Roman Kuhar Kuhar Roman ofDiscrimination Crossroads the At Roman Kuhar, PhD is assistant professor at the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Arts and rese- archer at the Peace Institute. Between 2005 and 2008 he was a visiting lecturer at the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization in Venice. 9 789616 455572 ISBN 978-961-6455-57-2 Roman Kuhar At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination His research focuses include gender and sexuality studi- es, media studies, gay and lesbian studies and issues of intolerance. Between 2002 and 2008 he was a co-editor of annual Intolerance Monitor Report, and since 2007 he is the editor of LGBT magazine Narobe (eng. Wrong, www. narobe.si). He is the author of three bo- oks: We, the others (2001), Media Representations of homosexuality (2003) and co-author (with Alenka Švab) of Unbearable Comfort of Privacy: Everyday Life of Gays and Lesbians (2005). With Judit Takács he co-edi- ted a publication Beyond the Pink Curtain: Everyday Life of Gays and Lesbians in Eastern Europe (2007). 12,00€ oovitekvitek eeng.inddng.indd 1 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:04:243:04:24 Roman Kuhar Kuhar Roman ofDiscrimination Crossroads the At Roman Kuhar, PhD is assistant professor at the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Arts and rese- archer at the Peace Institute. Between 2005 and 2008 he was a visiting lecturer at the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization in Venice. 9 789616 455572 ISBN 978-961-6455-57-2 Roman Kuhar At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination His research focuses include gender and sexuality studi- es, media studies, gay and lesbian studies and issues of intolerance. Between 2002 and 2008 he was a co-editor of the annual Intolerance Monitor Report, and since 2007 he is the editor of LGBT magazine Narobe (eng. Wrong, www. narobe.si). He is the author of three bo- oks: We, the others (2001), Media Representations of homosexuality (2003) and co-author (with Alenka Švab) of Unbearable Comfort of Privacy: Everyday Life of Gays and Lesbians (2005). With Judit Takács he co-edi- ted a publication Beyond the Pink Curtain: Everyday Life of Gays and Lesbians in Eastern Europe (2007). 12,00€ oovitekvitek eeng.inddng.indd 1 44.12.2009.12.2009 117:16:507:16:50 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd 1 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd 2 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 Roman Kuhar At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd 3 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 project project partners interviews and focus groups PROTECT - Progressing towards Association Information Centre conducted by Equality: An Intersectional Legebitra Anja Kocman Approach to Discrimination Association for Development of Eva Debeljak Voluntary Work Novo mesto Jasna Magić projecta director YHD – Association for Theory and Natalija Jeseničnik Culture of Handicap Neža Kogovšek Neža Kogovšek Peace Institute Roman Kuhar Legal Informational Centre Simon Maljevac for Non-Governmental Organizations – PIC Tina Cigler Vita Habjan At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination author publisher and Roman Kuhar copyright holder editor Peace institute, Metelkova 6, Neža Kogovšek SI–1000 Ljubljana translation Alkemist Translation Agency publishing of the book cover photography was supported by Nada Žgank/Memento European Commission photography Open Society Institute Domen Pal/Memento, p.: 14, 26, 68, 84, The sole responsibility for the Jaka Adamič, p.: 64, 126, content of this publication Matej Leskovšek, p.: 140, lies with the author and the Nada Žgank/Memento, publisher. The European p.: 38, 50, 92, 104, 116, 136, Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made Toni Dugorepec, p.: 56, of the information contained printing therein. Stane Peklaj, s. p. print-run CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji 500 copies Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 316.647.82 KUHAR, Roman, 1973- At the crossroads of discrimination : multiple and intersectional discrimination / Roman Kuhar ; [translation Alkemist Translation Agency ; photography Domen Pal ... et al.]. - Ljubljana : Peace Institute, 2009 ISBN 978-961-6455-57-2 248696576 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd 4 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 Contents Discrimination beyond categorisation 9 1 Discrimination as a practice of inequality 15 1.1 Typological approach to discrimination 18 1.2 The functioning of discrimination 19 1.3 Language and discrimination 20 1.3.1 Negative Other-presentation 21 1.3.2 Exclusion 22 1.3.3 Non-linguistic forms of less favourable treatment 24 1.3.4 Discriminatory objectification 24 2 Intersectional and multiple discrimination 27 2.1 The sum or a new content of discrimination? 