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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Intersectional identities in interpersonal communication

subject

description

International audience; Dominant theories of identity in the social sciences appear ill-equipped to take into account the fact that individuals may simultaneously refer to multiple identities in seeking to relate to/make sense of one another during interpersonal interactions. This chapter reviews the ways in which (i) Social Identity Theory, (ii) Identity Theory and (iii) Intersectionality can be applied to analysing such situations, the aspects foregrounded by each respective theoretical framework, and the perceived limits of each. It then argues the case for situating analyses on the level of ―identity traits‖ (behaviours attributable to a particular identity or identities), rather than of identities, in order to bypass a certain number of conceptual limitations and cast light upon the ways in which individuals may seek to privilege not only accountability (Garfinkel 1967) but also coherency between intersecting identities during an interpersonal encounter.