Date on Capstone

5-2026

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

D.S.W.

Cooperating University

University of Louisville

Degree Program

School of Social Work

Committee Chair

Rhema, Susan

Committee Member

BritzenhofeScoz, Karlynn

Committee Member

Archuleta, Adrian

Committee Member

Golder, Seana

Author's Keywords

Intersectionality; Allyship; place as identity

Abstract

Hearing Northern New Mexico’s Silenced Voices: Exploring Intersectionality & Allyship Cheri Loggains, MSW, LCSW March 27, 2026 Oversimplified social constructs of identity and power were intentionally used in Northern New Mexico (NNM) by White settlers to perpetuate oppression. This oversimplification contributes to a false narrative of New Mexico centering White experiences and creating a hegemonic system of power. The repercussions of such acts are under new scrutiny, which calls out performative allyship. However, performative allyship is scarcely studied in current literature, even though it is a natural microcosm for examining the relational dynamics of power. The current literature also implies that place is a significant social identity, and this study explores NNM in this context. Consistent with the literature, an intersectional framework was used to examine the experiences of allied individuals in NNM across a variety of socially constructed identities. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with people living in NNM for at least five years and who have two or more social constructs of identity that put them at risk of marginalization and oppression. This study supports the literature’s call for a greater use of an intersectional framework to understand the complex power dynamics and structures created by the social constructs of difference. It also supports including the concepts of place, the physiology of human relationships, context, distress tolerance, and resilience into intersectional frameworks, specifically as they apply to allyship and alliance. This study suggests that incorporating these ideas into social work practice and education will strengthen NNM’s social workers’ capacity to avoid perpetuating oppressive systems at all levels of practice

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