30 2.2 Types of intersectionality 33 2.3 Intersectional and multiple discrimination 34 2.4 Thematising intersectional discrimination in European Union policies 36 3 Discrimination and intolerance 41 3.1 Micro ideologies of everyday life 42 3.1.1 Stereotypes 42 3.1.2 Prejudices 45 3.2 Modern prejudices and stereotypes 49 4 The extent of discrimination in Slovenia and beyond 53 5 Research on (intersectional) discrimination 59 5.1 The course of the research and methodology 61 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd SSec5:5ec5:5 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 6 When will you run out of glue? 67 7 Attribution as a basis for discrimination 71 7.1 Attribution based on visible traits 73 7.1.1 Language as a visible trait 77 7.1.2 Name as a trait which becomes visible 81 7.2 Attribution based on non-visible, imagined or unknown traits 83 8 Stigmatised identity 89 8.1 Discrimination as a reaction to stigmatised identity 89 8.1.1 (Un)covering the stigma 91 8.1.2 Stigma as a contagion 92 9 The mode and place of discrimination 97 9.1 Discrimination through use of negatively connoted expressions 97 9.2 Discrimination at work 100 9.1.1 Disability and the workplace 100 9.1.2 Religious affiliation and the workplace 104 9.1.3 Ethnicity and the workplace 107 9.1.4 Gender and the workplace 108 10 Intersectional discrimination in everyday life 111 10.1 Intersection of gender and ethnicity 113 10.2 Intersection of gender and religious affiliation 115 10.3 Intersection of gender and disability 117 10.4 Intersection of gender and sexual orientation 118 10.5 Intersection of sexual orientation and ethnicity 119 10.6 Intersection of sexual orientation and religion 120 10.7 Intersection of sexual orientation and disability 121 10.8 Intersection of ethnicity and disability 121 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd SSec5:6ec5:6 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 11 Methods of stigma management 125 11.1 Destigmatisation of stigma 126 11.2 Rationalisation and “justifying” the stigma 128 11.3 Relativisation of stigma 128 11.4 Concealing the stigma 128 11.5 Mirroring the stigma 130 11.6 Stigma as an advantage 131 11.7 Resignation 133 12 Consequences of stigmatisation and discrimination 135 12.1 Social exclusion 136 12.2 Self-stigmatisation 138 12.3 Deteriorating health condition 139 12.4 Additional discrimination 141 Instead of the conclusion: discrimination and compassion 145 References 149 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd SSec5:7ec5:7 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd SSec5:8ec5:8 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination 9 Discrimination beyond categorisation Being active in the area of (non)discrimination, one can often hear objec- tions, such as why is the issue of discrimination so often emphasised, why are there so many seminars on discrimination countermeasures, why all the post- ers and other campaigns that draw attention to the matter, since this is not supposed to be such a serious issue after all. The problem nonetheless exists, but hidden, because its victims are often reluctant to talk about it or they do not even recognise they are being discriminated against, they are condoning it and perceive it as a completely normal and generally admissible behaviour. Individuals and groups particularly exposed to discrimination do not realise that by being silent and by condoning discrimination they are helping to maintain a situation in which it seems acceptable to endure discrimination (which in no way means that they themselves are guilty that discrimination happened in the first place). By adopting legislation which prohibits various forms of discrimination1, an agreement has been reached on its unacceptability and inadmissibility; now further efforts are needed to enforce the legislation more effectively and more often. This primarily means raising awareness on what discrimination is, in what forms it manifests itself, who its most frequent victims are and how to prevent it. We also need to become bolder when it comes to applying vari- ous means that are at our disposal in the event of discrimination, from non- formal means, such as warning the offender or alerting the media, to more formal means, like reporting the offence to the Human Rights Ombudsman, to the Advocate of the Principle of Equality or to the competent inspectorate, 1 If we list only the most basic sources, this legislation in Slovenia includes the Implementa- tion of the Principle of Equal Treatment Act, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons Act, Articles 6 and 6a of Employment Relationship Act, Articles 131 and 297 of the Penal Code of the Republic of Slovenia and Article 20 of the Protection of Public Order Act. nnotranjeotranje eeng.inddng.indd SSec0:9ec0:9 44.12.2009.12.2009 113:07:203:07:20 10 At the Crossroads of Discrimination Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination or bringing an action before a competent court.