Designing for Intersections

Abstract

In response to the recent call for a more intersectionally-aware field of human-computer interaction (HCI), we aim to operationalize intersectionality for technology design in HCI. We develop our lens of intersectionality by drawing on the work of Rita Kaur Dhamoon, and use it to analyze data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of seven low-resource learning environments in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Our research contributions are threefold. First, we extend conversations in Intersectional HCI by expanding its scope from understanding users to recognizing social processes. Second, we emphasize the importance of factoring in both penalties and privileges when conducting research in underserved contexts. Finally, we engage situated comparisons as a methodology to identify pathways for designing interactive systems across intersectionally diverse environments.