Intersectionality

outlook on revising our educational systems by incorporating diverse studies (Pratt 34). As a solution, Pratt suggests “contact zones” as an alternative to modify existing models of education (Pratt 34). “Contact zones” are notable places of intersectionality where various cultures collide through political, emotional, and verbal interaction such as trade, war, colonialism and power (Pratt 34). Pratt encourages learning information from a multitude of angles such as studying the experiences and…

Contemporary feminist theory has established that gender is a social construct, but Judith Butler takes this a step further and says that if gender is a social construct then sex is too. A quote that says this somewhat clearly is “Gender is the repeated stylization of the body, a set of repeated acts within a highly rigid regulatory frame that congeal over time to produce the appearance of substance, of a natural sort of being (33).” What I got from this was that famous Judith Butler idea of how…

Essentialism ideologies are the beliefs that certain categories or groups of people have intrinsic, or “natural”, characteristics or dispositions (Ferguson). These beliefs are encapsulated in society giving unspoken power to the “norm” enabling the belittlement of the “unnatural” groups. This central concept is what promotes systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, and heteronormativity. These social institutions are what allow for the reoccurrence of unjust treatment towards these “subordinate”…

working towards impacting social and corporate responsibility. These interests can be nurtured within a role in marketing through developing strategies that understand the consumer as well as gaps in communications due to issues pertaining to intersectionality and the ways organizations can alleviate these disparities. Bridging gaps in communication between consumer and organizations can create branding and social sustainability.…

This year has been my first year participating in Global Girls and I can, without hesitation, say that several of the conversations held during the meetings have been some of the most honest, crisp discussions I have taken a part in. My personal belief in the great significance of these kinds of conversations is one of the driving factors for my interest in being co head of Global Girls. If selected as co-head, I will really focus on creating more of these organic conversations that speak about…

“Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Thought” by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson takes a disability studies approach to redefining how we think of identity in a feminist context. Written in 2002, this piece neatly falls into what could be classified as a staple of Third Wave Feminism, in that it takes a more intersectional approach, considering not only how disability factors in with an individual’s sense of self, but also how it interacts with other areas of a person’s life. Specifically,…

Frederick and Sociological Theory with Dr. Carina Heckert. In the Sociology of Disability course with Dr. Frederick, we discussed how society constructs disability, and therefore how disability is approached. We used the ideas of stigma and intersectionality to analyze how society constructs disability. Instead of designing universally accessible spaces, society perpetuates the clinical gaze by attempting to “fix” disability. In Sociological Theory with Dr. Heckert, the class focus was covering…

learning experience. Being able to observe these children at a different cognitive level ranging from infants, toddlers, and now to preschoolers has been invigorating. Working with these younger children has helped myself better understand the intersectionality; ranging from the children’s age, their ethnicity, gender, disabilities and much more. When recognizing a clients culture and values that enhance privilege and power it is important as the social worker to understand and identify the…

being to have the same access as we do. In Unpacking the Knapsack of White Privilege, it states that “the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all.” We would believe we live in a America where everyone is held equal but due to intersectionality that is not true. The alteration led to the authorities being called and escorting the man out the store, with no questions asked. The cops didn 't even try to investigate who was in the wrong of the situation; they immediately assumed the…

oppressed. “The most insidious part of this conditioning process . . . was that we have been trained not to expect a response in ways that mattered” (39). What is so strikingly effective about Yamada’s argument, though, is how she embraces intersectionality without ever even using the words. She communicates clearly that her identity is more than just one label or one category. Her experiences are not synonymous with that of Asian American men or white women. She falls into category that is…