Intersectional experiences: A mixed methods experience sampling approach to studying an elusive phenomenon.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences, Health Disparities, Mixed Methods Research

Background:

• Growing interest in understanding health outcomes linked to intersecting inequalities (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation).
• Need for innovative methods to capture complex, dynamic, and intersectional experiences.
• Underresearched groups require methods to test links between daily experiences and health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new mixed methods experience sampling approach for studying intersectional experiences.
• To aid researchers in detecting and understanding intersectional experiences and their daily health associations.
• To illustrate the application of this approach using studies on Black American and Muslim American LGBQ individuals.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a novel mixed methods experience sampling approach.
• Utilized two separate experience sampling studies focusing on Black American LGBQ and Muslim American LGBQ individuals.
• Integrated quantitative and qualitative data to assess everyday intersectional experiences and psychological health.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated how mixed methods investigations can advance the assessment of everyday experiences shaped by multiple power systems.
• Provided examples of quantitative and qualitative data illustrating the approach's utility.
• Highlighted the potential for detecting and understanding day-to-day associations between intersectional experiences and health.

Conclusions:

• The proposed mixed methods experience sampling approach is well-suited for capturing the complexity of intersectional experiences.
• This methodology can enhance the study of health disparities among underrepresented populations.
• Findings have implications for future research and clinical applications concerning marginalized groups.