Beyond Single Dimensions: Exploring Differences in Sexism Among Italian iVET Students Through an Intersectional Perspective

Purpose: Since iVET plays an important role in fostering inclusivity and equal opportunities, and sexism poses significant obstacles to gender equality and equality overall, the paper explores sexism among Italian iVET students through an intersectional perspective to better understand how multiple students’ characteristics (gender and migratory background) impact sexism. Methods: Three sexism-related items were selected from a questionnaire administered to n = 377 iVET students in Italy. A quantitative data analysis was conducted, primarily focusing on frequency distribution analysis and chi-square tests using contingency tables. Findings: Sexism-related attitudes are more prevalent among male students than female students. Migratory background does not show significant relationships with sexism-related attitudes. However, combining gender with a migratory background reveals that female students with migratory background tend to respond more similarly to male students. Conclusions: The multiple subordinated identities of iVET students interact in complex ways, leading to the development of unpredictable attitudes. Exploring how subordinated identities shape attitudes on social issues such as sexism is essential for informing educational practices.