Identity is intersectional when different aspects of a person's identity, such as age, race, gender, culture and social class, overlap and shape their experiences together. A person is therefore not defined or affected by only one identity category at a time.
In IB Digital Society, identity helps define a person, group, social entity or community. Syllabus area 2.3C, which is shared by SL and HL, states that identities may include intersecting aspects such as nationality, religion, culture, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and social and economic class.
Intersectionality matters because these aspects do not simply operate independently. Their combination may affect how a person uses digital systems, how others perceive them online, and how institutions or algorithms classify and treat them.
| Identity aspect | Possible relevance in digital society |
|---|---|
| Age and social class | May combine to affect access to devices, connectivity and digital skills. |
| Race and gender | May shape exposure to online discrimination or biased automated decisions. |
| Nationality and religion | May influence online expression, community membership and experiences of content moderation. |
| Disability and income | May affect whether accessible digital services and assistive technologies are available. |
For example, analysing a platform only through gender may overlook how gender interacts with language, ethnicity, disability or income. Two people who share one identity characteristic can still experience the same digital system differently because their other identity characteristics and contexts differ.
A common misconception is that intersectionality means listing several identity labels. It requires analysing how overlapping characteristics create distinct experiences, opportunities or disadvantages. It should also not be used to assume that every member of a group has the same experience.
Exam technique: For an explain question, define intersectionality and then show why overlapping identity characteristics produce different experiences of a digital system. For an extended response, connect those experiences to specific people and communities, compare perspectives, and evaluate both impacts that have occurred and future implications.