Intersectionality The future of feminist research Engaging a

Intersectionality: The future of feminist research? Engaging a multi-dimensional model of intersectionality Phillipa Myers, Ph. D Candidate pmyers 5@uwo. ca May 28, 2017 CSSE 2017/CASWE Institute 1

Presentation Outline § Intersectionality § Multidimensional Intersectionality Model § Model Applications § Reflection: Successes, Challenges, & Future Considerations 2

Intersectionality? 3

Intersectionality § More than identity § Have to go beyond individual experiences and identities § Attend to power relationships, not just social inequalities § How identity forms in the context of other identities, and power relationships § Intersectionality – power relationships intersect § Analysis of power relations is crucial (Cho, Crenshaw, & Mc. Call, 2013; Collins, 2015; Collins & Bilge, 2016; Núñez, 2014) 4

How to conceptualize and analyze multiple aspects of identity and societal power relationships? 5

Multi-dimensional Model of Intersectionality (Núñez, 2014) 6

Multi-dimensional Model of Intersectionality (Núñez, 2014) Multiple Social Identities § Dynamic § Contradictory Locations § Binary Challenge § Mutually Constituted § Most Relevant 7

Multi-dimensional Model of Intersectionality (Núñez, 2014) Domains of Power Institutional § Organizational § Representational Individual § Intersubjective § Experiential 8

Multi-dimensional Model of Intersectionality (Núñez, 2014) Historicity § Contextualizes Social Identities & Domains of Power § Contexts include § Social § Temporal § Spatial § Economic § Political 9

Application of the Model § Where to start? § Dimensions? § Who is privileged at school? 10

Who is Privileged at School? Academics & Class You’re either, academically privileged. Or financially privileged. Which of course bleeds into the other category. Because, if you don’t have to worry about money, then, you can be academically privileged. Valentina – finishing up B. A. , went to private school, K-12 The kids who don’t have to worry, about, who just get to worry about school. The kids who, can spend all day, working on assignments. Who don’t have to worry about where their next meal’s gonna come from. The kids who just, it’s kind of expected that they go to school and get a good job. And, their parents have good connections to get good jobs for them. I think that’s, who privileged at school. Elvia – took a semester off to earn money for tuition and expenses 11

Who is Privileged at School? Race & Power The White kids. Sorry. The White kids were always. Upper middle class. You knew who they were. When I went to high school it was like, the Polish, the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Whites. Like, it was just like, very segregated, and you didn’t sit with anybody but your group. Benita – Single mom of 3, Ph. D student I think in high school it was the White, Canadian students, that always, seemed to be the centre of attention at school. Like we all had our groups, but they were always the ones who were, participating, or, the teachers always wanted them to, do the announcements, and stuff like that. Which I think bothered a lot of us. […] Umm. In high school, it was definitely, the white Canadians. Samara – Completed 4 year nursing degree 12

Who is Privileged at School? I think there are different levels of privilege. Like, obviously kids who are already speaking English are more privileged than those who don’t. But you could also see it the other way, in ESL schools, you have kids that have, a teaching assistant, or someone there, helping them through. So, I guess in that sense they would be privileged. Liliana – started grade 9 speaking only Spanish, and after 4 years, entered university 13

Reflections Successes Challenges Future Considerations 14

Selected References Anthias, F. (2012). Hierarchies of social location, class, and intersectionality: Towards a translocational frame. International Sociology, 28(1), 121 -138. Cho, S. , Crenshaw, K. W. , & Mc. Call, L. (2013). Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. Signs, 38(4), 785 -810. Choo, H. Y. , & Ferree, M. M. (2010). Practicing intersectionality in sociological research: A critical analysis of inclusion, interactions, and institutions in the study of inequalities. Sociological Theory, 28, 129 -149. Collins, P. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. (2 nd ed. ). New York, NY: Routledge. Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality’s definitional dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 1 -20. Collins, P. H. , & Bilge, S. (2016). Intersectionality. Malden, MA: Polity Press. Dei, G. J. S. , & Lordan, M. (2013). Contemporary issues in the sociology of race and ethnicity: A critical reader. New York, NY: Peter Lang. Hancock, A. (2016). Intersectionality: An intellectual history. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. May, V. M. (2015). Pursuing intersectionality, unsettling dominant imaginaries. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis. Núñez, A. (2014). Employing multilevel intersectionality in educational research: Latino identities, contexts, and college access. Educational Researcher, 43(2): 85 -92. DOI: 10. 3102/0013189 X 14522320 Yuval-Davis, N. (2006). Intersectionality and feminist politics. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 13(3), 193 -209. DOI: 10. 1177/1350506806065752 15

Thank you! Phillipa Myers pmyers 5@uwo. ca All images from www. freeimages. com Research Assistant 16

Thank you! Phillipa Myers pmyers 5@uwo. ca All images from www. freeimages. com Research Assistant 17

Research Context 18

I’m twenty years old and I still look at myself in the mirror every morning wondering who the hell I am. Am I Mexican? Am I Canadian? Am I just plain Latino? Am I Mexican-Canadian? Am I Latin-Canadian? Zap in ¿Que Pasa con la Raza, eh? 19

Researcher Positionality 20

Research Question How do female Latin American students persist in the Canadian education system? 21

Methods § Qualitative, exploratory case study § Semi-structured interviews & open-ended questions § Purposive sampling § Participants § Identify female § Daughters of Latin American immigrants § Minimum 4 years in Canadian K-12 schools § Current or recent PSE § Anonymized 22

How to conceptualize and analyze multiple aspects of identity, power, and context? Data Analysis 23