Intersectionality and Diversity: A Visual Research Analysis

This essay analyses the role of intersectionality in diversity and inclusion in modern society through a visual research analysis based on 10 images. It highlights the major issues related to diversity that marginalized people face and ways in which diversity and inclusion can be increased at the workplaces.

Visual Culture

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The modern world comprises of people which belong to separate social and cultural
backgrounds and can be differentiated on the basis of their unique identities which is made up
through their personal upbringing, their interaction with their surroundings and the societal
exposure provided to them. These ranges of people with various racial, sexual and
socioeconomically background is also known as diversity and it has a major presence in today’s
world as representation of such people in all walks of life is very important but has been hardly
followed due to rampant discrimination on society by people and races which hold majority
population and power (Collins, 2019). The main topic which this essay will be based on is
diversity and this topic has been specifically chosen by me due to my personal inclination and
values regarding discrimination and bigotry and I would like to closely analyse the factors which
influence diversity in society and the reasons as to why minorities and people from divers
backgrounds suffer through so much difficulties. When it comes to diversity, intersectionality is
a relative concept of quite some importance as it refers to the detailed societal framework which
affects and shapes up the unique identities of people along with listing the various ways in which
privilege affects their well-being and the amount and type of discrimination they encounter in
daily life. The main theme of this essay is intersectionality as I would like to learn more about
the ways in which various diverse social classes are discriminated against and this essay will
revolve around a visual research analysis based on 10 separate images which will link to the
chosen theme of intersectionality. The main aim behind this research is to study the way in
which diversity has been upheld by the standards of modern society with the help of
intersectional theories.
MAIN BODY
Despite making numerous progresses in terms of becoming more modern, woke and
progressive towards people belonging to minority groups and marginalized identities, the current
society has failed such people in almost every regard (Grzanka, 2018). From people belonging to
different racial background and culture being subject to constant forms of systemically
originating racism even from established bodies such as the police system to people belonging to
the broad LGBTQ+ spectrum being discriminated against in every possible fashion, there are a
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myriad of instances where people have been treated in an unjust manner. One of the major
reason as to why such things keep on happening in both lesser known and prominent social
structures is because the reasons and forms that such discrimination takes is numerous and
intersectional as a concept aims to highlight the reasons involved in a comprehensive manner.
The theory of intersectionality refers to the compilation and broad study of the various forms of
unjust oppression faced by marginalized people in society on the basis of factors which form
their identity (Gill, McNally and Berman, 2018). This theory proposes that the same group of
people can face discrimination from two separate entities in a different manner, for example a
black woman can face misogynistic form of discrimination from a white female and a black man
in entirely different ways. This makes the completes study of all societal factors involved in
developing such situations very important to ensure the condition of marginalized people
improves in society and they get represented in a diverse manner (Nayak, 2022). This research
will be done through primary means of data collection using a visual research analysis
comprising of 10 images taken by me which will relate to the chosen topic of intersectionality
and theme of diversity. The main questions which will be answered through this research will
include “what is the role and importance of diversity in modern society?”, “what are the major
issues related to diversity that marginalized people face” and “what the ways in which diversity
and inclusion can be increased at the workplaces?”. The main hypothesis which this research will
be based upon is “Diversity without inclusion is meaningless and most of the diversity
related issues originate from a lack of adjusting to different beliefs and backgrounds”. The
chosen topic of diversity relates directly to the theory of intersectionality introduced in this
research as intersectionality helps understand the reasons as to why diversity is still a major issue
and it also helps separate inclusion from diversity as a concept and diversity along does not help
boost inclusion.
The main areas of investigation which this report will help address is the main areas of
diversity which pose as key problems for businesses, the main reasons due to which diversity
issues occur along with the relation between diversity and inclusion. The methodology which
this research essay will involve includes primary research based on 10 images, use of visual
element analysis to describe these pictures along with the use of personal reflections and
opinions based on auto-ethnographic research methodology. The 10 images have been displayed
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underneath as part of the analysis being conducted on intersectionality theory on the basis of
diversity.
The role of diversity is quite understated in the modern society as the different and
unique identities which have come out in recent times such as people of colour gaining
prominence and LGBT people fighting for their rights. Image 1 highlights the way in which
diversity aims at normalizing social identities as the person in question in embracing their
LGBTTQ+ related identity through facial art and this also highlights the need for
intersectionality based theories. Image number 2 on the other hand portrays the beauty of
diversity especially in modern society where people of different upbringing and backgrounds can
come together to share one another’s experiences and find common ground which is the essence
of diversity (Atewologun and Mahalingam, 2018).
The 3rd image on the other hand displays the best possible outcome of championing
diversity in society and the many corporate workplaces. Through the theory of intersectionality,
it can be assumed that simply hiring people of different backgrounds aren’t enough if they are
