Resistance modification vacillation: revealing intersectional responses to identity imposition in professional work settings

Introduction This paper examines the complex processes involved in responding to identity imposition, the misinterpretation of one's identity, by others, thereby leading to difficulty reconciling self-identity. We employ an intersectional analysis focused on British professional women of African, Asian, and Caribbean (AAC) ethnic backgrounds to address the gap in understanding, concerning responses to identity imposition at the nexus of racio-ethnicity and gender. Drawing on an intersectionality perspective, the study goal is twofold: (1) to contribute to theoretical research on identity and identity formation and (2), to broaden understanding of how intersectionality shapes women's experiences and responses to externally imposed identity narratives in professional work settings. Methods The study engages an interpretivist approach to inquiry, through a qualitative methodological approach utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 30 British professional women with AAC ethnicity. Results Our results reveal that AAC women encounter distinct forms of identity imposition rooted in prevailing discriminatory identity narratives at the intersection of gender and racio-ethnicity. We identify three dominant behavioral responses: modification of self-aspects, resistance against incongruent imposed meanings, and vacillation between modification and resistance, pushing them into a state of liminality. Discussion The study illuminates the various responses that AAC women recruit as they navigate identity imposition within their professional working environment, underpinning the importance for UK organizations to prioritize training and development initiatives that empower managers and employees to move beyond behaviors that adversely affect minoritized employees.