identities in neuroimaging.

The Intersectional Vulnerabilities of Migrant Women in Disaster Contexts: A Scoping Review of Mental Health Impacts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Disasters disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, particularly migrant women, who face unique challenges exacerbated by their intersectional identities. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a critical case study to explore these vulnerabilities, highlighting the heightened mental health risks and socio-economic adversities they encounter.This scoping review synthesized qualitative literature published between 2020 and 2023, focusing on the experiences of migrant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, yielding fourteen studies that examined themes such as mental health, gender-based violence, and access to healthcare services.The analysis revealed that legal status and economic instability emerged as primary vulnerability factors, significantly impacting the mental health of migrant women. Key themes included the exacerbation of gender-based violence, barriers to accessing healthcare, and the detrimental effects of social isolation and lockdown measures. The intersectionality framework elucidated how these women’s unique challenges are compounded by societal inequalities.The findings underscore the necessity for tailored disaster response strategies that address the specific needs of migrant women. Inclusive policies must consider the social determinants of health to enhance resilience and improve mental health outcomes in disaster scenarios. The study identifies critical gaps in existing literature, advocating for further research into the intersectional vulnerabilities faced by migrant women during various disaster contexts.

An Intersectional Approach to Testing Explanations of the Black-White Mental Health Paradox

Researchers have sought to explain Black Americans’ lower rates of common mental illnesses than White Americans, despite greater stress exposure, yet few explanations of this paradox are supported empirically. We examined the extent to which the paradox is owing to: Black Americans’ racial identity and religiosity resources offsetting the ill-effects of stressors, limited empirical attention to externalizing mental health outcomes, and the homogenization of both racial groups by disregarding within-group gender differences. Data came from the 25,454 Black and White men and women of the 2012–2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. We used structural equation modeling to test for indirect effects of race on mental health via stressors, racial identity, and religiosity, and tested multigroup models by gender. Results indicated that the paradox could reflect the failure to account for Black Americans’ increased risk of substance-use disorders and greater symptoms of poor mental health. Racial identity did not explain variations in mental disorder by race overall, but it protected against all mental disorders for Black women. Findings also indicated complex effects of Black Americans’ greater religiosity. Greater religious importance exacerbated some mental health problems, whereas religious service attendance had protective effects, especially among women. Future research on explanations of the paradox should continue to incorporate multiple mental health outcomes and investigate intersectional identities.

Assessing STEM Outreach for historically marginalized groups in engineering: STEM/engineering identity and role models

Evaluating outreach efforts can include measuring changes in factors such as Engineering or STEM Identity. STEM/Engineering Identity involves an internal feeling of belonging and recognition from others (e.g., family, teachers). Strong STEM/Engineering Identity is associated with entering STEM careers. This pilot study examines one large outreach program to determine: are there changes in STEM or Engineering Identity after a weeklong day-camp? Are there differences associated with gender, age, race, or intersectional identities, and/or having role models or parents in engineering? Elementary campers (grades 4-7), high school campers and volunteer Junior Instructors (both grades 8-12) were surveyed pre- and post-camp. We measured STEM Identity for elementary campers and Engineering Identity for teenagers through validated survey measures. Teenagers were also asked about role models, having parents in engineering, and career goals. While there were small increases in STEM/Engineering Identity, participants generally started with high STEM/Engineering Identity and frequently had role models in engineering.

The Armenian Diaspora in Rio de Janeiro: Micro-Histories of Identity, Memory and Solidarity during the Armenian Genocide

