"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 recognition that gender, race, class, sexuality, disability and other social categories cannot be studied in isolation, and the exploration of the complex relationships between them.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality is a concept used in postcolonial gender and sexuality studies and refers to the interconnectedness and overlapping effects of multiple forms of oppression and discrimination, including race, gender, sexuality, class, and other social categories.
Colonialism and Postcolonial Theory: Colonialism refers to the historical process of European expansion and colonization of non-European territories that began in the 15th century. Postcolonial theory is a school of thought in postcolonial gender and sexuality studies that seeks to understand the legacies and effects of colonialism on contemporary societies.
Feminism and Gender Theory: Feminism is a political and social movement that advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Gender theory is a branch of critical theory that explores the social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of gender.
Queer Theory and LGBTQ Studies: Queer theory is a critical approach to gender and sexuality that challenges traditional binary definitions of heterosexuality and homosexuality. LGBTQ studies is a subfield of postcolonial gender and sexuality studies that focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in different cultural and historical contexts.
Race and Ethnicity: Race and ethnicity are social categories that are often used to classify people based on physical and cultural traits. Postcolonial gender and sexuality studies use critical race theory to understand how race intersects with gender and sexuality to create systems of oppression.
Class and Economic Inequality: Class refers to the social and economic distinctions between groups of people based on their wealth, income, and occupation. Postcolonial gender and sexuality studies explore how class intersects with other social categories to create unequal power relations.
Transnationalism and Globalization: Transnationalism refers to the processes of migration, communication, and the movement of goods and capital across national borders. Globalization is a complex process that involves the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems around the world. Postcolonial gender and sexuality studies examine how these processes affect gender and sexuality in different parts of the world.
Postcolonial Feminist Activism: Postcolonial feminist activism refers to the efforts of feminists in non-Western countries to address the unique challenges facing women in those contexts. This may include advocating for women's rights, challenging patriarchal and colonialist power structures, and promoting social and economic justice for marginalized communities.
Islam, Gender, and Sexuality: Islam is one of the major world religions and has a significant presence in many countries. Postcolonial gender and sexuality studies explore how Islamic traditions and beliefs intersect with issues of gender and sexuality, and how Muslim women and LGBTQ individuals navigate these complex dynamics.
Critical Pedagogy and Education: Critical pedagogy is an approach to education that emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills and social justice values. Postcolonial gender and sexuality studies use critical pedagogy to challenge dominant narratives and promote alternative perspectives on gender and sexuality issues.
Critical Race Theory: A framework that examines the intersections of race and racism with other social identities and experiences, such as gender, sexuality, and class. This approach emphasizes the role of systemic racism in shaping social structures and institutions.
Queer Theory: A framework that explores the complexities of sex and gender identity, and how these identities intersect with other forms of social identity and experience. This approach recognizes the diversity of queer identities and experiences, and seeks to challenge heteronormativity and other forms of oppression.
Feminist Theory: A framework that focuses on the experiences and struggles of women and other marginalized genders, and how these experiences intersect with other forms of oppression and inequality. This approach emphasizes the need for social and political change to address issues of gender-based violence, access to healthcare and education, and political representation.
Disability Studies: A framework that examines the experiences of people with disabilities, and how these experiences intersect with other social identities and experiences. This approach acknowledges the social and cultural construction of disability, and calls for the removal of societal and structural barriers to equality and inclusion.
Postcolonial Theory: A framework that explores the legacy of colonialism and imperialism, and how these histories shape contemporary social and political structures. This approach recognizes the continuing impact of colonialism on marginalized communities, and seeks to challenge dominant narratives and power structures.
Critical Whiteness Studies: A framework that examines the social construction and privileging of whiteness, and how this construct intersects with other social identities and experiences. This approach aims to challenge the normalization of whiteness and white supremacy, and to promote anti-racism and racial justice.
Transnational Feminism: A framework that highlights the importance of cross-border and transnational perspectives in feminist theory and activism. This approach seeks to challenge the siloed nature of national and regional feminist movements, and to promote greater collaboration and solidarity across borders.
Indigenous Studies: A framework that centers the experiences and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, and their relationships with colonized and postcolonial societies. This approach acknowledges the ongoing colonization and dispossession of Indigenous lands, sovereignty, and cultures, and calls for the decolonization of settler-colonial systems.
"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."