L10: Intersectionality & Concealable Identities in the Workplace

Question 1

What is intersectionality?

Answer 1

framework for undertanding how different aspects of a persons identities ocmbine to create unique models of discriminatino & privilege

Question 2

How does double (or multiple) jeopardy arise?

Answer 2

• additive hypothesis
• interactive hypothesis
• subordinate male hypothesis

Question 3

What is the subordinate male hypothesis?

Answer 3

social hierarchy, intra male competition over access to resources -> men of subordinate groups being targets

Question 4

What are the consequences of (multiple) subordinated identities?

Answer 4

double (or multiple) jeopardy is one of the hypotheses (that the more subordinate identities u have, the worse off u are)

Question 5

What is double (or multiple) jeopardy?

Answer 5

cumulative disadvantage that accrues to ppl w multiple subordinate group identities

Question 6

Define androcentrism

Answer 6

the tendency to define the standard person as male

Question 7

Define ethnocentrism

Answer 7

tendency to define the standard person as a member of the majority ethnic group

Question 8

Define heterocentrism

Answer 8

tendency to define the standard person as heterosexual

Question 9

What is intersectional invisibility?

Answer 9

occurs when members of multiple subordinate groups (ex black women) are not prototypical of their respective identity groups, which renders them difficult to categorize & easy to overlook

Question 10

What are the potential benefits of intersectional invisibility?

Answer 10

• less of a target of prejudice & discrimination
  ex:
• black women more often target of violencde
• attitude towards gay men more negative than towards lesbian women

Question 11

What are the potential downsides for the targets of intersectional invisbility?

Answer 11

• less influence/leadership, contributions can be ignored
• narratives receive less attention (culturally & historically) ex study of queer identities overpopulated w studies focusing on gay men
• legal language focused on a single group
• political activism focuses on a single group and its needs

Question 12

What is the “agentic penalty” and how does it apply to black women?

Answer 12

women suffer an “agentic penalty” for exhibiting actions that appear assertive, angry, compettiive, or dominant
but this seems to be the case more so for white & asian women, less so for black & latina women

Question 13

do gender backlash effects also apply to older women?

Answer 13

• acting in agentic ways is inconsistent w prescriptive older age stereotype (succession)
• when acting in an agentic manner, only/primarily older men experience a backlash
• older womens intersectional identity seems to save them from being punished for agentic behaviours
• negative responses to older men are explained by perceived threat to resources

Question 14

What are prescriptive succession stereotypes?

Answer 14

idea that older managers/ppl should retire so that young ppl can be managers

Question 15

What are concealable identities at work?

Answer 15

religion, occupation, national origin, political beliefs, illness, sexual orientation, some ethnic/racial backgrounds
key theme: info management (do i disclose my identity? what happens if i do?)

Question 16

What are the antecedents of”passing” or “revealing” concealable identities at work?

Answer 16

• authenticity; can i be fully myself
• legitamcy: if i communicate my needs linked to my chornic illness, will i still be seen as a competent member
• conflicting relation demands: im in a mixed relationship, im concerned abotu stigma concerned w interracial dating, do i tell my coworkers about my relationship
• individual characteristics: risk taking/self monitoring
• organization/context: legal protections etc
• for not disclosing/passing: burden, psych, strain on work/personal relationships
• for revalaing: worying about stigma

Question 17

What are the influential contextual factors that affect whether an individual will choose to pass or reveal?

Answer 17

• organizational diversity climate (support, inclusive policies, DIs)
• professional & industry norms
• legal protections
• interpersnoal relationships at work

Question 18

What are the influential individual factors that affect whether an individual will choose to pass or reveal?

Answer 18

• personality traits (care less or more about what ppl think)
• self moniroting (high self moniroting ppl tend to pass cause they dont like to go against social expectations)
• dev stage (later in dev more likely to reveal)
• prior experiences in coming out

Question 19

define passing

Answer 19

a cultural performance whereby one member of a defined social group masquerades as another in order to enjoy the privileges afforded to the dominant group

Question 20

What are the 2 main strategies ppl use to manage their invisible identities at work?

Answer 20

• passing
• revealing

Question 21

What are the 3 ways of “passing”

Answer 21

• fabrication
• concealment
• discretion

Question 22

Define fabrication

Answer 22

actively creating a false identity by providing misleading info

Question 23

Define concealment

Answer 23

withholding specific info or suppressing any potential cues that might reveal the identity

Question 24

Define discretion

Answer 24

steering conversations away from personal topics to avoid having to discuss the identity

Question 25

define revealing

Answer 25

disclosing an identity that would otherwwise be invisible or unrecognizable to others (=coming out) - can also be done in different ways - signaling, normalizing, and differentiating

Question 26

What are the 3 ways of "revealing"

Answer 26

- signaling - normalizing - differentiating

Question 27

Define signaling

Answer 27

offering subtle hints or clues to trusted individuals without overtly disclosing the identity

Question 28

Define normalizing

Answer 28

revealing the identity in a way that minimizes its perceived difference, often by emphasizing commonalities w others

Question 29

Define differentiating

Answer 29

actively highlighting the identity as a unique & valuable aspect of oneself, which may include advocacy or efforts to change others' perceptions

Question 30

what are the 2 main challenges of intersectionality?

Answer 30

- blind spots - the personal is politics

Question 31

what is the difficulty of intersectionality?

Answer 31

- diversity is complex & dynamic, it doesnt have mathematical laws a. rational: what is the intersectionality of identities of ppl involves b. situational: what is the context/situation c. environmental: where does it take place - oppression olympics - both oppressors and oppressed often

Question 32

what are blind spots?

Answer 32

- ranges from abstract terms to understanding the day-to-day life of other groups/minorities - this can be seen in critical self reflection - can lead to an accumulation of microaggressions ex: hidden rules among classes about money: for poor ppl its to be used/spent, for midle class ppl its to be managed, for rich ppl its to be coserved/invested

Question 33

what is meant by "the personal is politics"?

Answer 33

- diversity & inclusion are society's therapy - do i feel welcomed? - do i feel defensive? - d&I officer: how can i create a story in which everyone belongs

Question 34

What are the 2 types of social identities?

Answer 34

visible or invisible identties

Question 35

What does social identity theory posit?

Answer 35

ppl classify themselves & others into social categories that impact group membership & self-perception

Question 36

What does stigma theory posit

Answer 36

certain characteristics can lead to devaluation or discrimination, causing indvidiuals w in visible identities to face psych and social dilemmas around disclosure

Question 37

What does Subordinate Male Target Hypothesis (SMTH) posit?

Answer 37

- based on social dominance theory - argues that oppresion is morst intensly direcred at males within subordinate groups (ethnic minority males may face more targeted oppression that ethnic minority females)

Question 38

What is the origin of the Intersectional invisibility model?

Answer 38

the subordinate male target hypothesis & double jeopardy models are too simplified so created IIM which favours examining specific & unique forms of marginalization faced by intersectional identities rather than scorekeeping

Question 39

What does Intersectional Invisibility Model posit?

Answer 39

- certain dominant ideologies (adnrocentrism, ethnocentrism, heterocentrism) establish societal protoypes - so ppl w intersecting identities (like black women, gay asian men etc) are not seen as typical or representative - so those groups face unique set of challenges