Unveiling intersectionality: Healing opportunities and challenges in democratizing child welfare policy development process
Keywords:
Intersectionality, child and family welfare, participatory child welfare policy development, child welfare, decolonizing child welfareAbstract
This study explores the opportunities and challenges of applying intersectionality as both an analytical lens and a practical guide for creating more equitable child welfare policies. Seven participants working in policy and practice roles at a local child welfare agency took part in two focus groups. Through descriptive thematic analysis, three central themes were developed: 1) democratizing policy development, 2) the healing nature of intersectionality, and 3) the politics of mainstreaming it. While participants shared a belief in the healing potential of intersectionality, their understandings of its implementation diverged. Practice consultants emphasized democratizing the system, whereas policy analysts framed its operationalization within a top-down, bureaucratic structure—dynamic, at times uncertain, yet offering potential openings. A key discussion centered on participatory policymaking as a path to restoring trust, addressing colonial harms, and enhancing accountability. Future research could further examine how intersectionality may support effective, context-specific reforms within child welfare systems.
References
Barret, D., Stoicescu, C., Thumath, M., Maynard, E., Turner, R., Shirley-Beavan, S., Kurceviz, E., Peterson, F., Hasselgard-Rowe, J., Giacomello, C., Wahlin, E., & Lines, E. (2022). Child-centred harm reduction. International Journal of Drug Policy, 109, 1-5. 103857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103857
Bergman, J. (2019). Intersectionality: a means for addressing the needs of children with mental health issues who are engaged with the family law and criminal justice systems?. Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice, 36, 115-137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22329/wyaj.v36i0.6415
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Buchner, K., Pearson, T., & Burke, S. (2022). Indigenous Women’s Experiences with Child Protection at Their Child’s Birth. Practice, 34(4), 255-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2022.2054973
Collins, P. H. (1998). It’s all in the family: Intersections of gender, race, and nation. Hypatia, 13, 62–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1527-2001.1998.tb01370.x
Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality's definitional dilemmas. Annual review of sociology, 41, 1-20. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24807587
Collins, P. H. (2017). The difference that power makes: Intersectionality and participatory democracy. Investigaciones Feminista, 8(1), 19-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/INFE.54888
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 14. 538–554. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
Cho, S., Crenshaw, K. W., & McCall, L. (2013). Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. Signs: Journal of women in culture and society, 38(4), 785-810. https://doi.org/10.1086/669608
Davis, K. (2008). Intersectionality as buzzword: A sociology of science perspective on what makes a feminist theory successful. Feminist theory, 9(1), 67-85. DOI: 10.1177/1464700108086364
Drake, B., & Hodge, D. R. (2022). Social work at the crossroads: The empirical highway or the postmodern/critical off-ramp? Research on Social Work Practice, 32(4), 363–373. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315221077450
Gillborn, D. (2015). Intersectionality, critical race theory, and the primacy of racism: Race, class, gender, and disability in education. Qualitative inquiry, 21(3), 277-287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800414557827
Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). What is GBA+? https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/services-policies-for-government/gender-equity/factsheet-gba.pdft
Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). SPO 27R – Provincial practice consultant, child protection. https://government-of-british-columbia.talentify.io/job/spo-27r-provincial-practice-consultant-child-protection-duncan-british-columbia-government-of-british-columbia-98160
Grooms, J. (2020). No home and no acceptance: Exploring the intersectionality of sexual/gender identities (LGBTQ) and race in the foster care system. The Review of Black Political Economy, 47(2), 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034644620911381
Hankivsky, O., & Cormier, R. (2011). Intersectionality and public policy: Some lessons from existing models. The Palgrave handbook of intersectionality in public policy, 69-93. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41058335
Hankivsky, O., Grace, D., Hunting, G., Giesbrecht, M., Fridkin, A., Rudrum, S., ... & Clark, N. (2014). An intersectionality-based policy analysis framework: critical reflections on a methodology for advancing equity. The Palgrave handbook of intersectionality in public policy, 1-16. http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/13/1/119
Harris, A. P. (1990). Race and essentialism in feminist legal theory. Stanford Law Review, 42(3), 581-616. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1228886
Houston, E. A., Fallon, B., Hélie, S., & Trocmé, N. (2024). Comparative analysis of child protection investigations in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Child Protection and Practice, 1, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chipro.2024.100012
