Exploring the intersections of Race, Class, and Gender in Arts Leadership : a case study on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic leaders within the British and Finnish arts and cultural field

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) leadership through both foundational theories that surround race, class, and gender, and intersectional feminist approaches, in order to support a greater understanding of how and why these categorisations influence the experiences of BAME arts and cultural leaders.

The theoretical framework is a comprehensive review of the existing literature related to the main topics of the thesis, including leadership; race, class, and gender; and cultural policy. This thesis makes use of two methodological approaches—interpretivism, and standpoint theory. The primary data consists of four semi-structured interviews with arts and cultural leaders situated in Britain and Finland.

The research reveals that BAME leaders’ professional working experiences have been influenced in various manners, due to the intersections of their race, class, and gender. The experiences faced by BAME leaders included but were not limited to: barriers to entry due to structural racism; race, class and gender bias; and race-based normative organisational structures.