In order to identify categories of inequality, the multi-level intersectional analysis model of Gabriele Winker and Nina Degele was put to practice. This model proposes using eight steps for analysing the data, which can be repeated as many times as needed; the order is not prescriptive. It offers a possibility for looking into the individual, symbolic and structural level, as well as at the intersections of these three levels.
First, a diverse group of persons with disabilities, carers of persons with disabilities, single parents, homeless persons, LGBTIQ persons, and domestic violence survivors was interviewed. Secondly, through the narratives of the interviewees, the researchers seek to gain insight in the norms, values and ideologies they embody, perpetuate or reject. Since these symbolic representations do not exist in a vacuum, they also analysed media articles covering the topic of interest and they conducted a focus group discussion with non-users of the social protection system to reveal dominant norms, ideologies and representations that operate in the respective societies. Thirdly, in order to understand how the interviewees relate to social structures, the experiences and perspectives on the system of social protection by its users or ought to be users were evaluated against existing policy documents, and primarily social protection laws, policies and strategies.
To answer the question: Whether inequalities at the intersections are targeted in social protection, and how, the researcher analysed laws and policies through Lombardo and Agustin’s quality criteria for assessing intersectionality in European Union (EU) gender policies, which we complemented with Lomardo and Verloo’s suggestion for looking at whether the policy applies a transformative approach to intersectionality, how “gendered” policies are, as well as whether the policy at stake avoids stigmatization of people and groups at different points of intersections.