Howe, D. (1994). Modernity, postmodernity and social work. The British Journal of Social Work, 24(5), 513-532. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23709709
Hull, S. J., Massie, J. S., Holt, S. L., & Bowleg, L. (2023). Intersectionality policymaking toolkit: key principles for an intersectionality-informed policymaking process to serve diverse women, children, and families. Health promotion practice, 623-635. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399231160447
James, A. G., Coard, S. I., Fine, M. A., & Rudy, D. (2018). The central roles of race and racism in reframing family systems theory: A consideration of choice and time. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(2), 419-433. DOI:10.1111/jftr.12262
Janghorban, R., Roudsari, R. L., & Taghipour, A. (2014). Skype interviewing: The new generation of online synchronous interview in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being, 9(1), 24152. http://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.24152
Karim, N. A., & Ali, A. H. (2021). E-learning virtual meeting applications: A comparative study from a cybersecurity perspective. Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 24(2), 1121-1129. DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v24.i2.pp1121-1129
Kelly, C., Kasperavicius, D., Duncan, D., Etherington, C., Giangregorio, L., Presseau, J., ... & Straus, S. (2021). ‘Doing’or ‘using’intersectionality? Opportunities and challenges in incorporating intersectionality into knowledge translation theory and practice. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20(1), 187. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01509-z
Kolivoski, K. M. (2022). Applying critical race theory (CRT) and intersectionality to address the needs of African American crossover girls. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 39(2), 133-145 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00726-9
Kriger, D., Keyser-Verreault, A., Joseph, J., & Peers, D. (2022). The operationalizing intersectionality framework. Journal of clinical sport psychology, 16(4), 302-324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2021-0069
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus group interviewing. Handbook of practical program evaluation, 506-534. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386.ch20
Linneberg, M. S., & Korsgaard, S. (2019). Coding qualitative data: A synthesis guiding the novice. Qualitative research journal, 19(3), 259-270. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-12-2018-0012
Lochmiller, C. R. (2021). Conducting thematic analysis with qualitative data. The Qualitative Report, 26(6), 2029-2044. DOI:10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5008
Lonne, B., Parton, N., Thomson, J., & Harries, M. (2008). Reforming child protection. Routledge
Ministry of Children and Family Development (n.d.). How we work. Government of British Columbia. https://mcfd.gov.bc.ca/reporting/about-us/how-we-are-organized
Nash, J. C. (2008). Re-thinking intersectionality. Feminist review, 89(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1057/fr.2008.4
Olsen, T. A. (2018). This word is (not?) very exciting: Considering intersectionality in Indigenous studies. NORA-Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 26(3), 182-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/08038740.2018.1493534
Representative of Children and Youth (2023). Advocating for change: Five years in review. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. https://rcybc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RCY-Advocating-for-Change_FINAL.pdf
Roberts, D. E. (2014). Child protection as surveillance of African American families. Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, 36(4), 426-437. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2014.967991
Rosa-Salas, M., & Sobande, F. (2022). Hierarchies of knowledge about intersectionality in marketing theory and practice. Marketing Theory, 22(2), 175-189. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931221075372
Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2020). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (4th ed.). SAGE Publications
Saldaña, J. (2015). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Saxena, S., & Sharma, D. (2019). Transformation of identity as a travelling concept: A case study. Interventions, 21(1), 54-69. DOI: 10.1080/1369801X.2018.1487790
Stratton, S. J. (2023). Population Sampling: Probability and Non-Probability Techniques. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 38(2), 147-148. doi:10.1017/S1049023X23000304
Thorne, S. (2016). Interpretive description: Qualitative research for applied practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315545196
Truth, & Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume One: Summary: Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future. James Lorimer & Company
Williams-Butler, A., Golden, K. E., Mendez, A., & Stevens, B. (2020). Intersectionality and child welfare policy. Child Welfare, 98(4), 75-96. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48623697
Wojciechowska, M. (2019). Towards intersectional democratic innovations. Political Studies, 67(4), 895-911. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321718814165
Women and Gender Equality Canada. (n.d.). Gender Based Analysis Plus. https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-based-analysis-plus.html