Exploring power, vulnerability and trust in public governance through the lens of feminist intersectionality

Kathleen M. Darcy, Elizabeth Meier, Amanda Isabel Osuna, Jenna A. Van Fossen, John Ropp and Joseph A. Hamm

Chapter 16 in Handbook on Trust in Public Governance, 2025, pp 258-273 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: At the centre of the relationship between governance entities and the publics they serve are power imbalances. Feminist theory explores how power structures enable and constrain individual behaviour on the basis of gender. Further, it brings an inherently multi-level analysis, contextualising individual identity against power structures. Intersectionality builds on this foundation and the foundation of Black feminist scholars to consider multiple intersecting identities and how these might relate to when and why individuals feel more vs. less vulnerability in governance relationships and become more vs. less willing to accept it. This chapter highlights feminist intersectionality as an important lens for unpacking power and its impact on vulnerability as it pertains to trust in governance. Two case examples explore how a feminist intersectional lens can add nuance to understanding governance relationships and to understanding how and why trust might differ among individuals by more fully considering power structures and intersecting identities.

Keywords: Trust; Feminism; Intersectionality; Military; Police (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781802201390
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