This article examines the role of Mihran Latif, an Armenian immigrant and a key figure among the elite of Rio de Janeiro, in supporting survivors of the Armenian Genocide and promoting the Armenian cause in Brazil. Using a micro-historical approach, the study explores Latif’s personal trajectory within the broader context of the Armenian diaspora in Rio, a community often overshadowed by the larger Armenian presence in São Paulo. The research draws on primary sources, including immigration dossiers, naturalization records from the Brazilian National Archive’s SIAN system, and periodicals. These sources provide insights into the solidarity networks Latif helped establish, illustrating how local elites mobilized resources to support genocide survivors and preserve cultural identity. By focusing on Latif’s initiatives and those of other key figures, the article sheds light on the mechanisms of community building, the intersection of citizenship and diasporic identity, and the significance of elite involvement in post-genocide solidarity efforts. This analysis contributes to the historiography of the Armenian diaspora in Brazil, offering a fresh perspective on the role of elites in shaping collective memory and identity. The article challenges the dominant focus on the São Paulo community, emphasizing the importance of individual narratives in understanding the broader dynamics of the diaspora.

Exploring Socio-Political Factors and Quality of Life Among LGBT Individuals in India

ABSTRACT The quality of life of queer individuals in India is a result of a complex sociopolitical climate which is what this study aims to explore through qualitative methodology. Previous research has explored the social factors that impact the wellbeing of LGBT individuals in western countries, while the impact of politics on the wellbeing of marginalized groups is still largely unexplored. Through thematic analysis, this study found that family support and peer networks are the two most important social structures that determine the quality of life of LGBT emerging adults in India, whereas the impact of politics on wellbeing depends on the level of political awareness of the participants and their socio-political privilege in terms of caste, class and gender. However, there were significant differences in the relevant factors that affect the quality of life for cisgender and transgender participants which leaves room for further research. The findings indicate intra-community conflicts and changing dynamics within the community, and there needs to be extensive research on understanding the intersectionality of different identities within the community and their impact on the lives of queer individuals.

“Men don’t feel comfortable with successful female leaders”: exploring participatory exclusion in community-based fisheries management, South Coast of Kenya

While community-based fisheries management (CBFM) is promoted as a promising approach to achieving sustainable fisheries management, its inclusiveness is increasingly questioned in the literature. Studies that explore the inclusion of gender along other intersectional social identities in CBFM are scarce. This research gap may limit a comprehensive understanding of power dynamics in fisheries settings, while reinforcing exclusive approaches in fisheries governance. In this study, we draw on literature on participatory exclusion, intersectionality and lived experiences, to examine gender-inclusiveness in CBFM through a case study on the South Coast of Kenya. We applied qualitative data collection methods, combining participant observation, semi-structured interviews (n=18), focus group discussions (n=6) and relief maps (n= 32). Our findings indicate that women’s participation in CBFM is limited and systematically lower than men’s participation. Barriers to women’s participation in CBFM are complex and interlaced, including socio-cultural, economic, and institutional barriers, and specific restrictions to women’s access to leadership. In addition, our findings highlight the intersected nature of lived experiences related to CBFM places and suggest that CBFM may sustain and reinforce social inequalities in fishing communities. Overall, our results tend to confirm the relevance of the participatory exclusion concept to CBFM in coastal Kenya. Our study demonstrates the importance of applying an intersectional framework to study the complexity of power relationships in CBFM contexts, as well as fisheries management and governance. We conclude by providing key recommendations towards inclusive management approaches in fisheries settings.

Impact of diversity representation in art on pre-health professions students’ sense of belonging: A randomized experimental study

BackgroundFor learners underrepresented in medicine (UIM), a heightened sense of belonging may be critical to creating shared awareness of diversity and fostering an inclusive educational environment. Despite ongoing efforts from academic medical institutions to promote and retain diverse individuals, few studies have investigated the foundational role of pre-health professions education in shaping students’ sense of belonging, and fewer still have leveraged the potential of arts- and humanities-based approaches in doing so. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived impact of race- and gender-diverse visual representations of health professionals on pre-health students’ sense of belonging.MethodsTwenty-eight pre-health professions students at one large undergraduate academic institution were randomized to one of two study groups. Each group participated in a visual arts-based workshop to discuss images depicting either gender- and race-diverse or non-diverse health professionals. All participants completed a pre- and post-workshop survey consisting of select items from the Professional Identity Questionnaire (PIQ), as well as an additional open-ended survey after viewing the images from the other study group. Changes in PIQ item scores were analyzed using chi-square statistics, and free-text survey responses underwent thematic analysis.ResultsAlthough PIQ item score changes were not statistically significant in either group, both showed an overall directional increase that was more pronounced in the study group exposed to diverse images. Qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended survey items were grouped into four overarching themes: “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) converges with other aspects of intersectional identity,” “sense of belonging drives motivation,” “perceptions of medicine are shaped early in training,” and “cross-group exposure stimulates metacognitive thinking.”ConclusionIntegrating arts and humanities programming into pre-health professions education may help cultivate a sense of belonging among UIM students, providing a robust platform for the critical dialogues essential in advancing inclusivity within healthcare settings.

