Mapping intersectionality: a conceptual and methodological model for the study of inequalities and discriminations

Project Information

INTERMAPS

Grant agreement ID: 101039447

DOI

10.3030/101039447

EC signature date 17 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 226 000,00

EU contribution

€ 1 226 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTERMAPS (Mapping intersectionality: a conceptual and methodological model for the study of inequalities and discriminations)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Intersectionality is a concept that has gone viral in the past decade, becoming the most prominent analytical framework for analysing inequality. Its main premises are that people differently positioned in relation to their gender, ethnicity, age, social class, sexual orientation, etc., experience inequality in different ways, showing that the interconnection of specific social positions produces concrete forms of inequality and discrimination that are differently configured in different spaces. Despite the expansion of this concept, there is a lack of theoretical or methodological proposals that characterize how this variability is configured, leading to a prevailing use of intersectionality as a vague concept.
INTERMAPS aims to make a significant paradigm shift in intersectionality studies by proposing a new theoretical and methodological model that, while maintaining the original purposes and motivations of the concept, develops a specific framework that can establish a systematization and characterization of intersectional dynamics. It includes a new theoretical model for conceptualizing intersectional inequalities from a spatial and emotional perspective, the development of new specific methods that combine and integrate qualitative, quantitative, digital and spatial (GIS) approaches and an empirical application that will follow an intercategorical approach. This will allow an analysis of intersectional dynamics in themselves, the creation of new indicators of intersectional inequality and discrimination and the establishment of a characterization and mapping of intersectionality.
INTERMAPS will enable a better understanding of how structural inequalities are (re)produced and how they differently affect people’s everyday lives, building bridges between feminist and postcolonial theories, critical geographies and social psychology, and overcoming the divide between quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social sciences.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The INTERMAPS project has made substantial progress across its three core objectives—Theoretical, Methodological, and Empirical.

The project’s theoretical achievements are underscored by the development of a model that situates spatial and emotional dimensions at the heart of intersectional dynamics. This model has been significantly informed by the publication of “From the Margins of Geographical Information Systems: Limitations, Challenges, and Proposals” in Progress in Human Geography (Font-Casaseca & Rodó-Zárate, 2024). The article examines key limitations in traditional GIS frameworks and proposes transformative perspectives, including feminist, decolonial, queer, and Black approaches. These insights address challenges related to representation, emotional dimensions, scales, temporal changes, and relational analysis. This work advances critical GIS studies and provides a groundbreaking framework that integrates GIS with intersectional analysis, establishing the foundation for the Relief Maps+ tool. This publication marks a substantial theoretical advancement.

The development of the Relief Maps+ tool represents one of the project’s most significant methodological achievements. This digital platform combines qualitative, quantitative, and spatial data into a single, accessible interface, enabling users to explore and visualize the complex interplay of social inequalities across categories such as gender, race, and class. To ensure the tool’s robustness, a rigorous validation process was undertaken. This process included a survey with 54 respondents to evaluate the tool’s categories and confirm its adaptability, a focus group with eight experts who assessed its relevance and clarity, and pilot tests with 37 participants that led to adjustments for enhanced usability. Consultations with our advisory board members, alongside GIS experts, helped optimize the tool’s capabilities. The Relief Maps+ tool has thus become a powerful resource for exploration of intersectional inequalities without requiring specialized technical expertise. Its user-friendly design democratizes access to sophisticated analytical tools, making it possible to examine the complexities of social inequalities in a comprehensive and intuitive way.

In terms of empirical achievements, the project has made considerable progress in data collection, with over 700 participants engaged to date. The dataset, gathered from a diverse sample of individuals, provides a rich foundation for analyzing how intersecting social categories shape lived experiences. This phase was supported by a comprehensive ethical framework, designed to safeguard participant privacy and comply with GDPR standards. Regular internal meetings focused on ethical considerations have helped to maintain a participant-centered approach, ensuring that data collection practices align with the project’s high ethical standards. The dataset’s diversity and depth offer invaluable insights into the social, spatial, and emotional dimensions of intersectional dynamics, setting the stage for further exploration in subsequent phases of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Relief Maps tool (reliefmaps.upf.edu) and the publication by Font and Rodó-Zárate both represent significant breakthroughs that advance their respective fields beyond the current state-of-the-art.