Social identity shapes every aspect of our lives. Our opinions, decisions, allegiances, and relationships are determined by the social identities we gain throughout our lives. While identity remains central to sociological inquiry, we need more research quantitatively examining how intersecting identities shape the nuance of people's beliefs and allegiances. Intersectionality by Crenshaw explains how people with multiple identities can experience new forms of discrimination, but what if that theory could be used to explore how intersecting social identities shape beliefs and allegiances? Intersectionality, individualism versus collectivism, and linked fate theory each explain a unique aspect of society. Combining these theories, I hypothesize that a person with multiple marginalized identities will make decisions that not only benefit themselves, but also their preferred group via group cohesion, voting behaviors, or advocacy. In my research, I plan to conduct a pilot study of around 25 to 50 people of different identities. Participants will be asked a series of questions, and their answers will determine further follow-up via interview in a future study.
