Intersectionality
A "Paper to Practice" Series
Intersectionality is much more than just acknowledging someone’s race or gender. Dr. NiCole T. Buchanan brings intersectional theory back to the basics, and shares practical examples, to help you meet your clients where they are. Learn how to make your daily advocacy practice more equitable and accessible for all.
Episode 1:
What is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality is a powerful idea that we can use to understand how different parts of our identities combine to influence our experiences in life, including risk for harm. Learn the history, explore the way that systems of oppression operate, and understand the importance of social justice for intersectional practice.
Episode 2:
Intersectional Invisibility
A person who does not meet society’s definition of a “standard person” may have needs, risks, and experiences that impact how and if they will access crime victim services. However, these individuals may become “invisible” if we are not aware of their unique intersections, and the specific needs their identities demand.
Episode 3:
Intersectionality in Action
Explore three questions advocates can ask to make sure they are being intersectional in their work (Elizabeth Cole, 2009): Who are we including? What role does inequality play? And, what are the similarities we might be missing?
Episode 4:
Intersectionality for Organizational Leadership
Learn about incorporating and incentivizing system-wide changes that promote intersectional advocacy at the organizational level.
Episode 5:
Intersectional Skill Building
Dr. Buchanan tackles some frequently asked questions about intersectionality, and dives into a few real-life examples of intersectionality theory in practice.
Series Materials
Intersectionality Training Institute
Intersectionality: When Identities Converge
Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice
5 tips on building intersectionality at work
Practical tips from diversity and inclusion consultant Ashley Oolman.
Resources on Intersectionality
From the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement at George Washington University.
Here’s how organizations can put intersectionality to work
7 lessons from women social entrepreneurs from the Schwab Foundation’s community.
Articles:
Why intersectionality matters for your organization
“A closer look at intersectionality’s origins, how it has evolved to fit our modern world, and why intersectionality matters for your organization.”
What Intersectionality Is and Why It Matters to Your Organization
“Understanding intersectionality and the experiences of employees who belong to more than one marginalized social group is critical to achieving success in diversity and inclusion initiatives.”
What’s intersectionality in the workplace?
“In many workplaces, the term intersectionality is becoming more popular in discussions of diversity and inclusion. But many employers aren’t sure what it means — or why it matters in their workplace.”
Intersectionality in Organizations: Why ‘Bringing Your Whole Self to Work’ is Not Sufficient
“This article draws from a robust conversation with Callen-Lorde’s Anthony Fortenberry, the National Center for Lesbian Right’s Elizabeth Lanyon, and Google Diversity Business Partner Cornell Verdeja-Woodson to show why today’s context, a historical understanding, and examples from the real world all have a role to play in understanding how to meaningfully prioritize people with multiple identities.”
More at MiVAN.org:
Resources for Advocate Resilience
While advocating for victims of crime is rewarding and meaningful work, many advocates experience challenges related to job stress and trauma exposure. Working with people who have experienced trauma and injustice can be overwhelming. Over half of all victim advocates experience severe traumatic stress symptoms and high levels of compassion fatigue (et al., 2018; Conrad and Kellar-Guenther, 2006) and 1-in-6 meet the PTSD diagnostic criteria from vicarious exposure to trauma (Bride, 2007). Experiencing these effects does not mean an advocate is weak or has failed, it just means that they need some more resources to help them cope with the difficult nature of the work they do.
A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed recognizes the widespread impact of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system and understands potential paths for recovery. Trauma-informed advocacy fully integrates knowledge about trauma in policies, procedures, and practices and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.
