Intersectionality attempts to link the openings between the several axes through which an individual may experience oppression. Crenshaw explains intersectionality as a way to observe the numerous self-categories through which women—especially Black women and women of color—experience violence and oppression, ways that cannot simply be explained by their gender or their race (Crenshaw). Crenshaw uses an intersectional lens to analyze violence against women and how women form against it and disputes that this lens is predominantly important when analyzing violence against women because “the violence that many women experience is often shaped by other dimensions of their identities, such as race and class” (Crenshaw). She directly criticizes…
The American professor and critical theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the word intersectionality as a term to use for many types of discrimination. She offered a definition to gender oppression, inequality in work places and society in the lives of black women; particularly in the US, a defined word that many can identify and relate to in the world today. To explain how she defined such multi categorized pattern of bias activity she used the idea of a traffic intersection. “an analogy to traffic in an intersection, coming and going in all four directions. Discrimination, like traffic through an intersection, may flow in one direction, and it may flow in another (…)…
In reading Kimberlé Crenshaw’s article, she passionately writes about intersectionality, a call for racial injustice awareness, and a vision for social equality that is inclusive of all overlapping identities. Intersectionality is a label that is being used to define an individual’s layered identity in society. Subsequently, this term exists because intersectionality should “highlight the multiple avenues through which racial and gender oppression were experienced.” (Crenshaw, 2015 para. 4) As a law professor, Ms. Crenshaw encompasses the word “intersectionality” to address anti-discrimination problems affecting black women.…
The concept of intersectionality has made significant contribution to feminist theories. Intersectionality allows for feminist theories to account for the differences between women. This political theory allows implications for feminist theory and practice. As a result of the diversity that intersectionality has, it can be embraced by various strands of feminist theory, providing a means of cooperation between scholars who have different political views. The use of these terms shows how it is impossible to theorize about women’s lives by looking at one part of a person’s complex and multidimensional identity.…
Some of our examples included the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and the New Rights Movement, just to name a few. We wanted the class to understand what women were fighting for and why they were so angry. Our over all question was “How Does Intersectionality Pay a Role in Racism and Gender Discrimination?” We felt this question got straight to the point of the article as well as the difference approach. Continuing with the idea of intersectionality we give a few quotes explaining women and how they are intersectional beings, and how this impacts them in a multitude of ways.…
This common principle they share should be reasons to support each other and not attack the other. Infect, intersectionality was the reason behind how many women’s organizations fought together to defeat the two ballets that threatened access to abortion and religious liberty, because each organization recognized the impact that such a proposal could have on oppressing the women they were fighting…
Intersectionality is an integral factor in explaining the varying experiences of differing individuals. It primarily “emphasizes that each person belongs to multiple social groups, based on categories such as ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and social class,” (Matlin, 2012). This indicates that experiences of a white lesbian may differ from the experience of a lesbian of African American decent and so forth. Matlin (2012) states intersectionality declares that one cannot simply combine the experiences of two individuals to match that of someone with both of their identities. For instance, the experience of a white straight women cannot be combined with the experience of a black gay male in order to equate the experience of a black lesbian.…
Intersectionality is “the oppression and discrimination resulting from the overlap of an individual's various social identities” (dictionary.com). In short I like to say it is a way of looking at the intersections of people's identities, like looking through a prism to look at all of the different aspects behind a certain person. The backpack article focuses alot on white privilege against black privilege. McIntosh lays out many privileges of white privilege. This list really hit me, because i did not even realize the amount of privileges that I actually do possess.…
Intersectionality is used to describe multiple threats of discrimination when an individual’s identities overlap with a number of minority classes such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, health and other characteristics. My first photo is of Gabby Douglas a woman of "firsts", instead of recognition for her amazing athletic accomplishments; media scrutinized her for her hairstyle (pg. 113). This makes you question if because she is such an amazing female, black athlete if people were intimidated and the only thing they could say about her was her hair. My second image for intersectionality is an abortion ad. Statistically black women are more likely to have an unintended, unwanted pregnancy, and therefore an abortion.…
Intersectionality is an outline that recognizes the interlocked nature of social identities and systems of oppression. It recognizes that individuals hold multiple identities and that these identities intersect to shape their experiences of privilege and oppression within society. Intersectionality highlights someone's experience of discrimination or privilege that isn't solely determined by one aspect of their identity but is influenced by the combination of various social factors such as race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, and more. An example of intersectionality can be seen in the experiences of a black woman in the workplace. We may face discrimination not only based on our gender, but also due to our race.…
Intersectionality is recognizing the different aspects of a human being. It is not just your gender, but your race and your social class. Our gender is not just one lone aspect about us a humans, but it intersects other ways in which we identify. In the reading “Why Race, Class, and Gender Still Matter” it talks about the importance of understanding how big a part intersectionality plays in our lives, and it isn’t about focusing on one social aspect of one another, but all of them together. It talks about changing our perception of white experiences.…
Prior to starting Social Inequalities in January, intersectionality was a term that I did not even know existed. I had never taken a sociology course before, and I honestly did not have much interest in learning about it. Throughout the course though, my eyes were opened to so many of the inequalities in our society, and also, the oppression that comes along with being different in any way from the majority. As I started to discover so many things about oppression, privilege and discrimination, I also began to understand how many different things can make up one single person. Often, when we look at a stranger, we see one particular characteristic, such as race, and define them based on that.…
This passage defines a unique area of intersectionality. She states that, “The concept of political intersectionality highlights the fact that women of color are situated within at least two subordinated groups that frequently pursue conflicting political agendas.” Therefore, the implications of this distinct group of women of color creates a strong argument that women of color face not only racism but also sexism. This is unlike any white woman or black man because they have now created a new group of…
Most often female employees are offered a lower salary than their male counterparts for the same job position and equal qualifications. Women in Asia countries earn 54 to 90 percent less than their male counterparts. Most corporations in Asia have no female employee in the senior management. Only 1.1 percent of female across Asia hold a powerful position in corporations such as Chief Executive Officer. In Hong Kong over forty percent of companies have no female on the board of directors.…
Intersectionality is a conceptual tool used primarily for analyzing key differences in various environments and situations. Feminists use this term to critically analyze the patterns of oppression that interlock with multiple identities, such as social inequality in its complex forms. Bromley, in her writing, explains that the societal categories that define one 's identity and status quo further enables the development of hierarchies, and unearned privilege. Identity markers such as gender, sex, class, and race are socially constructed factors that further put up barriers of inclusion and exclusion for the individuals of society. In order to explain the root of the problem or offer a solution to eliminate these constructive barriers, one must…