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Intersectional Agency INTERSECTIONAL AGENCY A theoretical exploration of agency at the junction of social categories and power, based on conversations with racially privileged feminist activists from São Paulo, Brazil A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2019 DIEUWERTJE HUIJG SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Department of Sociology Blank page 2 Content page par. Abstract ................................................................................................ 7 Declaration ........................................................................................... 8 Copyright statement ............................................................................. 8 Acknowledgements .............................................................................. 9 About the author .................................................................................. 11 Chapter 1. Introduction ..................................................................... 13 Background ..................................................................................... 13 1.1 Research context ............................................................................ 16 1.5 Research approach ......................................................................... 18 1.8 Fieldwork ..................................................................................... 19 1.9 Participants .................................................................................. 20 1.10 Data collection ............................................................................. 23 1.15 Data analysis. .............................................................................. 23 1.20 Thesis structure ............................................................................... 30 1.27 PART I : THEORISING INTERSECTIONALITY AND AGENCY ......... 35 Chapter 2. A Genealogy of Intersectionality .................................... 37 Introduction. ..................................................................................... 37 2.1 Contextualising 'intersectionality avant la lettre'. .............................. 39 2.3 Developing intersectionality. ............................................................ 44 2.10 Intersectionality as a field of study ................................................... 48 2.17 Chapter 3. Theorising Intersectionality ............................................ 51 Introduction . .................................................................................... 51 3.1 Orientating features of intersectionality . .......................................... 52 3.3 Intersectional analysis as epistemological orientation ................ 52 3.3 Intersectional analysis orientated towards social justice .............. 53 3.4 Intersectional analysis as dialogical ............................................. 56 3.8 Social categories as building blocks of intersectionality ................... 59 3.12 Differences, social categories and power .................................... 60 3.13 Social categories as multidimensional, contextual and dynamic . 66 3.22 Reflections on the relation between social categories and power in intersectionality ................................................................................ 71 3.30 Social categorical distinguishability and irreducibility ................... 73 3.33 Intersectional interrelationality ..................................................... 75 3.37 'Oppression Olympics': hierarchisation in intersectionality .......... 77 3.39 3 Chapter 4. Theorising Agency .......................................................... 81 Introduction. ..................................................................................... 81 4.1 Contra a conflationary approach to agency ..................................... 82 4.3 Agency and social inequality; passivity versus activity .................... 86 4.9 Agency, social transformation, and 'having power' ...................... 86 4.9 Passivity, incapability and lacking agency ................................... 88 4.11 An anti-conflationary approach to agency........................................ 89 4.14 Capacity and choice .................................................................... 89 4.14 Agentic action .............................................................................. 90 4.16 Behaviour, action, social action .................................................. 93 4.19 Non-agentic action ...................................................................... 95 4.24 Agentic inaction ........................................................................... 97 4.27 Conditions for agency ...................................................................... 99 4.30 Consciousness ............................................................................ 100 4.33 Reflexivity .................................................................................... 102 4.35 Orientatedness ............................................................................ 106 4.41 Final considerations ......................................................................... 110 4.47 PART II: CASE STUDIES ................................................................... 113 Chapter 5. Eduarda: Spraying Feminist Slogans When The Police Come ................................................................................................... 115 Introduction. ..................................................................................... 115 5.1 Eduarda ..................................................................................... 116 5.3 The group. ................................................................................. 118 5.7 The action group ....................................................................... 119 5.9 The event ......................................................................................... 122 5.13 Apis's risk of police violence ...................................................... 123 5.16 Carola and authority .................................................................. 126 5.21 The silence of reflection ............................................................ 130 5.27 The event in context ........................................................................ 132 5.31 Assessing Apis .......................................................................... 133 5.32 Eduarda assesses ..................................................................... 135 5.35 Carola and leadership ............................................................... 137 5.38 The group and racial exclusion. ................................................ 138 5.40 Withholding care and protection ...................................................... 140 5.43 Final considerations ......................................................................... 142 5.45 Chapter 6. Luciane: A Racist Thought On The Bus To University 147 Introduction. ..................................................................................... 147 6.1 Luciane ........................................................................................ 148 6.3 Having the thought .......................................................................... 149 6.6 Introducing the thought ............................................................... 149 6.6 (Not) racialising accents .............................................................. 150 6.7 Not telling the thought ................................................................. 151 6.8 4 Feeling the thought ...................................................................... 152 6.9 Emotions and assessments ........................................................ 155 6.16 Telling the racist thought ............................................................. 158 6.21 Engaging with the thought ............................................................... 160 6.23 Giving leeway to the thought ....................................................... 160 6.23 Surrendering to hierarchy and becoming the oppressor .............. 163 6.28 Not verbalising the thought .......................................................... 167 6.34 Reflexive agency and intersectional nojo ......................................... 172 6.42 Final considerations. ........................................................................ 175 6.47 Chapter 7. Sandra: Sexual Harassment While Walking In The Park .................................................................................................... 177 Introduction . .................................................................................... 177 7.1 Sandra ......................................................................................... 178 7.4 The event in terms of observable actions ........................................ 180 7.8 Turning point 1 ................................................................................. 183 7.12 The mini-second .......................................................................... 183 7.12 Agential instance 1: non-mobilisation of fear ............................... 185 7.14 Agential instance 2: expelling shame .......................................... 189 7.20 Agential instance 3: responding or not ........................................ 192 7.25 Turning point 2 ................................................................................. 197 7.34 Turning point 3 ................................................................................
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