Originally coined by Crenshaw (1991), the term intersectionality was first used to describe the racism and sexism faced by women of colour- a crossover of two kinds of discrimination which is often not acknowledged but commonly experienced by women of colour. Today, the term is often used to describe a vast array of combinations of struggle faced by individuals belonging to two or more marginalised groups. The intersecting nature of race, class, gender, and other marginalising characteristics means that intersectionality is a concept that can no longer be disdained.
Despite the logical nature of the intersectionality which aims to define a previously undefined phenomenon, the term has not met acceptance in the wider society. While many conservatives believe that intersectionality infers special treatment of minorities, White feminists argued that the term was utter jargon and too academic for any common person to understand (Coaston, 2019; Eddo-Lodge, 2018).
But if intersectionality is not jargon or special treatment of minorities, what is it? Intersectionality can be viewed both as a theoretical framework and a discursive practice in human rights and social justice. Crenshaw’s originally misconstrued representation of intersectionality is rather a deep dive into the deep structural accounts of discrimination and inequality.
Intersectionality describes a way of understanding how overlapping aspects of a person’s identity shape their experiences of inequality and privilege.
Multitudes Blog, Newcastle University
Taking one look into an individual’s life who has more than one marginalising characteristic can make it apparent that intersectionality is a very real phenomenon. Settles et al. (2020) argue that intersectionality has been subject to epistemic exclusion and call for dominant and mainstream scholars to evaluate intersectionality and discuss its appropriate application to minimise this exclusion.
At NU-REN, we recognise the importance of intersectionality and we embed this in our vision. If you are a part of another minoritised group, you may find the [MULTITUDES] Project at Newcastle University quite useful.
By Avneet Sandhu, NU-REN Ambassador
References
Coaston, J. (2019, May 28). Intersectionality, explained: meet Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term. Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/20/18542843/intersectionality-conservatism-law-race-gender-discrimination
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Eddo-Lodge, R. (2019). Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Reprint ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Settles, I. H., Warner, L. R., Buchanan, N. T., & Jones, M. K. (2020). Understanding psychology’s resistance to intersectionality theory using a framework of epistemic exclusion and invisibility. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 796–813. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12403