Intersectionality, therefore, refers to the simultaneous experience of social categories such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation and the ways in which these categories interact to create systems of oppression, domination, and discrimination.
Why is intersectionality important psychology?
An intersectional lens enables psychologists to investigate marginalised identities that influence a person or group’s wellbeing (such as race and faith and sexuality and disability and gender and more), and to work collaboratively with individuals, groups and communities to develop strategies for maintaining wellbeing ...
What is the concept of intersectionality?
More explicitly, the Oxford Dictionary defines intersectionality as “ the interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage ”.
What makes up a person’s intersectionality?
Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage . Examples of these factors include gender, caste, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, disability, physical appearance, and height. These intersecting and overlapping social identities may be both empowering and oppressing.
Why is it important to study intersectionality?
An intersectional perspective deepens the understanding that there is diversity and nuance in the ways in which people hold power . It encourages theoretical understandings of identity that are more complex than simple oppressor/oppressed binaries.
What is intersectionality in your own words?
Intersectionality is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages . It takes into account people’s overlapping identities and experiences in order to understand the complexity of prejudices they face.
How is intersectionality useful?
Intersectionality is a useful way of thinking in social work and in critical reflection ; it gives an ana- lytical tool which is able to capture dynamic power relations and oppression in a way that is sensitive to differences and oppression both within and among groups.
Why is intersectionality important in the workplace?
An intersectional approach to workplace equality creates allyship and structural change where women who succeed have the ability to pull up other groups behind them. Intersectionality eliminates the competitive mentality where advancements for one minority group hurts another .
What is my intersectional identity?
Defining or being defined by only one aspect of identity can be harmful. ... In other words, intersectional identity theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged or privileged by multiple sources : their race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers.
How is identity negotiated?
Identity negotiation refers to the processes through which people reach agreements regarding “who is who” in their relationships . Once these agreements are reached, people are expected to remain faithful to the identities they have agreed to assume.
How do you write intersectionality?
To address intersectionality in a paper, identify individuals’ relevant characteristics and group memberships (e.g., ability and/or disability status, age, gender, gender identity, generation, historical as well as ongoing experiences of marginalization, immigrant status, language, national origin, race and/or ...
What does it mean to take an intersectional approach?
The concept of ‘intersectionality’ has been defined as “intersectional oppression [that] arises out of the combination of various oppressions which, together, produce something unique and distinct from any one form of discrimination standing alone....” An intersectional approach takes into account the historical, ...
Why is intersectionality important to women’s studies?
Adding intersectionality to feminism is important to the movement because it allows the fight for gender equality to become inclusive . Using intersectionality allows us all to understand each other a little bit better.
How do you overcome intersectionality?
- Don’t limit the scope of intersectionality. While it may feel inclusive to outline “women-first” campaigns, there’s an inherent risk to narrowing the field in that manner. ...
- Create intersectional spaces for discussion. ...
- Give distinct voices a seat at the table.
Why is intersectionality important in counseling?
Intersectionality provides a lens through which we can examine the processes, practices, policies, and structures that increase the risk of students experiencing disadvantage or discrimination because of their intersecting identities .
What is the difference between intersectionality and diversity?
While non-intersectional programmes might treat women as a homogeneous group and promote gender equality by taking only gender into account in staffing, an intersectional diversity programme would highlight not only gender but also intersections with age, ethnicity, and other differences and divisions .
