Transnational Intersectionality Research Articles

Transnational Intersectionality at Sea: Gender, Appearance, Ethnicity, Age and Marine Knowledge Production

<p>Knowledge production is inherently social, as humans interpret their environment. Scientific knowledge production differs from non-scientific ones in their systematic data collection for validation, yet both involve a social element shaping our understanding of the world. The article investigates social contestation processes as part of knowledge producing processes on a German research vessel and in German and Brazilian marine science institutes with a particular focus on the social identity markers of gender, ethnicity, and age and how they affect team-based sense-making processes. Methodologically, our research draws on participant observation of following marine scientists and associated non-scientists in their daily working routines, as well as semi-structured interviews on a research vessel in 2021 and in marine science institutes from 2022 to 2024. Conceptually, the research follows approaches of the Sociology of Knowledge (Keller et al., 2018) and intersectional approaches (Grabe & Else-Quest, 2012; Patil, 2013) that integrate transnational experiences across national borders and other (physical) boundaries. Based on the empirical research, we assess transnational intersectional sense-making practices at sea. Our findings show that 1) (sexual) harassment in marine knowledge production processes occurs independent of localities, 2) intersectional discrimination at sea leads either to emancipation processes or to withdrawal, 3) tensions especially arise between scientists and non-scientists, which broadens the gap between these social groups and knowledge systems. We conclude by providing recommendations for increased intersectional and female workforce at sea and in marine sciences, so that the doing of research and work at sea can be more inclusive, equal, and safe.</p>

A case study of an English teacher in Ukraine: Where gender and national identity intersect

AbstractUsing a transnational intersectionality framework that focuses on the interactions of multiple identities, this article reexamines the study conducted in 2017 on the experiences of one female in‐service English language teacher in the Ukrainian context. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, using an online autobiography, interviews, and lesson materials, Irene's multiple identities have intertwined with her gendered identity, shaping her experiences. This study's findings show that Irene's transnational gendered identity was influenced by her educational and professional paths, her position in the language teaching field, and various social identities. Irene used language strategically and negotiated power relations professionally to navigate her transition to becoming a transnational English language teacher. Moreover, she found a complex relationship between a teacher's gender and identity, which is related to the sociopolitical situation in Ukraine. The study aims to address the gap in the research on constructing a Ukrainian teacher's gendered identity. While a case study approach is not generalizable or applicable to other teachers, exploring Irene's narratives provides valuable insights into the complexities of identity and power dynamics within a transnational educational context.

Transnational patterns, social networks and self-help organizations for migrant women

Previous research shows the importance of building up self-help structures in a transnational perspective for the inclusion of migrant women who are fleeing their home countries because of war, violence, or different forms of vulnerability. The mobilization of self-help organizations through the intersection of transnationalism and gender is, in fact, a useful direction for a practice-oriented pedagogy directed both towards (1) the most vulnerable groups of women, or (2) those already empowered either as community leaders or network facilitators, other migrants and the whole native population. For this paper, we compare selected video-interviews of refugee women collected in Bulgaria and Italy, which are important receiving countries either at the South-Eastern or Southern external border of the European Union. The research questions of this comparative assessment include: 1) How do refugee women organize themselves for mutual help? 2) How do they build their social networks through transnational practices to bridge with the local people? 3) Is community or individual empowerment of refugee women better for implementation through ethnic lines or a gender perspective? The final aim of this investigation is to analyse various patterns of social networks’ creation among refugee women originating from different socio-cultural contexts. The research findings might be useful to instil inclusion practices which are apt to refugee women empowerment.

