The schooling experiences and aspirations of students belonging to intersecting marginalisations based on race or ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status

Abstract

This study examined how social constructs of race or ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status (SES) are multiplicatively associated with high school students’ schooling experiences and aspirations. Using a critical quantitative intersectionality framework to analyse data from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey, this study found that the estimated perceptions of care from adults among American Indian/Alaska Native students who are both LGBTQ and free or reduced lunch (FRL)-eligible were the lowest across different groups, and that these students were also the most likely to experience exclusion by their peers. Among Asian/Pacific Islander students, sexuality was found to be a moderating factor in the influence of higher SES on plans to pursue post-secondary education. Implications for policy, leadership, and practice are discussed.