"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."
Analysis of the concept of intersectionality and its relevance to cultural stereotyping, as well as how multiple identities can contribute to the experience of cultural stereotypes.
Intersectionality: The study of how various social identities (such as race, gender, sexuality, class, and ethnicity) intersect and interact to create unique experiences and disadvantages for marginalized individuals.
Cultural Stereotyping: The practice of assigning certain characteristics, traits, or behaviors to an entire group of people based on their cultural background or identity.
Bias: Prejudice, favoritism, or discrimination in favor of or against one group or individual compared to another.
Privilege: The often invisible advantages or benefits that come with certain social identities, including access to resources or power.
Oppression: Systematic mistreatment or marginalization of individuals or groups based on their identity or social status.
Social Justice: The pursuit of a fair and equitable society, based on the principles of equality, human rights, and individual freedom.
Institutional Racism: The systematic discrimination and marginalization of individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity, carried out by institutions such as legal systems or educational institutions.
Microaggressions: Subtle forms of discrimination or bias, often unintentional, that reinforce harmful stereotypes or prejudices.
Cultural Appropriation: The practice of taking elements of a culture that are not one's own and using them without proper respect or understanding.
Racial Bias: Prejudice or discrimination against an individual or group based on their racial identity.
Gender Stereotyping: The practice of assigning certain characteristics or behaviors to individuals based on their gender identity.
Inclusivity: The practice of creating welcoming and accessible spaces for individuals regardless of their background, identity, or circumstances.
Tokenism: The practice of including individuals from marginalized groups in a superficial way, without making meaningful changes to promote equity and inclusion.
Allyship: The practice of actively supporting and advocating for individuals or groups who are marginalized or oppressed, based on their identity.
Queer Theory: The study of the ways in which sexual and gender identities intersect and interact to create unique experiences for individuals.
Race Stereotyping: The generalizations and assumptions made about individuals based on their racial identity. For example, the belief that all black people are lazy.
Gender Stereotyping: The traditional roles and expectations placed on individuals based on their gender identity. For example, the idea that women are emotional and irrational while men are logical and rational.
Religious Stereotyping: The beliefs or assumptions about individuals based on their religious affiliation. For example, the notion that all Muslims are terrorists.
Sexual Orientation Stereotyping: The assumptions made about individuals based on their sexual orientation. For example, the belief that all gay men are flamboyant and promiscuous.
Disability Stereotyping: The generalizations made about individuals with disabilities. For example, the belief that people with physical disabilities are less competent.
Age Stereotyping: The discrimination or prejudice that occurs based on an individual's age. For example, the belief that older individuals are less intelligent or competent.
Nationality Stereotyping: The assumptions or stereotypes about individuals based on their country of origin. For example, the belief that all Mexicans are illegal immigrants.
Socioeconomic Stereotyping: The assumptions made about individuals based on their socioeconomic status. For example, the belief that individuals from lower income families are lazy or uneducated.
Ethnic Stereotyping: The generalizations made about individuals based on their ethnic heritage. For example, the belief that all Asians are good at math.
"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."