Negotiation of inclusions and exclusions: racially minoritized women’s experiences in the Danish workplace

Racialt minoriserede kvinders erfaringer på de danske arbejdspladser

Abstract

The article sheds light on how racially minoritized women navigate opportunities and limitations for participation and engagement in Danish workplaces. This study is based on 10 qualitative, semi-structured interviews with brown and black women from a wide spectrum of Danish business sectors. Through an intersectional analysis (Myong, 2011; Collins & Bilge, 2016; Staunæs & Søndergaard, 2006) women’s experiences with racial and gender discrimination in the workplace are examined. The analysis shows that the women have experiences of being designated as “the odd one out” through racial comments, being excluded from managerial positions, or being deprived of work tasks where their skin color is seen as significant in relation to their professional qualifications. Their experiences are often characterized by interactions that focus more on their racial and gender features rather than their professionalism. The women’s individual negotiations of conditional inclusion are a way of addressing the existing mechanisms and unjust norms by renegotiating their “place” in the workplace. This raises an important question; how do workplaces actively counter these exclusion mechanisms in the professional space?