DEI DEI Intersectionality and Identity 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who coined the term 'intersectionality' and in what context?
- Gloria Steinem, in a feminist manifesto
- Kimberlé Crenshaw, in analyzing Black women's legal discrimination cases (Correct answer)
- bell hooks, in critiquing mainstream feminism
- Audre Lorde, in her poetry on identity
Correct answer: Kimberlé Crenshaw, in analyzing Black women's legal discrimination cases
Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced 'intersectionality' in 1989 to describe how Black women faced discrimination that was not captured by race-only or gender-only legal frameworks.
Question 2: What does intersectionality explain about identity in a DEI context?
- That all forms of diversity are equally impactful in every situation
- That individuals hold multiple social identities that interact to shape unique experiences of privilege and disadvantage (Correct answer)
- That identity is static and determined solely by race
- That privilege and disadvantage cancel each other out across identities
Correct answer: That individuals hold multiple social identities that interact to shape unique experiences of privilege and disadvantage
Intersectionality holds that social identities such as race, gender, class, and ability overlap to create distinct and compounded experiences that cannot be understood by examining any single identity dimension alone.
Question 3: Which of the following best illustrates intersectional disadvantage in the workplace?
- A white male manager receiving a performance bonus
- A Black woman being passed over for promotion despite qualifications, in a pattern not seen for white women or Black men separately (Correct answer)
- An immigrant employee earning the same salary as a US-born peer
- A disabled employee using accessible facilities
Correct answer: A Black woman being passed over for promotion despite qualifications, in a pattern not seen for white women or Black men separately
When a pattern of disadvantage appears only at the intersection of race and gender—not for either group alone—it is a textbook example of intersectional discrimination.
Question 4: Why is a single-axis diversity framework considered insufficient according to intersectionality theory?
- It is too expensive to implement
- It treats identity categories as mutually exclusive and misses compounded disparities (Correct answer)
- It requires too many employee surveys
- It focuses too heavily on pay equity
Correct answer: It treats identity categories as mutually exclusive and misses compounded disparities
Single-axis frameworks analyze one identity dimension at a time, which erases the experiences of people whose disadvantage stems from the combination of multiple marginalized identities.
Question 5: How does intersectionality apply to DEI program design?
- Programs should target only the most statistically underrepresented single group
- Programs should consider how different combinations of identities create distinct barriers that require tailored solutions (Correct answer)
- Programs should treat all employees identically regardless of background
- Programs should prioritize gender equity over all other dimensions
Correct answer: Programs should consider how different combinations of identities create distinct barriers that require tailored solutions
Intersectional program design acknowledges that a single intervention cannot address the compound barriers faced by employees who hold multiple marginalized identities.
Question 6: What is 'matrix of domination' as used in intersectionality theory?
- A corporate organizational chart showing power hierarchy
- A conceptual framework describing how systems of race, class, and gender oppression interact at structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal levels (Correct answer)
- A tool for ranking employees by seniority
- A grid used in 360-degree performance reviews
Correct answer: A conceptual framework describing how systems of race, class, and gender oppression interact at structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal levels
Sociologist Patricia Hill Collins developed the matrix of domination to describe how interlocking systems of oppression operate simultaneously at multiple societal levels.
DEI DEI Intersectionality and Identity 1
Who coined the term 'intersectionality' and in what context?