Neo-nationalism and Turkish higher education: a phenomenological case study of a multilingual scholar’s identity (re)construction

ABSTRACT By placing a strong emphasis on one’s national, cultural, and ethnic identity, neonationalism, as a contemporary political and cultural movement, prioritizes ‘sameness’ over diversity. This phenomenological case study focused on Turkish universities which have been under increasingly oppressive neo-nationalist policies within the past 10 years. It examined the lived experiences of a multilingual scholar in regard to his identity (re)construction and socialization upon his return from the US to Türkiye (Turkey). Descriptions of Anıl’s lived experiences were longitudinally collected via in-depth interviews, anecdotal records, and bi-weekly journal entries. The findings indicated that one’s country of origin or nation-state becomes a source of discrimination not only in study abroad contexts, but also when international students and scholars return to their home countries. In other words, neo-nationalism in higher education institutions (HEIs) not only influences ‘the Other’ but also those within the same ‘nation’ with more progressive pedagogical beliefs and practices. The findings also underline the need to consider the phenomenon of transnational intersectionality when accounting for multilingual scholars’ identity (re)construction and socialization. Such an approach would help situate the complexities of transnationalism within the larger discussions of how HEIs are shaped by current neo-nationalist policies. This study also calls for further research to pay attention to colonial legacies such as linguicide and epistemicide within HEIs so as to encourage multilingual scholars to resist and dismantle oppressive policies and practices that govern academia both at local and global contexts.

Digitally mediated code-switching in transnational families in Australia: Fathers and children

The article focuses on Polish-speaking families residing in Australia and their digitally mediated communication practices. Against the backdrop of social changes influencing family roles, a new father–child relationship characterised by presence and active involvement in a child’s life has recently transpired. As the fathers’ role in minority language transmission has not been given much prominence in research, this article offers novel insights into how Polish fathers endeavour to maintain Polish through digitally mediated communication. Research on digital practices in the context of code-switching (CS) has been scant, despite the fact that everyday reality of transnational multilingual families has been permeated by technology. With this article, I aim to touch upon the themes situated at the intersection of transnationalism, family multilingualism, language transmission, as well as new media and their role in contemporary communication practices. Six excerpts containing examples of CS practices among three different families, where instant messaging via Messenger has been adopted to maintain Polish will be scrutinised.

Theoretical and Social Implications of Alternative ‘Feminist’ Media: Sexual Harassment and Intersectional Advocacy in India

What makes alternative digital media ‘alternative’ is critical content and being a ‘prosumer’ platform that champions social justice and change. An Indian digital zine, and our present case study for critical alternative media, is Feminism in India (FII) and its news coverage of the #MeTooIndia movement from 2017 to 2021. In this article, we adopt the critical theory of alternative media and transnational intersectionality frameworks to perform a critical-cultural review of the theoretical, sociopolitical, and change-making implications of FII . We aim to explore its role as alternative media that presents intersectional perspectives and advocacy opportunities in relation to India and its transnational #MeToo mobilizations against sexual harassment. As ‘critical content’ is what defines alternative media, we argue that FII is a critical news site that democratizes gender-diverse narratives and introduces a rupture within India's politically-pandered and patriarchally-primed mainstream media.

