Why Intersectionality Matters at Work (Part 4/4)
Intersectionality affects every aspect of our lives both within and beyond the realm of work, but it’s not always considered as a framework for meaningful change within organizations. In this series, we’ll walk you through some of the basics of intersectionality: What is it? Why does it matter for organizations? What can we do with this information? In each issue we’ll leave you with questions to help you apply these concepts to your work; we’ll also share all of our sources so you can use this information as a gateway to further learning, questioning, and action. Ready? Let’s go!
Here is Part Four on Intersectionality. (Psst...if you missed Part One, Part Two, or Part Three).
You've reached the most important part of this series.
While it may be a tempting analogy, identifying intersections of injustice can't be represented as a simple addition problem. The unique contextual experiences of injustice that occur at a given intersection of identity can't be understood by simply adding up the injuries related to discrete aspects of those identities (e.g., race + gender + sexuality). As stated by Knights and Omanović in their 2016 meta-analysis of diversity management practices, "studies of intersectionality have shown clearly that disadvantage on one dimension (e.g., ethnicity) has multiple and not just incremental effects on the life chances of someone also disadvantaged on other dimensions such as age or gender."
This type of common misunderstanding is why we are calling part 4 “the most important part of the series”; the misunderstanding of intersectional experiences of injustice as additive vs. uniquely compounded is just one of the many pitfalls to be avoided when we adopt intersectionality into our workplace practices, and that’s what this final installment in our series is focused on.
After reading four research-based, detailed posts on intersectionality and reflecting on your own experiences and practices, it would be easy to feel fairly well-versed in this concept, so it’s important to stop and remember that we’re really only scratching the surface here, folks! There is a huge body of research out there on this subject, and while we are happy to bring you this introduction to intersectionality at work, we all have to be cautious of the dangers of overconfidence in our adoption of the intersectional lens.
One of those dangers is the potential to exacerbate stereotypes through an "essentialist" understanding of identity. Ryan and Briggs note that, "One danger that can emerge in embracing an intersectionality lens is stereotyping those with a particular intersected identity...in seeking to recognize perspectives of ethnic minority women, the problem of stereotyping all individuals of an intersectional identity can also arise.” To address this, Olson et al. (2013) suggested “examining cultural values rather than ethnicity," but this is just one mitigation strategy among many that may be valid depending on the particular intersections that exist within your own employee population.
Steinfield et al. echo the dangers of stereotyping and other dangers in their research, urging all of us to avoid losing sight of intersectionality's crucial relationship to social justice. When that connection is broken, they note that organizations may end up focusing on the headcount of specific demographic groups instead of on the larger systems that may be creating challenges for those groups. It’s important to remember that the central focus of intersectionality research is to transform systems in order to achieve equity. As Steinfield et al. remind us, we should all keep the following three elements front-of-mind as we engage with intersectional work:
“i) a focus on oppressions or how people navigate oppressions
ii) the complex interactions of power dynamics and structures that create interlocking oppressions
iii) what needs to be transformed to achieve social justice”
What’s next?
Let’s wrap up by going back to where we began, with Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, whose advice on how to act on the information revealed through intersectionality remains crucial to anyone seeking to improve their workplaces through more effective DEI and anti-oppressive efforts. Rather than taking a "top-down approach to discrimination," Dr. Crenshaw reminds us that centering those who are most marginalized is the best way to improve conditions for everyone:
If...efforts instead began with addressing the needs and problems of those who are most disadvantaged and with restructuring and remaking the world where necessary, then others who are singularly disadvantaged would also benefit. (Crenshaw, 1989)
It’s never a bad idea to end with some inspiration, so we’d highly recommend checking out our recent conversation with Coltrane Stansbury on topics including DEI, ERGs, and allyship. His advice for taking action as an ally to marginalized groups at work? Consider your sphere of influence as a starting point, and ask yourself: “Who are the people that I’m interacting with every day?... What could they possibly be experiencing that I am not?... How do I, as an ally, become aware of what their challenge and their pain is, and how do I do that in a way that doesn’t rob the person of their dignity, their voice or their self-empowerment?”
The allyship initiative Coltrane talks about in this conversation is a great example of the type of work that is necessary to, in his words, “operationalize awareness” in an organization. He explains that DEI work is an “area where we really have to slow the organization down and create real intimate spaces. This work can’t solely be done through 45 minute modules with a discussion group afterword or pre-work.” Instead, the work is all about building relationships, and change often starts small, even with just a couple of people partnering to try to do more for their colleagues.
In Coltrane’s experience, “It starts with two people deciding they have none of the answers in their head, but through vulnerability, transparency, and a framework of intimacy where people can share, we are going to start building a content driven conversation that gets to an empowerment model where a few people can start empowering others.”
In a conversation about this intersectionality blog series, Coltrane offered some additional insights for anyone engaging in allyship work, and it comes down to this: Allyship isn't charity and should not be looked at as altruism. It is work that we are each responsible for and that benefits all of us. One way to keep that framing front-of-mind is to begin with the type of activity we asked you to try at the start of this series: by reflecting on the questions, "Who am I?" and "How did I get here?" Through reflecting on your own identities, experiences, traumas, supports, and obstacles, you'll be more equipped to find commonalities with your colleagues vs. only differences, and you'll be able to tap into the collective humanity and empathy necessary for effective intersectional work. Starting with empathy and an understanding that "my liberation is tied up in yours" is critical, and engaging with your colleagues as an ally should change you as much as it changes those you seek to better understand and support.
Reflection questions:
💡 What are your company’s current DEI goals? Where do you personally see areas of opportunity when it comes to addressing inequities for the most marginalized employees?
💡 What are some ways that NOT operating with an intersectional lens could negatively impact your work, your company’s mission, or its DEI goals?
💡 What are your top 3 takeaways from this introduction to intersectionality as a whole? Which of your colleagues might be interested in hearing about those highlights, and when can you find a moment to connect with them over the next week?
Share your ideas. Solve problems. Make a difference.
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Sources & Related Reading
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Anti-oppression. (n.d.). Canadian Council for Refugees. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://ccrweb.ca/en/anti-oppression
Barton, D., & Yee, L. (2017). Time for a new gender-equality playbook. McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/time-for-a-new-gender-equality-playbook
Bourabain, D. (2021). Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(1), 248–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12549
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