Surprising intersectionalities of inequality and privilege: the case of the arts and cultural sector
Tatli, A. and Ozbilgin, M. (2011) Surprising intersectionalities of inequality and privilege: the case of the arts and cultural sector, Equality Diversity and Inclusion: an international journal, Special Issue on Joan Acker, edited by S. Sayce.
Purpose: In this paper we explore the difficult territory of intersectionality as it relates to inequality and... more
Purpose: In this paper we explore the difficult territory of intersectionality as it relates to inequality and disadvantage in the labour market of the arts and cultural sector. We first examine the way Acker’s concept of inequality regimes is located in the extant literature. Then, we study the dynamics of intersectionality in the arts and cultural sector, which offers an ideal setting with interesting and counter-intuitive outcomes of intersectionality.
Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on a qualitative study which generated interviews with students, employers and higher education institutions which are involved in industrial placements (internships) in the arts and cultural sector in Britain.
Findings: In line with Acker, we also dispute a-contextual and cumulative formulations of intersecting inequalities that rely on multiplying the unequal outcomes on the basis of traditional categories of disadvantage. Instead, we argue that multiplicity of identities and forms of disadvantage introduce complexity and contextual depth into the analysis of inequality if we are to understand interplay between different forms of disadvantage. In addition, we maintain that intersectionality produces surprising outcomes, which vary across industrial contexts, in particular across different sectors of employment. We use the case of work undergraduate and postgraduate placement practices in the arts and cultural sector, in order to demonstrate the unexpected nature of intersectionality in producing disadvantage.
Research limitations/implications: The study draws on a selection of students, employers and higher education staff from London. A larger selection of institutions outside London could reveal differences between London and other cities and regions in Britain.
Practical implications: Intersectionality is an important concern for diversity and human resources management professionals. We provide an assessment of it in an unusual sectoral context.
Social implications: There is need to develop an emic understanding of intersectionality in each sector.
Originality/value: In the literature, intersectionality is problematised at workplace and individual levels. Our take of intersectionality is original in the sense that we explore how intersectionality operates at the sectoral level. In doing so, we demonstrate that salience of a strand of inequality in terms of producing intersectional disadvantage depends on the context.