Unveiling Intersectionality: Identity and Difference in a Female Immigrant's Narrative

Abstract

The "intersectionality" paradigm within feminist theory posits that several dimensions of women's identities, including but not limited to age, race, socioeconomic status, nationality, and sexual orientation, indeed intersect and interact with one another. The aforementioned factors encompass age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and nationality. When conducting a thorough investigation of intersectionality, the complexities arise due to the numerous contradictions that exist across various perspectives. Concrete inquiries such as "who determines the decision-making process," "when does it occur," and "which distinctions are deemed essential in specific concepts and which are not," may elicit an unsettling silence. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between diversity and identity by examining a narrative life interview conducted with a female immigrant residing in Vienna.

This analysis aims to emphasise certain aspects of the individual's identifications and differentiations, while also considering their temporal and spatial context. It achieves this by focusing on the individual's self-presentation and the various categories of difference that they embody, including gender, social class, and ethnicity. This analysis centres on the manner in which she presents herself and the various types of distinction that she exhibits.

The objective of this article is to make a contribution to the continuing discourse surrounding the dynamic characteristics of subjectivities and the intricate relationship between power and influence