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From Margins to Mainstream: Breaking barriers and building belonging through understanding intersectionality in higher education

Fiona Cook, Research Associate

Emilie Smith, EDI Manager

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Padlet

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Terminology

Intersectionality
People of the Global Majority (PGM)
Student Experience

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Emilie

Some key terms that we use are:

Intersectionality - A term that was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw. Is simply about recognising that we are all multiple things at the same time. That marginalised identities don’t exist in isolation and as you will hear, the discrimination experienced due to these identities may not just be additive but produce a unique set of struggles/experiences that need to recognised.

PGM which means People of the Global Majority, and is the collective term for marginalised ethnicities. The term is an acknowledgement that whilst these communities may be presented as the minority they actually account for over 85% of the world's population. The term fully appreciates the challenges faced by all groups and accounts for the intersections of multiple identities.

We have been led by our students in adopting this term. I endeavour to use the full term People of the Global Majority where possible, but will sometimes use PGM if there is limited space.

Student Experience - When referring to the student experience we are including the holistic experience. As well as teaching and learning we also explore sense of belonging and community

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Context

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Portsmouth Context
Demographic Data
Sample Population
Quantitative Data

Makeup	Uni Pop.	Sample Pop.
PGM	34%	39%
Women	49%	80%
Disabled	17%	20%

1min 30 sec

Fiona

This project sought to understand both the intersectional makeup of our university and the lived experiences of students who bear multiple minoritised identities, i.e. more than one disadvantaged demographic such as ethnicity, gender, or disability.

We used quantitative analysis of our student data sets to examine the demographics of the student body, and focused on People of the Global Majority, women, and disabled students. At Portsmouth, our students are 34% People of the Global Majority, 49% female, and 17% disabled, and 2% of students have all of these characteristics*. As you can see in this table, our sample was fairly reflective of ethnicity and disability, but overrepresented on gender.

We used semi-structured interviews with 18 students in the Faculty of Science and Health on courses which had high numbers of these students, and either particularly high or low success metrics in progression and award.

This graph shows the intersectional makeup of our sample, with Women of the Global Majority and disabled women being the largest groups, and in the interviews most participants also disclosed other demographic information such as sexual orientation and religion.

We found our students didn’t have a strong understanding of intersectionality so often talked about their experiences of discrimination in singular ways. We will quickly run through though the issues they highlighted on the next 3 slides and then focus on the intersectional barriers and our next steps.

*Full pop. is 16% PGM & woman, 10% disabled & woman, and 3% PGM & disabled.

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Representation & Community

Do you see people like you in your reading list?

How important is representation?

How comfortable would you be with being a representative of any groups you identify with?

Do you engage with the communities you identify with?

“I think [my ethnicity is] really, really important. It’s like a core aspect of my life. I never want to lose touch with my ethnicity. I find it so special, that every person can bring something so different to the table.”

Importance of Representation and Community
Support through Community
Cultural Identity
Mental Health Literacy
Representation Channels

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Emilie:

When asked about representation and community there were some key themes that emerged: Importance of Representation and Community, Support through community, cultural identity, mental health literacy and representation channels.

Importance of Representation and Community:

All the students recognised the significance of representation and community, both within and outside the curriculum.
This included the value in having relatable role models who have overcome barriers - citing that it provided empowerment and hope.
Participants feel more understood and comfortable when seeing people similar to them in successful roles.
Representation within the community is seen as a means to reduce experiences of discrimination. People having a better understanding.

Support through community

Whilst all students mentioned a link to community with lived experience this was especially important for students with disabilities.

Students with disabilities find support and understanding within their communities.
Representation is noted to facilitate easier integration within group settings.
Mental health literacy and discussion, especially at the intersection of an Asian background, are identified as areas needing improvement.

Cultural Identity and Belonging for PGM Students:

PGM students emphasised the importance of maintaining their culture, values, language, food, festivals, etc.
Friendships are more likely to evolve with individuals who share their heritage, providing acknowledgment and comfort.
Communities play a crucial role in helping PGM students learn about their identity, particularly in higher education.

Channels for Seeking Representation:

Students seek representation through various channels, including lecturers, recent alumni, and associations and professionals in their discipline.
A sense of community is developed through natural friendships, student societies, local community groups, and family.

Mental Health Literacy:

Those with mental health conditions noted a lack of mental health literacy, particularly within the intersection of an Asian background.

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Societal Experiences of Discrimination and Harassment

What are your experiences of double discrimination and barriers?

Do you have any caring or employment responsibilities?

Where do you consider “home”?

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"Just in general being a woman, things that virtually every woman has dealt with, obviously harassment wise in clubs and whatever."

Perceptions and Understanding of Discrimination
Gender-Based Discrimination and Normalisation
Challenges and Variability in Experiences for Disabled Participants
Cultural Identity, Belonging, and Discrimination for International and PGM Students

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Fiona
In this section, participants talked about topics including their experiences of discrimination in society, what responsibilities they have outside of their studies, and their perceptions of “home”.
Perceptions and Understanding of Discrimination:

Participants did not always have a clear understanding of what constitutes discrimination, and recognition of their personal experiences of discrimination was often prompted by broader examples. They needed time to reflect on their experiences to consider that they may have been discriminatory.
Many participants preferred to assume positive intentions, and would accept ignorance if the perpetrator showed a willingness to learn.

