Building a Theory, Measuring a Concept: Exploring Intersectionality and Latina Activism at the Individual Level

Abstract

Untangling the complexities of intersecting identities at the micro-level is important to our studies of political participation. In the following article I propose a typology whereby the intersectionality of gender and ethnic identity may be disaggregated along individualistic and collectivistic dimensions. Using group interviews, I find that collectivistic orientations of intersecting gender and ethnic identity mobilize Latinas into political activism. However, an individualistic orientation of gender or ethnic identity demobilizes Latinas or redirects their activism. These findings indicate that future measures of gender and ethnic intersectionality at the micro-level should include both individualistic and collectivistic dimensions.

KEYWORDS:

• intersectionality
• Latina politics
• political participation

Notes

1. My research design was especially important, given my interest in understanding the most resource intensive forms of political activism—in particular, the decision to run for elective office.

2. Intersection and interaction are used by some interchangeably in the literature. However, interaction has a specific meaning in quantitative studies (McClendon 1994). An interaction effect is a product of two or more variables. It is incorporated to capture the unique construct of the multiplicative term. I argue that intersectionality is a unique construct whereby the effects of gender identity on political activism depend on ethnic identity and the effects of ethnic identity on political activism depend on gender identity. This is conceptually consistent with an interactive term in a quantitative model and encourage others to pursue multiplicative models. I choose to use the term unique construct in order to promote investigations by either quantitative or qualitative approaches. The hypotheses I offer are true to both additive and interactive terms as their used analytically.