A Taxonomy of Identity Safety Cues Based on Gender and Race: From a Promising Past to an Intersectional and Translational Future

• Published in: Translational issues in psychological science 2021-12, Vol.7 (4), p.487-510
• Main Authors: Kruk, Mary, Matsick, Jes L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cues; Diversity; Ethnic Identity; Female; Human; Human Sex Differences; Inclusion; Male; Safety; Social Identity; Social Inclusion; Taxonomies; Threat
• ISSN: 2332-2136; 2332-2179
• DOI: 10.1037/tps0000304

Identity safety cues refer to aspects of the environment or social setting that communicate one is valued and the threat of discrimination is limited. In this article, we review the content of identity safety cues, their strengths and limitations, and implications for future theory, research, and practice. A close analysis of the identity safety cue literature can inform the efforts of individuals and organizations who aim to enhance social inclusion and promote diversity. Searching databases for safety cue research (e.g., Google Scholar, PsycINFO), we found more than 35 peer-reviewed articles that explicitly addressed identity safety cues. We synthesized the literature to produce a novel taxonomy of identity safety cues that target stigmatized groups, namely those minoritized by gender and race. A taxonomy of identity safety cues can facilitate clear and universal communication about the science, delineate types of operational definitions, and direct future research and theorizing. Our review revealed that knowledge of cues is often limited by unidimensional identity characteristics (i.e., targeting gender or race, not both), and we discovered four cue categories that induced identity safety: minority representation, diversity philosophies and programming, environmental features, and identity-safe information. The significance of this review is that, beyond establishing the only known taxonomy of identity safety cues, we critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of cue efficacy and provide a forward-thinking discussion of theoretical implications and broader impacts, focusing on the expansion of intersectionality theorizing and the translation of identity safety cue research. What is the significance of this article for the general public?This article accelerates knowledge for creating environments that make minoritized groups feel welcomed, valued, and protected from stigmatization. We found that the scientific literature provides four categories of effective identity safety cues (i.e., aspects of settings that communicate support and safety from stigma): having other minoritized people present, stating commitments to diversity, displaying physical features that signal inclusive norms and values, and providing information that conveys fair and positive expectations.