Research: Intersectionality

Understanding the intersections of race/ethnicity, age, and gender when examining public health and psychological research on disparities, representation, and well-being

Health disparities are often documented by making cross-group comparisons and determining that non-dominant social groups fare worse in terms of physical and mental health outcomes. However, this approach tends to focus on one social category (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age) at a time, rather than investigating where there may be variation within a group based on multiple social categories experienced simultaneously. My research utilizes an intersectional framework to examine within-group variation by examining multiple demographic categories and identities and how these affect health and well-being. This work draws attention to the question of who is included in a category, and highlights the diversity within particular social groups to elucidate where disparities may be greatest.