The Identity Politics of Institutional Power

Sor Juana's writings repeatedly exposed how institutions wielded identity—gender, race, social status—to exclude people from power and decision-making. Corruption often operates through these same mechanisms: certain groups are systematically excluded from governance while others claim unquestionable authority. This framework examines how corruption becomes normalized when only specific identities occupy positions of trust. If only men, or only elites, or only certain families control institutions, accountability breaks down because no diverse perspective challenges decisions. Sor Juana's insistence on her intellectual legitimacy despite her gender illustrates how identity-based exclusion enables corruption. Fighting corruption requires dismantling identity-based monopolies on power through inclusive governance, diverse hiring in oversight bodies, and ensuring that affected communities—particularly marginalized ones—participate in decisions affecting them. This concept recognizes that anti-corruption work is fundamentally about justice and representation.