"Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how a person's various social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege."
The interconnected ways in which different forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism, intersect to shape the experiences of marginalized groups.
Intersectionality theory: The concept of intersectionality refers to the interconnectedness of various social identities and how they intersect to create unique experiences of oppression and privilege.
Race and ethnicity: Race and ethnicity are significant factors that can impact an individual's experiences of oppression and privilege in society.
Gender and sexuality: Intersectionality also explores the ways in which gender and sexuality interact with race, ethnicity, and other social identities to shape an individual's experiences.
Class and socioeconomic status: Class and socioeconomic status are also key factors in determining an individual's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Colonialism and imperialism: The impact of colonialism and imperialism on African American communities and their experiences of oppression cannot be ignored within an intersectional framework.
Ableism: The oppression and discrimination faced by individuals with disabilities also intersects with other social identities and contributes to experiences of marginalization.
Xenophobia and immigration: Experiences of xenophobia and discrimination faced by immigrants and non-citizens is also a significant topic within intersectionality.
Language and culture: Intersectionality also considers the significance of language and culture in shaping experiences of oppression and privilege for individuals from different backgrounds.
Education: Education plays a crucial role in shaping the experiences and opportunities available to different individuals within society.
Health and healthcare: Marginalized communities often experience unequal access to healthcare and disparities in health outcomes, making it a crucial topic within intersectionality.
Criminal justice and incarceration: The disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system and incarceration on marginalized communities, particularly African Americans, is a key topic within intersectionality.
Environmental justice: Environmental degradation and exposure to pollution disproportionately affects marginalized communities, making environmental justice a topic within intersectionality.
Religion and spirituality: The role of religion and spirituality in shaping experiences of oppression and privilege is also a crucial topic within intersectionality.
Art and media: Representation in media and art plays a significant role in shaping cultural norms and can reinforce or challenge stereotypes and biases.
Activism and social justice movements: The role of activism and social justice movements in challenging systemic oppression and promoting equality and equity is a topic within intersectionality.
Race: Intersectionality based on race refers to how different racial categories intersect with other social categories to create unique experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of black women are different from those of white women.
Gender: Gender-based intersectionality is about how gender intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of black gay men are different from those of white gay men.
Class: Class-based intersectionality is about how social class intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of poor black women are different from those of wealthy white women.
Sexuality: Intersectionality based on sexuality is about how sexual identity intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of transgender women of color are different from those of cisgender white men.
Disability: Disability-based intersectionality is about how disability intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of black disabled individuals are different from those of white disabled individuals.
Age: Age-based intersectionality is about how age intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of young black women are different from those of older white women.
Religion: Intersectionality based on religion is about how religious identity intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of Muslim women of color are different from those of white Christian women.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity-based intersectionality is about how ethnic identity intersects with other social categories to create layered experiences of inequality and oppression. For example, the experiences of black Latinx individuals are different from those of white Latinx individuals.
"Examples of these factors include gender, caste, sex, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, disability, weight, and physical appearance."
"These intersecting and overlapping social identities may be both empowering and oppressing."
"Intersectional feminism aims to separate itself from white feminism by acknowledging women's differing experiences and identities."
"The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989."
"Intersectionality opposes analytical systems that treat each axis of oppression in isolation."
"In this framework, for instance, discrimination against black women cannot be explained as a simple combination of misogyny and racism, but as something more complicated."
"Intersectionality engages in similar themes as triple oppression, which is the oppression associated with being a poor or immigrant woman of color."
"Criticism includes the framework's tendency to reduce individuals to specific demographic factors, and its use as an ideological tool against other feminist theories."
"Critics have characterized the framework as ambiguous and lacking defined goals."
"As it is based in standpoint theory, critics say the focus on subjective experiences can lead to contradictions and the inability to identify common causes of oppression."
"However, little good-quality quantitative research has been done to support or undermine the theory of intersectionality."
"An analysis of academic articles published through December 2019 found that there are no widely adopted quantitative methods to investigate research questions informed by intersectionality."
"The analysis ... provided recommendations on analytic best practices for future research."
"An analysis of academic articles published through May 2020 found that intersectionality is frequently misunderstood when bridging theory into quantitative methodology."
"In 2022, a quantitative approach to intersectionality was proposed based on information theory, specifically synergistic information."
"In this framing, intersectionality is identified with the information about some outcome (e.g. income, etc.) that can only be learned when multiple identities (e.g. race and sex) are known together."
"Intersectionality is identified with the information about some outcome [...] that can [...] not [be] extractable from analysis of the individual identities considered separately."
"Critics [argue] the inability to identify common causes of oppression."
"Intersectionality broadens the scope of the first and second waves of feminism, [...] to include the different experiences of women of color, poor women, immigrant women, and other groups."