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Intersectionality: Affirmative Action with Multidimensional Identities

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-Paul Carvalho

    (University of Oxford)

  • Bary Pradelski

    (MFO - Maison Française d'Oxford - MEAE - Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, POLARIS - Performance analysis and optimization of LARge Infrastructures and Systems - Centre Inria de l'Université Grenoble Alpes - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - LIG - Laboratoire d'Informatique de Grenoble - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)

  • Cole Williams

    (Durham University)

Abstract

Studying the design of affirmative action policies when identities are multidimensional, we provide a formal demonstration of the importance of intersectionality. Prevailing affirmative action policies are based only on one identity dimension (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic class). We find that any such nonintersectional policy can almost never achieve a representative outcome. In fact, nonintersectional policies often increase the underrepresentation of underrepresented groups in a manner undetected by standard measures. Examples based on race and gender reveal significant hidden inequality arising from nonintersectional policies. We show how to construct intersectional policies that achieve proportional representation.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Paul Carvalho & Bary Pradelski & Cole Williams, 2024. "Intersectionality: Affirmative Action with Multidimensional Identities," Post-Print hal-04788142, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04788142
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2023.03839
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04788142v1
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