Intersectionality describes our overlapping identities and the ways that those overlapping identities connect systems of oppression. The term was coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe how systems of oppression overlap to create distinct experiences for people with multiple identity categories. When it comes to social science, there are countless terms that aim to aid us understand the world around us, so what’s the significance of intersectionality? Intersectionality is important because we live in a world where individuals and communities face differing types of oppression, which can hinder our ability to access opportunities and resources. Intersectionality helps us
Tag: Identity
Approaching and applying intersectionality
Intersectionality is an analytical tool that recognises that systemic inequalities are configured from the superposition of different social factors such as gender, ethnicity and social class. Consequently, both the disadvantages and the privileges that a person has at a given moment particular time and place cannot be understood by examining in isolation the various elements of their identity. On the contrary, attention must be paid to the set of power relations that affect it, including those forces at the macro-level such as colonial past and poverty; and then forces at the micro-level, which include a person’s health status and the
The Roots of Intersectionality
Intersectionality has been a common theme in feminist theory, writing, and activism for the last several years. It has even become something of a buzzword. And yet, there remains a great deal of misunderstanding about what intersectionality really means and, consequently, how it is supposed to manifest within the feminist movement. This confusion has led to a backlash claiming that intersectionality diverts women’s energy from the key goals of the feminist movement: dismantling patriarchy, ending male dominance and violence against women, when in fact it is only through a truly intersectional approach that these goals become possible for all women,