From Primary to Pluralistic: A Typology of Intersectionality

Intersectionality has emerged as an important theoretical concept for examining social hierarchies and has garnered varying interpretations and applications in scholarly discourse. Dr. Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, James L. Vincent Distinguished Professor of Leadership at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, developed a definitional typology of intersectionality that she will discuss in this seminar.

The typology proposed distinguishes between primary, pragmatic, and pluralistic intersectionality, each with unique social inequity foci and demographic content. Primary intersectionality centers on Black women and social inequity, pragmatic intersectionality includes various subordinate groups with flexible applications, and pluralistic intersectionality encompasses a broad inclusion of categorizations without an inequity focus. This typology aims to clarify research focus, enhance theoretical rigor, and prevent misinterpretation, thereby advancing the understanding of intersectionality.

This virtual seminar is part of the Women and Public Policy Program's weekly fall seminar series: Women’s Leadership in Context: Gender, Power, and Identity Dynamics.

Dr. Ashleigh Shelby Rosette is the James L. Vincent Distinguished Professor of Leadership at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she is recognized as one of the foremost leading scholars on leadership, gender, and race. A highly decorated educator, she has received the Teaching Excellence Award a record-breaking twelve times in thirteen years. Dr. Rosette’s research, which explores how individuals perceive differences in leadership and organizational settings, has been published in nearly forty academic articles and featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, CNN, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, to name a few. Her work has influenced corporate leaders and policymakers, driving key conversations and innovations in diversity and leadership. In addition to her research and teaching, Dr. Rosette served as Senior Associate Dean of Executive Education at Fuqua, where she integrated cutting-edge research into programs that prepare leaders to navigate today’s complex and diverse environments. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Before academia, she worked as a Certified Public Accountant.