The following research articles were referenced in the series:
Beal, F. M. (1970). Double jeopardy: To be Black and female. In T. Cade (Ed.), The Black Woman: An Anthology, 90–100. New York: Signet. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40338758
Bowleg, L., Huang, J., Brooks, K., Black, A., & Burkholder, G. (2003). Triple jeopardy and beyond: Multiple minority stress and resilience among Black lesbians. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 7(4), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.1300/J155v07n04_06
Bowleg, L., Craig, M. L., & Burkholder, G. (2004). Rising and surviving: a conceptual model of active coping among Black lesbians. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 10(3), 229. https://doi.org/10.1037/1099-9809.10.3.229
Brown, D. (2016). Intersectional Invisibility Workshop. New York, NY; Lehman College. https://prezi.com/gu5n5d9ak0dr/intersectional-invisibility-workshop/
Buchanan, N. T. & Wiklund, L. O. (2021). Intersectionality research in psychological science: Resisting the tendency to disconnect, dilute, and depoliticize. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49, 25-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00748-y
Buchanan, Nicole & Rios, Desdamona & Case, Kim. (2020). Intersectional cultural humility: Aligning critical inquiry with critical praxis in psychology. Women & Therapy, 43, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2020.1729469
Buchanan, Nicole. (2020). Salient circles diagrams: Making intersectional identities, privilege, power, and marginalization visible. Women & Therapy, 43, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2020.1729468
Buchanan, N. T., & West, C. M. (2009). Sexual harassment in the lives of Women of Color. In H. Landrine and N. F. Russo (Eds.), Handbook of Diversity in Feminist Psychology: Theory, Research, and Practice, 449-476. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Buchanan, Nicole & Settles, Isis. (2018). Managing (in)visibility and hypervisibility in the workplace. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.11.001
Cole, E. R. (2009). Intersectionality and research in psychology. American Psychologist, 64, 170–180. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014564
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 139-167.
Crenshaw, K (2020). The 2020 MAKERS Conference.
DeFour, D. C., David, G., Diaz, F. J., & Thompkins, S. (2003). The interface of race, sex, sexual orientation, and ethnicity in understanding sexual harassment. Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Handbook of Cultural, Social Science, Management, and Legal Perspectives, 31-45.
King, D. K. (1988). Multiple jeopardy, multiple consciousness: The context of a Black feminist ideology. Signs, 14(1), 42–72. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174661
Mereish, E. H. (2012). The intersectional invisibility of race and disability status: An exploratory study of health and discrimination facing Asian Americans with disabilities. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care. https://doi.org/10.1108/17570981211286796
Purdie-Vaughns, V., & Eibach, R. P. (2008). Intersectional invisibility: The distinctive advantages and disadvantages of multiple subordinate-group identities. Sex Roles, 59, 377-391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9424-4
Ramos, C. & Brassel, S. (2020). Intersectionality: When identities converge. Catalyst.org
Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71, 474–485. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040323
Sesko, A. K., & Biernat, M. (2010). Prototypes of race and gender: The invisibility of Black women. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(2), 356-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2009.10.016
Settles, I. H. & Buchanan, N. T. (2014). Multiple groups, multiple identities, & intersectionality. In V. Benet-Martinez and Y. Hong (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Multicultural Identity, 160-180. New York: Oxford University Press
Settles, I. H., Warner, L. R., Buchanan, N. T., & Jones, M. K. (2020). Understanding psychology’s resistance to intersectionality theory using a framework of epistemic exclusion and invisibility. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 796-813.
Settles, I. H., Warner, L., Buchanan, N. T., & Jones, M. K. (2020). Understanding Psychology’s Resistance to Intersectionality Theory using a Framework of Invisibility and Epistemic Exclusion. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 769-813. https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/josi.12403
Shields, S. A. (2008). Gender: An intersectionality perspective. Sex roles, 59(5), 301-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9501-8
Meet the Expert
Dr. Buchanan is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on the intersections of gender and race/ethnicity with an emphasis on harassment targeting African American and Latina women. Her recent publications examine racialized sexual harassment, race- and gender-based harassment among college students and working adults, race and gender-role ideology as moderators of harassment and outcomes among White and Black women, contrapower harassment in academia, gendered bullying, and therapeutic concerns of racially ambiguous and non-visible minority women. Recent honors and awards for her research and service include: the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Loan Repayment Award, Michigan State University’s Excellence in Diversity Award for Individual ‘Emerging progress’ in outstanding accomplishments in the areas of diversity, pluralism, and social justice, the Cheris Kramarae Award for Feminist Scholarship, and the Herman Eisen Award for professional contributions to the practice of psychology.