Intersectionality, or intersectional feminism, is a sociological analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these factors include gender, caste, sex, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, disability, height, age, and weight. These intersecting and overlapping social identities may be both empowering and oppressing.
History
The concept of intersectionality was introduced to the field of legal studies by black feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who used the term in a pair of essays published in 1989 and 1991.[1][2] Intersectionality originated in critical race studies and demonstrates a multifaceted connection between race, gender, and other systems that work together to oppress, while also allowing privilege in other areas. Intersectionality is relative because it displays how race, gender, and other components "intersect" to shape the experiences of individuals.
Before this, in the 1970s, a group of black feminist women organized the Combahee River Collective in response to what they felt was an alienation from both white feminism and the male-dominated black liberation movement, citing the "interlocking oppressions" of racism, sexism and heteronormativity.[3]
As articulated by author bell hooks, the emergence of intersectionality "challenged the notion that 'gender' was the primary factor determining a woman's fate". The historical exclusion of black women from the feminist movement in the United States resulted in many black 19th- and 20th-century feminists, such as Anna Julia Cooper, challenging their historical exclusion. This disputed the ideas of earlier feminist movements, which were primarily led by white middle-class women, suggesting that women were a homogeneous category who shared the same life experiences.[4] However, once established that the forms of oppression experienced by white middle-class women were different from those experienced by black, poor, or disabled women, feminists began seeking ways to understand how gender, race, and class combine.[5]
The term also has historical and theoretical links to the concept of simultaneity, which was advanced during the 1970s by members of the Combahee River Collective in Boston, Massachusetts. Simultaneity is the simultaneous influences of race, class, gender, and sexuality, which informed the member's lives and their resistance to oppression.[6] Thus, the women of the Combahee River Collective advanced an understanding of African-American experiences that challenged analyses emerging from black and male-centered social movements, as well as those from mainstream cisgender, white, middle-class, heterosexual feminists.[7]
Though intersectionality began with the exploration of the interplay between gender and race, over time other identities and oppressions were added to the theory. For example, in 1981 Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa published the first edition of This Bridge Called My Back. This anthology explored how classifications of sexual orientation and class also mix with those of race and gender to create even more distinct political categories. Many black, Latina, and Asian writers featured in the collection stress how their sexuality interacts with their race and gender to inform their perspectives. Similarly, poor women of color detail how their socio-economic status adds a layer of nuance to their identities, ignored or misunderstood by middle-class white feminists.[8]
Flag
The flag and symbol were designed by Tumblr user satyrradio on August 30th, 2024. It combines the symbol for feminism, a raised fist within the venus sign, with the symbol for intersectionality in math, ∩.[9]
Resources
Wikipedia contributors. "Intersectionality." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Aug. 2024. Web. 30 Aug. 2024.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230418140726/https://we.riseup.net/assets/139021/versions/1/crenshaw%20intersectionality.pdf
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230421233204/https://philpapers.org/archive/CREDTI.pdf
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240710094247/https://son.rochester.edu/newsroom/2022/intersectionality.html
- ↑ Davis, Angela Y. (1983). Women, Race & Class. New York: Vintage Books.
- ↑ hooks, bell (2014) [1984]. Feminist Theory: from margin to center (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
- ↑ Johnson, Amanda Walker (2 October 2017). "Resituating the Crossroads: Theoretical Innovations in Black Feminist Ethnography". Souls. 19 (4): 401–415.
- ↑ Norman, Brian (2007). "'We' in Redux: The Combahee River Collective's black Feminist Statement".
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/thisbridgecalled00mora/mode/1up?view=theater
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240830235728/https://www.tumblr.com/satyrradio/760259300560191488/intersectional-feminism-symbol-flag-the-is-the?source=share