acase@tulane.edu / 1 / Sarah Podesta

This paper explores the theory of intersectionality and its viability for the analysis of human rights under the new legal process and institutional framework in Ontario. First, I examine the debate between essentialism and intersectionality and conclude that intersectionality is a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to anti-discrimination laws. Second, I examine Canadian Human Rights Code cases and Charter equality cases involving intersectional claims. These cases reveal three inadequate approaches to analyzing multiple grounds of discrimination and two positive developments in the intersectional analysis of human rights claims. After assessing the general congruence of the new institutional framework with the principles of administrative justice, I identify three recent changes to Ontario’s system that hinder the development of an intersectional analytical framework and I offer suggestions for improvement. I conclude that an intersectional approach to human rights claims is possible but is currently frustrated by the new institutional framework in Ontario.

This paper explores the theory of intersectionality and its viability for the analysis of human rights under the new legal process and institutional framework in Ontario. First, I examine the debate between essentialism and intersectionality and conclude that intersectionality is a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to anti-discrimination laws. Second, I examine Canadian Human Rights Code cases and Charter equality cases involving intersectional claims. These cases reveal three inadequate approaches to analyzing multiple grounds of discrimination and two positive developments in the intersectional analysis of human rights claims. After assessing the general congruence of the new institutional framework with the principles of administrative justice, I identify three recent changes to Ontario’s system that hinder the development of an intersectional analytical framework and I offer suggestions for improvement. I conclude that an intersectional approach to human rights claims is possible but is currently frustrated by the new institutional framework in Ontario.

The purpose of this study is to explore potential links between intersectional identities (race, sex, sexuality, and religion) and clinical outcomes such as symptoms of psychological distress and quality of life. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that privileged identities (White, Male, Heterosexual, Christian) would relate to positive clinically relevant outcomes; it was predicted that more accumulated privileged identities would be associated with better outcomes. Data was analyzed from a self-report study from 2015; participants consist of Midwestern American undergraduate students enrolled in an introduction to psychology course (N = 779). SPSS analyses were performed in two steps. First, a MANOVA was performed with binary demographic variables as well as symptoms and quality of life. Second, a regression was performed with intersectionality as a continuous independent variable on a 0-4 scale, which was converted from demographic questionnaire scores, with the same dependent variables. Findings show some support for hypotheses. Main effects with both dependent variables were found for all independent variables except for race. No significant interactions were found at the two-way level; thus, no further interactions were analyzed. Lastly, increases in accumulated privileged identities were associated with lower psychological distress and higher quality of life. The results of this study have significant implications for culturally competent research and practice within the field of clinical psychology.

Thesis advisor: Michael Russell / Intersectionality theory garners increased attention from researchers interested in understanding the many ways in which oppression impacts lived experiences. In any given present and evolving context, oppression leads to advantages for some social positions and disadvantages for others (Collins & Bilge, 2016; Crenshaw, 1989). Quantitative researchers have attempted to adapt statistical modeling methods to reflect intersectional identities as a proxy for oppression and advantage in their models (Bauer et al., 2021; Schudde, 2018). This dissertation expanded on existing knowledge about the statistical limitations of three methods of modeling intersectional analyses on a continuous outcome variable: 1) Interaction, 2) Categorical, and 3) MAIDHA (multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and individual accuracy). Using a Monte Carlo simulation, four demographic data characteristics were manipulated to explore the three models under different scenarios which manipulated: a) the number of demographic categories (and thus intersections); b) the proportion of the sample represented by each demographic group; c) the within-intersectional-group variance in the outcome variable of interest; d) overall sample size. Each scenario and model were replicated 1000 times; results summarized performance of the intersection estimates and effect detection using the outcomes: bias, accuracy, power, type 1 error, and confidence interval coverage. The fundamental questions that guided this dissertation were: 1. What are the statistical advantages and disadvantages of each model under different demographic data characteristics? 2. In what ways does each model perform differently from one another under each demographic data characteristic condition? The findings of this dissertation contribute to intersectional quantitative research methods by providing greater insight into how each model performs under more complex data scenarios. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics & Assessment.

This study used a national sample of substance abuse treatment centers to analyze predictors of drug treatment completion among a sample of black women compared to white women, white men, and black men. Data are drawn from the Treatment Episode Data Set - Discharges (TEDS-D) 2006, which is representative of treatment programs in 42 states and the District of Columbia. The sample consisted of black (n= 356,701) and whites (n=926,216). Results indicated that race, gender, and level of education (social class variable) all had statistically significant associations with drug treatment completion. That is, when compared to all the other respondents in the study, (i.e., black men, white women, and white males) black women were less likely to complete drug treatment. This study also found that blacks were underrepresented in drug treatment programs when compared to whites. This disparity is even more prevalent for black women. Overall, analyzing group differences in treatment outcomes and sociodemographic characteristics, black women appeared to be socioeconomically worse off than black men, white women, and white men. In fact, black women had significantly lower rates of employment and were almost twice as likely to report that their income source was from public assistance. Black women were less likely to be married, employed full-time, and were significantly more likely to report using cocaine or crack at the time of admission and indicate that cocaine or crack was their problem drug. Finally, when compared to other groups, black women were less educated, had lower drug treatment completion outcomes, were more likely to receive public assistance, and have lower employment rates. Again, these findings are not surprising and are consistent with a multitude of literature on drug treatment outcomes. / Ph. D.

