"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."
This topic provides an overview of intersectional analysis, which involves examining the ways in which multiple social categories intersect and shape individuals' experiences and social inequalities.
Power dynamics: Power dynamics refer to the ways in which power is distributed and exercised within society, and how this affects different groups. Intersectional analysis pays close attention to power dynamics, and the ways in which they intersect with other forms of identity and oppression.
Race: Race is a social construct that refers to the various categories that people are placed in based on physical characteristics. Intersectional analysis considers how race intersects with other forms of identity, such as gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Gender: Gender is a social construct that refers to the expectations and norms associated with being male or female. Intersectional analysis considers how gender intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and class, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Sexuality: Sexuality refers to someone's sexual orientation, such as being gay or straight. Intersectional analysis considers how sexuality intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and gender, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Disability: Disability refers to physical or mental impairments that affect someone's ability to function in society. Intersectional analysis considers how disability intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and class, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Class: Class refers to someone's socioeconomic status, including their income, education, and occupation. Intersectional analysis considers how class intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and gender, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Religion: Religion refers to someone's beliefs and practices related to a higher power or spiritual entity. Intersectional analysis considers how religion intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and gender, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Immigration status: Immigration status refers to someone's legal status in a specific country. Intersectional analysis considers how immigration status intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and class, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
National origin: National origin refers to someone's country of birth, ancestry, or citizenship. Intersectional analysis considers how national origin intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and class, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Language: Language refers to someone's ability to communicate effectively in a specific language. Intersectional analysis considers how language intersects with other forms of identity, such as race and class, to shape people's experiences of oppression and privilege.
Race: Looks at how race intersects with other identities such as gender, social class, and sexuality. It examines how racial biases and discrimination can affect individuals differently.
Gender: Focuses on how gender identity intersects with other identities such as race, class, age, and ability. It looks at how gender norms and expectations can impact individuals and their experiences.
Class: Looks at how socioeconomic class intersects with other identities such as race, gender, and sexuality. It examines how economic inequality can create different opportunities and barriers for individuals.
Sexuality: Examines how sexual orientation intersects with other identities such as race and gender. It looks at how queer individuals may experience discrimination or oppression differently from heterosexual individuals.
Disability: Focuses on how disabilities intersect with other identities such as race, gender, and class. It examines how ableist attitudes and infrastructure create different challenges for individuals with disabilities.
Age: Looks at how age intersects with other identities such as race, gender, and class. It examines how ageism affects individuals and their experiences in society.
Religion: Examines how religion intersects with other identities such as race, gender, and sexuality. It looks at how religious discrimination can impact individuals differently.
Nationality: Focuses on how nationality intersects with other identities such as race, gender, and class. It examines how xenophobia and nationalism create different experiences for individuals.
Language: Looks at how language intersects with other identities such as race, gender, and nationality. It examines how linguistic minorities may experience discrimination or marginalization.
Culture: Examines how cultural identities intersect with other identities such as race, gender, and sexuality. It looks at how cultural norms and values can impact individuals and their experiences in society.
"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."