La interseccionalidad política: tipos y factores de entrada en la agenda política, jurídica y de los movimientos sociales

Abstract

This thesis presented as a compendium examines how and why the intersectional approach is incorporated into the political agendas of governments and social movements and in legal practice. To answer these research questions a case study methodology was chosen, selecting three different cases: one in the field of public policy -the LGBT policies in Catalonia-, another in the social movements field -the indignados movement in Spain- and a third in the field of anti-discrimination law - the case of BS v Spain-. The results of the analysis of the three cases are two analytical models, with its dimensions and variables, capable of capturing both the different ways the intersectional perspective is implemented in each of the contexts analysed, and the factors involved in this implementation. Firstly, the thesis conclude that the intersectional perspective is put into practice in different ways depending, in part, to the area in which this interpretation is confined. Secondly, it concludes that the quality of the interpretations implemented can vary. There are perspectives with higher quality, such as the one included in the indignados social movement, and others with lower quality. This quality depends on the varying scope of this perspective (greater centrality or systematization and the inclusion of a combination of the inter and intra-categorical models), the emphasis placed on the causes and/or effects of inequality, and the way the relationships among inequalities are articulated. Thirdly, the analysis of the factors macro, meso and micro for all the areas identified in this thesis has contributed to the conclusion that the implementation of intersectionality occurs thanks to a combination of factors. Moreover, it is observed that the weight of these factors may be different depending on the context. For example, it has been observed that hybrid structures, equal coverage of the axes of inequality in legislation and the opening of these laws to protect all possible inequalities can play an important role in certain contexts. It has also been confirmed that the weight of the meso level is strong in all three cases, and that there are multiple factors at play at this level. A key contribution of this thesis is to have analysed in a deeper way the relationship between different meso factors: the pressure capacity of the actors, their training, alliances established between them and the mechanisms of participation and decision. Finally, the analysis of the micro level applied to the legal case indicates that this level can play a key role in certain contexts, and that it would be necessary to further explore its possible weight beyond the legal field. Overall, this thesis focuses on one of the areas least explored by the theory of intersectionality -the analysis of the conditions that can impulse the interseccional perspective- offering a systematic and critical evaluation of the variables that explain the plurality with which the intersectional perspective is put into practice and the factors that come into play in his entry into the political agendas and legal praxis. This systematization is thus a step towards a consolidation of the theory of intersectionality. Thanks to this analysis, this thesis has also point out in its conclusions some guidelines for the practical application of this approach in the political and legal field, with the aim of facilitating the work of all actors in these areas on the the defence of human rights and social and political equality.

Date of Award	5 Mar 2015
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Emanuela Lombardo (Director) & Joan Subirats Humet (Tutor)