Gender-Based Discrimination and Normalisation:

Participants used the terms "women" and "female" interchangeably.
Their experiences of discrimination were downplayed as part of being a woman, with societal attitudes normalised. I will read this quote to highlight the tone used by the participant "Just in general being a woman, things that virtually every woman has dealt with, obviously harassment wise in clubs and whatever".This reflects the very nonchalant attitude towards sexual harassment for women.
Because of this normalisation, the primary areas of discrimination for women shifted towards disability, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.

Challenges and Variability in Experiences for Disabled Participants:

Disabled participants faced challenges in clarity and consistency regarding the definition of disability as this varied between the university, the government, external services, and the media.
Stigma, perceptions, and labeling associated with disabilities were significant concerns and this impacted disclosure.
Disability was most significant for participants who received a later diagnosis and were struggling to adjust; for more visible conditions, and for concerns around employability and the potential for bias.

Cultural Identity, Belonging, and Discrimination for International and Students of the Global Majority:

Students of different nationalities or domiciles experienced a lack of belonging and the perceived need for identity changes when moving countries.
Students of the Global Majority faced challenges in understanding and fitting into broader society, and also had high expectations from within their own culture which led to struggles in setting boundaries.
Racism dominated the experiences of discrimination for People of the Global Majority, including stereotyping, microaggressions, and colorism.

Additionally, LGBTQ+ participants highlighted experiences of gender stereotyping, bi-erasure/biphobia, and fear of coming out.

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University Barriers & Discrimination

What are your experiences of double discrimination and barriers?

How well do you think staff understand barriers you have faced?

What university services do you use?

“When I came to university, I was asked: did I want to tell my tutor about [my mental health issues]? I had reservations about that because of stigma attached to that.”

Disabled Students
PGM Students
Students of Faith

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Emilie:
“When I came to university, I was asked: did I want to tell my tutor about [my mental health issues]? I had reservations about that because of stigma attached to that.”
The positive theme was that University was seen as a Safe Space with less discrimination, providing an opportunity to embrace diverse identities and accept individuality.

Specific challenges are identified around disability, ethnicity, and religion, where participants encounter issues that need attention and improvement.

For our Disabled Students those challenges

Disabled students expressed concerns about accessibility and support issues at university.
Specific challenges include inconsistent Moodle layouts, the need for staff understanding of diverse needs, the impact of conditions on studying, requirements for health passports, and challenges related to medical absences and support processes.

Barriers Experienced by Students of the Global Majority:

Students of the Global Majority face barriers at university, including a poor sense of belonging, cultural and language barriers, assumptions about academic ability, and racism in the curriculum, particularly in Pharmacy.
Best practices mentioned by these students include anonymized marking, the ability to leave class if content is distressing, and the presence of Diversity Officers.

Challenges Faced by Students of Faith:

Students of faith encounter challenges related to prayer time, religious and cultural festivals, considerations of faith in the curriculum, and access to hardship funds without using Student Finance England (SFE) for Muslim students.
Concerns include potential blockage of access to Moodle and online exams and recommendations of deferring suggesting failure.

Additionally, participants highlighted the need for consideration of a global perspective in teaching, addressing UK-centric environments and careers, and recognizing caring responsibilities when arranging placements.

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Intersectional Experiences and Discrimination

“If I’m home, if I go back for the summer and stuff like that, I would have to stay home to take care of my sister and just play with her ..., it does take away time that I can use to study.”

Mental Health in PGM Communities
PGM Women & Culture
Religion & Ethnicity/Domicile
Disabled Women

What are your experiences of double discrimination and barriers?

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4mins
Fiona

The interviews provided relatively minimal data on intersectionality as students needed time to reflect on their own experiences and understand the topics discussed. Although participants received an information sheet and had the opportunity to ask questions prior to the interviews, any future research will benefit from a more detailed introduction to intersectionality prior to interview. We are about to run a second round of interviews and these participants have been sent a 2-minute video to watch. Despite these limitations, there were still clear themes of strong intersectional discrimination experienced by our students.

The two primary themes were mental health in Global Majority communities and cultural experiences for Women of the Global Majority.

Mental Health in PGM Communities:

Students of the Global Majority expressed a lack of mental health understanding, literacy, and support within their communities.
There was a strong belief in the need to improve awareness of mental health and reduce stigma, particularly within Asian and Muslim communities. For these groups, mental health is a taboo topic that cannot be discussed.
These participants were less likely to disclose mental health issues to their family as they felt that they would be seen as making excuses, and their diagnoses were often delayed as they were raised in a way that did not see mental health issues as valid. Many of these participants were also women which compounded this even further. This lack of disclosure and late diagnoses can then prevent appropriate support provision both for university work and life more generally. These experiences also applied to other conditions such as ADHD.
For some of these students their friendships, particularly those developed at university away from family structures, provided a place to better explore, understand, and express their struggles with their mental health.

