Intersectional analysis for science and technology

Mathias Wullum Nielsen¹, Elena Gissi^{2

3}, Shirin Heidari⁴, Richard Horton⁵, Kari C Nadeau^{6

7}, Dorothy Ngila⁸, Safiya Umoja Noble^{9

10

11

12

13}, Hee Young Paik¹⁴, Girmaw Abebe Tadesse¹⁵, Eddy Y Zeng¹⁶, James Zou^{17

18

19}, Londa Schiebinger^{20

21}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
² National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences, Venice, Italy.
³ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
⁴ GENDRO, Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁵ The Lancet, London, UK.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁸ Knowledge and Institutional Networks, National Research Foundation of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁹ Division of Social Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁰ Minderoo Initiative on Tech and Power, Center on Race and Digital Justice, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Gender Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹² Department of African American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹³ Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Foods and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
¹⁵ Microsoft AI for Good Lab, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁶ School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Environmental Pollution, Guangzhou, China.
¹⁷ Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
²⁰ History of Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. schiebinger@stanford.edu.
²¹ Gendered Innovations in Science, Health and Medicine, Engineering and Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. schiebinger@stanford.edu.

PMID: 40205207
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08774-w

Review

Intersectional analysis for science and technology

Mathias Wullum Nielsen et al. Nature. 2025 Apr.

. 2025 Apr;640(8058):329-337.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08774-w. Epub 2025 Apr 9.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
² National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences, Venice, Italy.
³ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
⁴ GENDRO, Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁵ The Lancet, London, UK.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁸ Knowledge and Institutional Networks, National Research Foundation of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁹ Division of Social Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁰ Minderoo Initiative on Tech and Power, Center on Race and Digital Justice, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Gender Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹² Department of African American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹³ Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Foods and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
¹⁵ Microsoft AI for Good Lab, Nairobi, Kenya.
¹⁶ School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Environmental Pollution, Guangzhou, China.
¹⁷ Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
²⁰ History of Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. schiebinger@stanford.edu.
²¹ Gendered Innovations in Science, Health and Medicine, Engineering and Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. schiebinger@stanford.edu.

PMID: 40205207
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08774-w

Abstract

Intersectionality describes interdependent systems of inequality related to sex, gender, race, age, class and other socio-political dimensions. By focusing on the compounded effects of social categories, intersectional analysis can enhance the accuracy and experimental efficiency of science. Here we extend intersectional approaches that were predominantly developed in the humanities, social sciences and public health to the fields of natural science and technology, where this type of analysis is less established. Informed by diverse global and disciplinary examples-from enhancing facial recognition for diverse user bases to mitigating the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized populations-we extract methods to demonstrate how quantitative intersectional analysis functions throughout the research process, from strategic considerations for establishing research priorities to formulating research questions, collecting and analysing data and interpreting results. Our goal is to offer a set of guidelines for researchers, peer-reviewed journals and funding agencies that facilitate systematic integration of intersectional analysis into relevant domains of science and technology. Precision in research best guides effective social and environmental policy aimed at achieving global equity and sustainability.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

1. Truth, S. Ain’t I a Woman? (1851); https://tag.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Aint-I-woman.pdf .
1. Combahee River Collective. in Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology (ed. Smith, B.) 307–318 (Rutgers Univ. Press, 2023).
1. Crenshaw, K. Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: a Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. Univ. Chic. Leg. Forum 1, 138–167 (1989). This report develops the term ‘intersectionality’ and derives its meaning from key legal cases.
1. Crenshaw, K. Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity, and violence against women of color. Stan. L. Rev. 43, 1241–1300 (1991). - DOI
1. Collins, P. H. & Bilge, S. Intersectionality (John Wiley & Sons, 2020). This book includes detailed discussions of qualitative approaches to intersectionality.

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Intersectional analysis for science and technology

Affiliations

Intersectional analysis for science and technology

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources