Marjolein Dennissen

69 An intersectional analysis of diversity networks diversity networks and a politics of identity. To understand this business case, I invoked the concept of the Oppression Olympics ; i.e., a competition between disadvantaged groups to prove themselves as the most oppressed (Hancock, 2007). My analysis of political intersectionality revealed a reversed Oppression Olympics , where diversity networks tend to ignore disadvantage and oppression by emphasizing their added value to the organization. In the findings section, I present a selection of instances of structural and political intersectionality. These instanceswere not chosenbecause of their statistical representativeness, but rather “in light of their evocative content, their ability to highlight the complexity and richness of experience” (Poggio, 2006, p. 230). To secure anonymity, fictitious names are used to depict the respondents. Table 4 provides additional data. Reflection As qualitative researcher, I am aware that me being present as a white, heterosexual, able- bodied woman, may have influenced the data obtained through both the observations and the interviews. For example, as observer, I would blend in during an event of the women’s network or the young employee network. Also, during interviews with LGBT network members, my own sexual orientation became salient when interviewees reflected on their lived experiences in a heteronormative society. As my interpretation of the empirical material is influenced by my own intersectional identity, extensive discussions with my supervisors helped me to nuance certain interpretations and made me aware of processes of privilege and disadvantage. Findings In this section, I explore various ways in which structural and political intersectionality shed light on the complex reality of multiple identity categories in relation to diversity networks. I analyzed how network members talk about their multiple identities, collaboration with other diversity networks and the tensions that arise when doing so. Structural intersectionality: identity negotiations of individual network members Identity negotiations take shape in the decision to join one or multiple diversity networks. Although all respondents are potential members of multiple networks, only a minority actually joins multiple networks. To elaborate on structural intersectionality, I have selected three interview fragments that represent three different strategies of how individual network members negotiate their multiple intersecting identities in relation to diversity networks. Complying with the single category structure I introduce the first fragment from Sonya. Sonya is an ethnic minority woman and both a member of the ethnicminority network and the women’s network Ladieswithambition in Finance: