Intersectional representation in online media discourse: reflecting anti-discrimination position in reporting on same-sex partnerships

Abstract

The theory of intersectionality has been broadly used in various research but we notice a persistent gap in reflecting its application to media analysis. In our study, we focus on the concept of “representational intersectionality” which Kimberlé Crenshaw uses to illustrate the dynamics between different discourses. Taking the example of online media reporting on same-sex partnerships in Slovenia, we analyze how power relations are reinforced when one type of media discourse fails to acknowledge the importance of other discourses. Our media discourse analysis based on Norman Fairclough demonstrates that the discourses that advocated equality between heterosexual and same-sex couples in Slovenia did not recognize the importance of specifying the different contexts of social exclusion of same-sex couples and that this non-recognition weakened their power and strengthened the discourses directed against them. The main contribution of our study is to show how the theory of intersectionality, focusing on representation and social location, can be useful within critical discourse analysis, specifically to reflect the anti-discrimination position in media reporting.