(De)Composing Ecological Futurities: Insurgent Worldmaking at the End of a World

Research Article| February 01 2021 (De)Composing Ecological Futurities: Insurgent Worldmaking at the End of a World The Cacophiliacs; The Cacophiliacs The Cacophiliacs include a number of revolving contributors including, for this writing, and in alphabetical order Angela Labador, Lore/tta LeMaster, Tyler Rife, B. Liahnna Stanley, Megan Stephenson, and Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri. All contributing authors claim full authorship over this collaboratively constructed project. All correspondence to Loretta.LeMaster@asu.edu. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Angela Labador; Angela Labador Angela Labador, MA, is a doctoral student and graduate teaching associate at Arizona State University, located on the unceded homelands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham, and Pee-posh Peoples. Focusing on affect, social movements, the Global South, and transnational intersectionality, Angela’s scholarship aims to contribute to the critiques of the US empire and strives to align with the peoples’ struggles. Angela’s pronouns are siya/she. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Lore/tta LeMaster; Lore/tta LeMaster Lore/tta LeMaster, PhD, is an assistant professor of critical/cultural communication and performance studies at Arizona State University, which is located on the unceded lands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham and Pee-posh Peoples. Lore/tta’s scholarship engages the intersectional constitution of cultural difference with particular focus on queer and trans of color life, art, and embodiment. Lore/tta’s pronouns are she/they. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Tyler S. Rife; Tyler S. Rife Tyler S. Rife, MA, is a PhD candidate and graduate teaching associate in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University, which is located on the unceded lands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham and Pee-posh Peoples. Tyler’s scholarship explores “critical ecological thought” as theory and method in practices of rhetoric, performance, pedagogy, and activism. Tyler’s pronouns are he/they. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google B. Liahnna Stanley; B. Liahnna Stanley B. Liahnna Stanley, MA (Poarch Creek, Mvskoke) is a doctoral student in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University, which is located on the unceded homelands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham, and Pee-Posh Peoples. Liahnna’s research draws upon advancing Indigenous intellectual and political systems for liberatory resurgence and resistance. Her research focuses on queer Indigenous relationalities, decolonial health and healing, and anti-colonial social movements. Liahnna’s pronouns are she/they. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Megan Stephenson; Megan Stephenson Megan Stephenson, MA, is a doctoral student and graduate teaching associate at Arizona State University located on the unceded lands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham, and Pee-posh Peoples. Megan’s scholarship is focused on critical communication pedagogy and intersectionality with relation to the constitution of both material and discursive realities. With specific focus on necropolitics and biopolitics, her focus lies on the way power is utilized to control racialized and gendered bodies. Megan’s pronouns are she/ her. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri, MA, is a PhD candidate and graduate teaching associate at Arizona State University which is located on the unceded lands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham and Pee-posh Peoples. Ana’s scholarship aims to develop Critical Communication Pedagogy in context with youth outside of the classroom. She does so by drawing on intersectionality and Chicana Feminism through rhetorical, critical qualitative, and performative approaches. Ana’s pronouns are she/ella. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking (2021) 8 (1): 131–145. https://doi.org/10.14321/qed.8.1.0131 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation The Cacophiliacs, Angela Labador, Lore/tta LeMaster, Tyler S. Rife, B. Liahnna Stanley, Megan Stephenson, Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri; (De)Composing Ecological Futurities: Insurgent Worldmaking at the End of a World. QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking 1 February 2021; 8 (1): 131–145. doi: https://doi.org/10.14321/qed.8.1.0131 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveMichigan State University PressQED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. © 2021 Michigan State University2021 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Exploring the intersection of transnationalism and critical race theory: a critical race analysis of international student experiences in the United States

ABSTRACTInternational student mobility to the United States (US) has increased over the past two decades. Despite the increase in numbers, international students may experience racism, nativism, and other forms of discrimination within the US context. Much of the existing literature focus on how international students can assimilate and cope with these issues rather than interrogating the systems of oppression that create negative student experiences. Thus, we utilized critical race theory (CRT) as a framework for interrogating how international student experiences are portrayed in current literature. Although CRT is grounded in US-based legal theory, we argue that CRT must move beyond the rigid confinement within US borders and expand to consider how transnationalism and global exchange contributes to the fluidity and applicability of this theory. We also provide recommendations for critical race praxis, with an emphasis on implications for practice, theory, and future research.

Transnational intersectionality and domestic work: The production of Ugandan intersectional racialized and gendered domestic worker regimes

Domestic work has evolved and adapted in the global South in distinctive racialized and gendered forms as a result of neoliberal economic restructuring. With the case of Uganda, this article applies a transnational intersectionality framework to neoliberal economic restructuring to identify how domestic worker regimes are produced. A transnational intersectionality approach spotlights the translocation of diverse Ugandan domestic workers embedded within the structural forces of economic organization, reproductive labor, state policies, and geography. Drawing from extensive fieldwork from three regions of Uganda, the study’s two main findings document: (1) the production of an intersectional racialized domestic worker regime as a consequence of the Ugandan aid state; and (2) the production of an intersectional gendered domestic worker regime supported by the weakening and underfunding of social development policies in the Ugandan national budget. These regimes show how race, gender, and regional demarcations of domestic work intersect in distinct forms connected to restructuring. A transnational intersectionality approach exposes the diversity of patterns in reproductive labor in Uganda.

Beyond the “English Learner” Frame: Transnational Funds of Knowledge in Social Studies

Transnationalism is a phenomenon that has consequences for education, broadly defined. Even as youth engage in transnational practices that expand their knowledge across borders, immigrant students in U.S. schools are often framed narrowly as “English learners” and their forms of knowledge may be erased. Synthesizing literature at the intersection of transnationalism and education, citizenship education, and funds of knowledge, we argue for the necessity of recognizing immigrant youth’s transnational funds of knowledge. We draw from a qualitative study to illustrate how a high school social studies teacher created space for students’ transnational funds of knowledge in the classroom, focusing on a Pakistani student’s return visit to his country of origin. The teacher’s orientation toward students’ transnational funds of knowledge served to counter assimilationist discourses while teaching U.S. civics. This article contributes to understanding how immigrants’ transnational experiences can widen narrow visions of citizen-building in formal schooling and build upon their assets for a more inclusive society.

Gender Statactivism and NGOs: Development and Use of Gender Sensitive-Data for Mobilizations and Women’s Rights

Historically, NGOs and civil society organizations have engaged actively in the development of new forms of gender categorizations, gender-sensitive data and gender analysis, mainly within a human rights framework. But, what is the actual space for NGOs to promote mobilization on women’s rights and, more specifically, how do NGOs develop and use gender-sensitive data for social mobilizations? Mainly based on the study of 5 worldwide NGOs and 3 networks of human rights experts, operating at different levels, the paper investigates the different ways these organizations intervene in gender issues, focusing on how they strategically produce and use categorizations and data. An initial typology is presented by analyzing «gender statactivism» of NGOs. Four phases of mobilization are identified: (a) knowledge and framing processes, (b) policy analysis, policy design and policy implementation, (c) action (campaigning and advocacy) and (d) monitoring and evaluation. The paper concludes by discussing potentiality, controversies and issues related to gender statactivism by NGOs, and stresses implications for the debate on the Post-2015 Development agenda and the potentiality for integrating «gender statactivism» into a framework of particularly transnational intersectionality

From Storm Over Asia to Dawn Over Africa: Transnationalism and imperialism in British intellectual film culture of the late 1920s and 1930s

ABSTRACTThis article explores a revealing instance of the historical intersection of transnationalism and imperialism: the initial British reception of the Soviet film Storm Over Asia (1928). It brings together for the first time previously separate strands of research on transnationalism within British film culture, and British cinema and empire. It uses a range of primary, secondary and theoretical sources to explore a pivotal moment of transition in British film history, while also contributing to what Tim Bergfelder envisions as a future ‘transnational history of European cinema [that] might focus precisely on the strategies and practices by which filmic texts “travel” and become transformed according to the specific requirements of different cultural contexts and audiences’ (2005: 326). More generally, this case study also stands as a prime example of the importance of attending, in both historical and contemporary contexts, to what Will Higbee and Song Hwee Lim describe as ‘difficult questions about transnationality, such as those pertaining to (post) coloniality’ (2010:16).

Gay, Mexican and immigrant: intersecting identities among gay men in Los Angeles

This paper draws on a multi-sited ethnographic research study of sexual identity formation among self-identified gay Mexican men in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Cuernavaca. Relying primarily on in-depth interviews with 24 gay immigrant men and extensive participant observation in Los Angeles, this research explores the intersection of sexuality, social class, ethnicity and immigration in the participants' daily lives and identity formation processes, the potential ways that transnational social networks shape their identities, and the ways that sexuality impacts the contours of their transnational networks. This article argues that the participants' identities as gay men are best understood as hybrid constructions that integrate elements of the gender-stratified activo/pasivo model of homosexuality and the object-choice gay model of homosexuality, and that the integration of these models into their identities is impacted by social class, geography, and immigration. Further, this paper argues that the subjectivities of the gay immigrant men in this study are best understood within a transnational intersectionality framework which conceptualizes identities as hybrid constructions that are produced through the interaction of several salient social forces.

