Intersecting systems of oppression: Race, class, and gender differences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) hate crime victims
Item
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Title
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Intersecting systems of oppression: Race, class, and gender differences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) hate crime victims
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:0b1342f52725:10767
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identifier
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11014
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Creator
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Meyer, Doug,
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Contributor
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Victoria Pitts-Taylor
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Date
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2011
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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LGBTQ studies | Social structure | Gender studies | gay | hate crime | intersectionality | lesbian | race | violence
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Abstract
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Drawing on intersectionality theory, hate crime studies, and feminist and sexuality research, this dissertation project employs an intersectional approach to examine race, class, and gender differences among an interview sample of 44 people who experienced violence for being perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). In contrast to previous studies of LGBT hate crime victims, which have focused on the psychological effects of bias-motivated violence, this dissertation examines the sociological components of hate crime. In particular, this dissertation builds on research questions that have been explored in the hate crime literature -- specifically, how LGBT people evaluate the severity of their violent experiences and how they determine whether violence is based on their sexuality or gender identity. Results are based on semistructured, in-depth interviews, conducted in New York City, and reveal significant differences along the lines of race, class, and gender. White gay men, for instance, generally expressed certainty as to the cause of their violent experiences, while LGBT people of color sometimes expressed uncertainty because they could not be sure whether racism had also played a role. Moreover, with regard to evaluating the severity of their violent experiences, middle-class white respondents were more likely than low-income people of color to perceive their violent experiences as severe, even though the latter experienced more physical violence than the former. By employing an intersectional approach to examine these research questions, this dissertation augments our understanding of the ways in which LGBT people perceive their violent experiences, revealing how forms of anti-LGBT violence are linked with institutional power structures such as race, class, gender, and sexuality. Entrenched in the disciplinary crossroads of sociology, criminal justice, and feminist and sexuality studies, this dissertation suggests that the social position of LGBT people plays a significant role in structuring their experiences of hate-motivated violence.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Sociology
