Using Intersectionality in Qualitative Research on College Student Identity Development: Considerations, Tensions, and Possibilities

With intersectional frameworks gaining in popularity within higher education scholarship, we explored the potential of intersectionality to produce nuanced understandings of college student identity without obscuring its mission to examine overlapping axes of power. This article highlights significant areas for consideration for qualitative researchers hoping to utilize intersectionality in the study of college student identity development. Specifically, scholars are encouraged to practice good stewardship of intersectional thinking by centering a power-based analysis throughout all elements of their research design.