At the Intersection of Transnationalism, Latina/o Immigrants, and Education

At the Intersection of Transnationalism, Latina/o Immigrants, and Education Patricia Sánchez and Margarita Machado-Casas Except for Mexico, “there are now more Latino-origin people in the U.S. than there are people in Spain, Argentina, Colombia, or any other Spanish-speaking country…[In fact, our nation is experiencing] the greatest demographic transformation in the last 100 years of its history” (Mandel, 2004, citing Professor Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco). As former schoolteachers of immigrant children in Texas and California, we have witnessed this demographic transformation firsthand in schools where our students' backgrounds and communities included both first- and second-generation Latinas/os.1 Today as educational researchers and professors who prepare teacher candidates, we are even more intrigued by the social, cultural, political, economic, and educational issues related to this population shift. Our intrigue stems from the unique opportunities that these waves of Latina/o newcomers bring to our society as well as from our concerns that many in the field of teaching do not quite understand nor appreciate the complexity of Latina/o immigration. For these reasons, we assembled a collection of studies that address the ongoing transformation of our country's landscape—one that includes immigrant transnationalism “as a long-term process which may be viewed, from an analytical perspective, as a trajectory, or rather as a multiplicity of potential trajectories” (Grillo, 2007, p. 199). Latina/o immigration in the U.S. has both a long history and a variety of social actors from different regions of Latin America, revealing many contours of transnationalism—including transnational projects with lengthy trajectories and others with new and recent intensity. These characteristics are evident in several of the investigations in this special issue. But before we present readers with the specific details of each of the research studies on transnational Latina/o immigrants—seven in total—with a special commentary piece by a leading figure in Latina/o education (Sofía Villenas), we wish to provide demographic [End Page 3] information on the U.S. Latina/o community, followed by a discussion on transnationalism as an important lens with which to “see” immigrant students in general. We then offer a description of the work that has been published by scholars focusing on transnational Latina/o families, complemented by demographic information on Latina/o students and a brief treatise on why more research should combine Latina/o students, transnationalism, and education. It is precisely this last analytic category—education—that has been sorely understudied in work dealing with transnational Latina/o children and youth. We hope the current special issue, “At the Intersection of Transnationalism, Latina/o Immigrants, and Education”—graciously supported by the High School Journal—begins to fill part of that void in educational scholarship. Both academic and practitioner communities will greatly benefit from this dialogue and line of research. Statistics on U.S. Latinas/os According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2007), Latinas/os in this country comprise 15 percent2 of the estimated total U.S. population of 302 million, making Latinas/os the largest minority group in our country. In addition, it is also the fastest-growing: More strikingly, Hispanics account for half of the total population growth in the U.S. over the last five years [2000–2005]. The impact of Latino population growth is further magnified by the fact that the white and black populations have grown by only 2% and 7% respectively since 2000 (Hakimzadeh, 2006). Within the U.S. Latina/o population itself, 40 percent are foreign-born (Hakimzadeh, 2006). And during 2000 to 2005, native-born Latinas/ os accounted for 62% of the total change in the Latina/o population, while foreign-born Latinas/os represented the remaining 38% (Hakimzadeh, 2006). The same 2005 data “confirms that Latino population growth has been driven primarily by increases in the second generation” (Hakimzadeh, 2006). This indicates that U.S. Latinas/os are highly immigrant if we include in this definition those Latinas/os with at least one foreign-born parent; the surge in births of the second generation is highly relevant to the issue of transnationalism and education, as we will see further below. Of the 50 U.S...