Women of the Global Majority:

Women of the Global Majority experienced discrimination due to cultural expectations within their communities, which limited their educational activities.
Asian and Black women, in particular, felt overlooked in family and work decisions and were often obliged to support domestic work, impacting their time and space for study.
As this quote shows, the domestic work particularly involved caring for family and younger siblings, and many participants didn’t recognise the impact this could have on them, or the gendered assumptions underpinning it. They saw it as simply supporting their family rather than as a caring responsibility. They were also more likely to use campus facilities such as the library which provided a space to study away from home and these familial expectations.
Additional discriminatory experiences included menstruation for South Asian women who could be seen as 'unclean' by their community, and racism for Women of the Global Majority who felt they experienced more racism than men due to the combination of their ethnicity and gender. They also highlighted the lack of representation of Women of the Global Majority in leadership positions.

Secondary themes included religion and ethnicity or domicile, and experiences of disabled women.

Religion & Ethnicity:

Muslim participants shared experiences of discrimination when they are not Arab or Asian, with their religion being questioned due to their ethnicity or domicile, and they experienced microaggressions regarding their ability to engage with their religion.
Muslim women felt less comfortable discussing faith, gender, and sexuality in open forums, especially with those from their own communities. They found that these topics were more normalised with other women with Westernised backgrounds.

Disabled Women:

Disabled women highlighted challenges in the medical field where some conditions focus on symptoms and research for men, leading to late diagnoses and support.
They also found there was less understanding from men about issues affecting women, and disabled women often felt uncomfortable discussing their medical history with men, particularly when also of a different ethnicity or religion.
Age was also a factor for disability, as being young and disabled resulted in missed opportunities and assumptions about their abilities.

Conclusion

In summary, participants broadly had a view of discrimination that focused on education of ignorance rather than intentional discrimination, however, they found their experiences frustrating.

They generally had one area of minoritisation that dominated their experience of discrimination, but this is possibly due to lack of understanding or consideration as even by the end of the interview participants were reflecting on their experiences and how they might intersect. Intersectional discrimination was particularly noticeable for Asian and Black women.

Although the intersectional issues highlighted are often outside of a university context, there are clear areas that universities can address to reduce discrimination and barriers for our students.

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Addressing Barriers

Student Personas
Staff Training
Senior Support & Visibility
Use of Data

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Student Personas:

Produce a series of personas reflective of the student's experiences revealed by the study which can be referred to when undertaking EIA's allowing the student experiences revealed by this study are considered when colleagues develop relevant new services, policies or practices.

Staff Training:

Promote awareness of training and guidance already available and increase numbers of colleagues with teaching and learning responsibility, engaging with, and modelling, Brave Spaces and Decolonising the Curriculum activities.This would be monitored and reported through publication of scorecard indicating numbers of staff having completed relevant training drilled down to school/department. Commission/develop new Cultural humility and Allyship training for students and colleagues.

Senior Support & Visibility:

Increase awareness amongst students of relevant support services when joining the University. Work with internal comms to ensure transition and induction comms highlight the breadth of support provisions, especially for those more at-risk students group identified in the report.

Use of data:

Identify how student sexual misconduct policy can address experiences outlined by students in the report.and embed report recommendations in the development of Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy and Action Plan

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fiona.cook@port.ac.uk

emilie.smith@port.ac.uk

Questions & Contacts

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References

Arday, J. (2018) ‘Dismantling power and privilege through reflexivity: Negotiating normative whiteness, the Eurocentric curriculum and racial micro-aggressions within the Academy’, Whiteness and Education, 3(2), pp. 141–161.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989 (1), pp/ 139-167.

Harris, J.C. and Patton, L.D. (2018) ‘Un/Doing Intersectionality through Higher Education Research’, The Journal of Higher Education, 90(3), pp. 347–372.

Nichols, S. and Stahl, G. (2019) ‘Intersectionality in higher education research: A systematic literature review’, Higher Education Research & Development, 38(6), pp. 1255–1268.

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Artists

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Albadree, A. (2023). We can thrive together: Visioning Economic Justice for all. The Opportunity Agenda. https://opportunityagenda.org/messaging_reports/we-can-thrive-together/

instagram.com/alex.albadree

Alexander, D. (2020). https://damianimated.com

instagram.com/damianimated

Bonsai Artistry. (2023) Emotional Mosaic: Abstract Visage Unveiled.

https://www.deviantart.com/bonsaiartistry/art/Emotional-Mosaic-Abstract-Visage-Unveiled-978306290

Creator Jazzy. (2022)

instagram.com/creator.jazzy

Dedraw Studio (2023)

instagram.com/dedrawstudio

Duckworth, S. (2020). Intersectionality [Infographic]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jy46K4. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

instagram.com/sylviaduckworth