This paper draws on theories of gendered organizations to examine discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. A sample of 200 cases which document disability discrimination lawsuits was drawn from the Westlaw legal database. Each case was coded for gender, job, disability and discrimination type and analyzed using multinomial logistic models. Of those 200 cases, 34 were selected for in depth qualitative analysis. This study finds that disability type and gender do have an influence on the type of discrimination someone is likely to experience. In addition, the qualitative analysis finds that the social processes of discrimination differ based on job type and gender pointing to intersections of disability and class as well as gender and disability. / Master of Science

In this study we have analysed from an intersectional perspective two textbooks Historia 1b and Progress Gold A which are purposed to be used as teaching material in Swedish schools in the subjects of History and English. Our question and reason for doing the analysis is to emphasise and make the variety of women in the books visible in order to compare that variety to the one that is demanded by the Swedish curriculum. The analysis is made from an ideology critical perspective and contains quantitative elements. Our conclusion is that the material contains both excluding and including features. Some intersectional categories are well represented while others, like functionality and religion, are not. This has a direct effect on the possibility to discover variation amongst the women represented in the material. Previous research states that it is not enough to leave the descriptions without problematizing them, which we found incoherent with the analysed books.

Magister Artium - MA / Disability, as a topic of investigation, is considerably overlooked in the discipline of sociolinguistics. This thesis aims to bridge the gap between disability and sociolinguistics studies, as I critically explore the role language and multilingualism plays in the way we understand and construct the discourses of disability. Based on a year-long ethnographic study at what is defined as a “special needs school”, I offer a first-hand description of being a researcher with a disability through personal anecdotes. In these anecdotes, I account for my own positionality to highlight the importance of reflectivity and positionality when doing ethnographic fieldwork. Aside from these personal anecdotes, I also capture everyday interactions among young disabled people. In order to analyse these disabled youth multilingual interactions, I applied the notions of stylization, enregisterment and embodied intersectionality. In these examinations, we are able to see how multilingualism is used to negotiate a position of being seen as disabled. By looking at these personal anecdotes and everyday interactions as whole, the study provides a more comprehensive view of the way we talk and represent disability. I conclude this thesis by offering a new direction for disability and youth multilingualism studies, a direction that emphasises the importance of positionality when doing research on the agency of disabled people.

By the age of 35, Black Men who have Sex with Men (MSM’s) have a one in two chance of HIV infection. Black MSM’s, which represent less than one percent of the US population, is home to nearly a quarter of existing HIV cases, AIDS deaths as well as new HIV diagnosis. As early as 1987 studies were published revealing a paradoxical reality, that although Black MSM’s had no significant difference in risk behavior, there is a much larger HIV Prevalence among this group as nearly one in three Black MSM’s are HIV positive. Consistently and repeatedly, studies have shown Black MSM’s have fewer sexual partners than their White counterparts, and fewer occurrences of unprotected anal intercourse, yet significantly higher rates of HIV Incidence. The theoretical basis for this analysis is the concept Intersectionality, originated by Kimberlé Crenshaw, which states that cohorts comprised of multiple statuses of historic discrimination are qualitatively different from individual cohorts of component status. This qualitative difference requires the analysis of the composite cohort as an independent and unique entity as opposed to only looking at the components that it is made of. Therefore, Black MSM’s are a unique group and cannot be fully understood by looking at Black Men or MSM separately. This is particularly applicable for Black MSM’s because of the: history of oppression as Black Men, history of marginalization as MSM, isolation of Blacks within MSM community, isolation of MSM within the Black community and the history of HIV among Black MSM’s which dates back at least to 1969 (predating the publicly acknowledged epidemic in the White MSM community by 12 years) . This traditional policy analysis evaluated the 2010 National HIV/AIDS Strategy for its effectiveness in addressing HIV/AIDS among Black MSM’s. To accomplish this, a convergence of evidence approach was implemented, utilizing a key document review, qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, as well as quantitative surveys of 300 Black MSM’s. These methods were then applied to each of the four stages of Policy Analysis: agenda setting, formulation, implementation and evaluation. This analysis revealed a landmark policy that has comprehensively improved the Federal response to HIV in the US. Innovations developed and instituted because of this policy included the Community Listening Sessions of the formulation stage, and even more importantly the new metrics that better equip agencies to understand the nature of the epidemic. Further, the results of this study were compared with the August 2014 Kaiser Family Foundation study, which produced a nationally representative survey of Gay and Bisexual men (sampling error ±7%). The findings of this study paralleled and/or magnified those of Kaiser in several key areas. Kaiser found that Men of Color were more likely to know someone with HIV/AIDS and those that do are more likely to say it is a significant personal issue. The results of this study of Black MSM’s expose a sample where 97% knew someone who has/had HIV/AIDS and almost all considered this to be a significant personal issue. Both studies also confirmed the continuing presence of stigma and perceived discrimination by the general public. In both studies, evidence also indicates the opportunity for increasing frequency of HIV testing and the widespread lack of knowledge of PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). Several key recommendations should also be taken from this analysis to improve the policy moving forward. The first is that Black MSM’s should be an independent category for policy targeting. The next is that as Black MSM’s are the only group that is at high risk of infection and also makes up a large portion of the disease, Black MSM’s are a significant hotspot that should be a primary focus of the intervention. Finally, the greatest advances in fighting HIV have come through biomedical progress. Therefore, educating and implementing biomedical innovations such as PrEP should compliment behavioral change as intervention objectives. / 1 / Paul T. Winfield