Knowing and Unknowing Transnational Latino Lives in Teacher Education: At the Intersection of Educational Research and the Latino Humanities

Knowing and Unknowing Transnational Latino Lives in Teacher Education: At the Intersection of Educational Research and the Latino Humanities Sofía A. Villenas Researchers in the field of Latino Diaspora and immigrant education have long been concerned with addressing the crisis in the educational achievement of Latino immigrant/Diaspora youth, some of whom are dropping out at rates of more than 25% in school districts across the United States (Kohler & Lazarín, 2007). Decades of scholarship in immigrant/Diaspora education have sought to counter deficit-oriented perspectives which place the blame on families and youth for school failure (Zarate & Conchas, forthcoming). At worst, such perspectives have historically served to label Latino parents as backward, incompetent people who do not care about their children’s education (see Villenas & Deyhle, 1999, San Miguel & Donato, forthcoming). At best, they have served to frame Latinas/os as parents who through no fault of their own cannot provide their children with the necessary skills to succeed in school. Most insidiously, these perspectives essentialize and homogenize Latinas/os rather than recognize the incredible diversity of experiences, identifications, and histories (Villenas & Deyhle, 1999). Qualitative and ethnographic research in immigrant/Diaspora education has contributed significantly to prospective and practicing teachers’ unknowing of Latino families as culturally deficient. Engagement with this scholarship in teacher education has opened the possibilities for a more complex knowing of Latino families’ and youth’s lives. With long-term engagement in communities and with the tools of observation and interviewing, qualitative researchers have challenged deficit perspectives by exploring the unique and varied cultural, language, and literacy practices of the home space and framed these as strengths (Delgado-Gaitán, 1992; Delgado-Gaitán & Trueba, 1991; González, 2001; Guerra, 1998; Orellana, 2001, Zentella, 1997). For example, pioneering educational ethnographer Concha Delgado-Gaitán (1988, 1992, 1994) systematically recorded and described the juegos [games], canciones [songs], cuentos [stories], consejos [narrative advice], and the reading and writing of cartas [correspondence] among Mexican families in a California community. Norma González, Luis Moll, and Cathy Amanti described Mexican [End Page 129] families’ vast funds of knowledge pertaining to education, work, agriculture, religion, medicine, migration and economics, among many other forms of knowledge (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). These funds of knowledge are proposed as intellectual resources which can inform and transform the school curriculum and create bridges between home and school. These portraits of Latino families serve as ways to know Latino families in terms of what they do have. Simultaneously, they contribute to unknowing Latino families from the perspective of a void or what they do not have in comparison to mainstream middle-class norms. Latino qualitative educational research has also offered conceptualizations of culture that move away from the notion of culture as traits that people possess, to a consideration of culture as active and social. The focus is on how people participate in historically located, linguistic and cultural “repertoires of practice” (Gutierrez & Rogoff, 2003) and “hybrid” cultural practices (González, 2004). Certainly, in the aforementioned pioneering studies, the transnational dimensions of Latino lives have always been present, most often front and center, yet by and large taken for granted. It has simply seemed as obvious as the juegos, cuentos, and consejos so painstakingly described and brought to light by Concha Delgado-Gaitán (1992). Latina/o researchers may say to themselves, “of course Latino immigrant parents and children of Latino immigrants live the emotions, attachments, and understandings that come from belonging to two countries,” even if the second generation has never visited the country of origin (Sánchez & Machado-Casas, this issue). We have always known this. Yet how do we express, document, and theorize this knowing and being within transnationalism? The research articles of this special issue of the High School Journal entitled, “At the Intersection of Transnationalism, Latina/o Immigrants and Education,” truly represent a collective pioneering effort towards naming, documenting, and theorizing Latinas/ os’ schooling and education within transnational spaces. These studies present educators across borders with the possibility for more complex ways of knowing Latina/o students’ transnational lives and for recognizing the experiences and identities that are fashioned in these spaces as strengths rather than deficits (see Sánchez...