[Dancing with numbers: measuring experiences with among multiply marginalized groups]

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Discrimination research often overlooks intersectional experiences of oppression.
• Existing scales may not adequately capture the nuances of overlapping class, race, and gender discrimination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Explicit Discrimination Scale (EDS) for measuring intersectional discrimination.
• To assess the EDS's capacity to reflect discrimination among students facing class, race, and gender oppression.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 1,023 students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• Statistical analysis of EDS items, stratified by sex/gender, color/race, and socioeconomic status.
• Negative binomial regression models to identify predictors of discrimination scores.

Main Results:

• Individual EDS items effectively measured discrimination in multiply marginalized subgroups, such as low-income Black women.
• The EDS global score did not adequately differentiate the intensity of discrimination experiences.
• Sex/gender, race/color, and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of discrimination.

Conclusions:

• The EDS shows promise for identifying discrimination in specific intersectional groups but requires refinement.
• The global score limitation necessitates further research to better capture the spectrum of discrimination intensity.
• Enhanced measurement tools are crucial for understanding and addressing the experiences of multiply marginalized populations.