Beyond Rivalry: Race, Gender and the Rise of Intersectional Alliances among Women in Silicon Valley

• In Event: Organizations, Occupations, and Work Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 3: Racial and Gender Dynamics at Work

Abstract

This paper shows how the marginalization women experienced in one leading Silicon Valley firm resulted in new sorts of social group unification among them as women. Drawing on observations and interviews I conducted with thirty-five women from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds at a leading Silicon Valley tech firm, I show that, contrary to the trope of women as rivals, this study finds that significant numbers of women forged new supportive alliances in response to exclusionary pressure at work. These strengthened gender alliances could, at times, unite across ethno-racial lines, creating what I refer to as “amalgamated boundaries.” This concept illustrates how women found new multilayered group identities, uniting as women while also incorporating other shared aspects of themselves, such as professional roles, personal values. This research contributes to the literatures on race and gender exclusion in the workplace, social closure, and emphasizes the role of intergroup cooperation in creating new forms of unity. By highlighting the concept of amalgamated boundaries as a theoretical neighbor to traditional notions of intersectionality, this study provides insight into how marginalized individuals navigate and reshape their social identities in the face of systemic race and gender exclusion. In this way, the paper illustrates the mechanisms through which new social group identities can emerge.

Author

• Rebecca C. Franklin, University of California-San Diego