not being heard. In this image, the African and Asian individuals are fully included in workplace
decisions. The 4th image is also very important for this visual research as it establishes the link
between intersectionality and diversity as it can be seen from the image that people from
different backgrounds are involved equally and the leader is also from a marginalized
background which helps satisfy some parameters which theory of intersectionality highlights as
basis for discrimination such as racial discrimination and lack of opportunity.
The role of corporate workplaces is also related to both diversity and intersectionality as
such environment are notoriously anti-diverse. The 5th image in question highlights a truly
diverse working environment which I feel should be the goal of every company. Both black and
Asian representation and diversity can be seen in the image which is a beautiful sight. However
simply gaining a diverse workforce is meaningless and according to many eminent research
studies, involving people is much more important which many businesses do not do. This can be
seen in the 6th image as the Asian employee is hired but she is not being shown importance at all
which is just flimsy diversity (Pennington, 2020).
Image 7 is also a very important part of this visual research analysis as this portrays the
ideal situation which should serve as the basis for modern day diversity but due to many
intersectional reasons based on sexual and gender based bigotry, people are not as involved as
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the way it can be seen in the picture. Intersectionality helps provide the framework to study
modern day diversity which can be seen from the way in which gender serves as a driver of
diversity in modern workplaces. Image number 8 explains this by highlighting that having a
diverse workforce simply isn’t about hiring women but recruiting ones from different faiths and
backgrounds (Pennington, 2020).
In order to study the state of modern diversity, it is also important to find reasons for
problems of inclusion and diversity which are stated by image 9 and 10 respectively. One of the
major reasons as to why women are being hired but still being discriminated can be seen in the
former which is dismissive attitude displayed by men in positions of power. The latter image
strengthens the hypothesis that dismissive attitudes of people and low tolerance hampers
diversity such as ones preventing Muslim women from opportunities due to rise in Islamophobic
attitude.
CONCLUSION
According to the intensive visual analysis and research conducted in this essay using the 10
selected images and the accompanied research articles, the main topic of intersectionality and the
chosen theme of diversity was analysed in a holistic manner. The major discussion which were
held in this essay involved around the theory of intersectionality, diversity in modern society
with special respect to inclusion, problems and major reasons holding back diversity in corporate
workplaces. This research successfully established the connection between intersectionality
based theories and the phenomenon of diversity by identifying key factors which hamper
diversity such as lack of tolerance of other religion and opinions along with lack of
communication due to superior and bigoted attitude. The major things that were learnt from this
research was that diversity without proper means of inclusion is meaningless and in order to be
more diverse, individuals and organizations should tolerate difference in opinion and take care of
gender based discrimination which is common in everyday place.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Collins, P.H., 2019. Intersectionality as critical social theory. Duke University Press.
Grzanka, P.R., 2018. Intersectionality and feminist psychology: Power, knowledge, and process.
Nayak, S., 2022. An intersectional model of reflection: is social work fit for purpose in an
intersectionally racist world?. Critical and Radical Social Work, pp.1-16.
Atewologun, D. and Mahalingam, R., 2018. Intersectionality as a methodological tool in
qualitative equality, diversity and inclusion research. In Handbook of research methods
in diversity management, equality and inclusion at work. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Pennington, G., 2020. Diversity and inclusion: How far have we come? How far can we go?.
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 72(4), p.324.
Gill, G.K., McNally, M.J. and Berman, V., 2018, September. Effective diversity, equity, and
inclusion practices. In Healthcare management forum (Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 196-199).
Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
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APPENDIX
Image 1 – Intersectionality
Source – https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/intersectionality-the-real-talking-point-for-
tackling-diversity-and-inclusion-in-business/
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Image 2 – Diversity
Source - https://www.bentley.edu/news/7-ways-promote-diversity-workplace
Image 3 – Diversity and inclusion
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Source – https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2021/12/17/3-benefits-of-diversity-in-the-
workplace/?sh=47c26dcf22ed
Image 4 – Relationship between intersectionality and diversity
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Source - https://bloomingminds.com.au/mental-health-diversity-intersectionality/
Image 5 – Diversity at workplace
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Source - https://bizfluent.com/facts-5618840-types-workplace-diversity.html
Image 6 – Diversity without inclusion
Source - https://www.forbes.com/sites/danabrownlee/2019/09/15/the-dangers-of-mistaking-
diversity-for-inclusion-in-the-workplace/?sh=5809892b4d86
Image 7 – Having an inclusive and diverse workforce
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Source - https://diversityq.com/diversity-without-inclusion/
Image 8 – Gender diversity
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Source - https://news.nab.com.au/news/internship-a-boost-for-gender-diversity/
Image 9 – Discrimination towards women
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Source - https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-
cultural-effectiveness/pages/workplace-discrimination-erodes-confidence-in-women.aspx
Image 10 – Low tolerance for diverse beliefs
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Source - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/07/islamophobia-holding-back-uk-
muslims-in-workplace-study-finds
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