Diasporic Cosmopolitanism and Digital (Dis)Connectivity Among Turkish Women in Rome

This study advances the field of disconnection studies by examining how digital (dis)connective practices intersect with diasporic identity construction and the articulation of belonging, focusing on the experiences of Turkish migrant women in Rome. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation with 10 Turkish women, the research highlights the central role of social class in the emergence of a “diasporic cosmopolitan” identity that is culturally and socially detached from, or even opposed to, their national identity. It further shows how this “cosmopolitan” identity intersects with the performance of specific digital (dis)connective practices and explores the cultural, political, and social dimensions of these dynamics. Particular attention is given to the influence of contemporary Turkish politics on online and offline diasporic sociality, which fosters tensions and segmented solidarities. Through this lens, the study identifies emergent forms of digital (dis)connective practices among Turkish women in Rome, which shape transnational and local social alliances and disruptions.

The Burden Mothers Bear: Using the Health Belief Model to Understand How U.S. Mothers’ Intersectional Identities Shape Health Decision-Making During COVID-19

ABSTRACT The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the burden placed on mothers created a need to better understand how mothers of color made health decisions for their families and communicated these decisions with others during the pandemic. This study investigated how this populations’ intersectional identities played a role in their health decision-making processes and overall experiences during COVID-19. Using the health belief model as a sensitizing concept, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with mothers of color across the United States about their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our findings suggest a need for health communicators to address the overburdening of mothers of color during crises, with special attention to self-efficacy messages that aim to reduce this burden and recognizing the role that intersectional identities play in the health decision-making process.

The iii-rg: An individual difference measure of intersectional identities integration of race and gender identities

ABSTRACT Interest in intersectional perspectives has increased in recent years, but this work has centered primarily on the perception of intersected people rather than the experience of possessing intersectional identities. The goal of the current research is to develop and validate a scale that measures the integration of an individual’s racial and gender identities, which we call the Intersectional Identities Integration Race-Gender scale (iii-rg). Studies 1a and 1b establish and confirm the factor structure of the iii-rg. We then demonstrate the temporal consistency of the scale (Study 2). Finally, we investigate the divergent validity of the iii-rg and explore group differences in the iii-rg (Study 3). Potential applications of this measure, its utility in theory building, and follow-up studies are discussed.

Misrepresentation or inclusion: promises of generative artificial intelligence in climate change education

ABSTRACT Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, including large language models (LLMs) that can generate novel text output, present promise for creating tailored science communication for broad audiences. However, LLMs might reflect inaccuracies and social biases from their training sources. In this work, we examine the promises and challenges of using LLMs to depict climate issues from intersectional perspectives. We prompt an LLM (GPT-4) to generate content about localized climate issues and simulate different communication mediums and intersectional identities. We conduct content analysis of the responses, drawing from Intersectional Climate Justice and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies frameworks. Findings suggest that the LLM-created responses can restate climate justice principles in the prompts and do not frequently show inaccuracy. However, they may lack elaboration, show deficit framing, and overlook identity aspects. We discuss suggestions from critical education research, to question the assumptions underlying AI technologies and explore ways to promote inclusive climate education.

The Intersection of Identity and Economic Geography: LGBT+ Economic Rights and Economic Development in China

The Intersection of Identity and Economic Geography: LGBT+ Economic Rights and Economic Development in China