Intersectionality Research Paper

Intersectionality is defined by social categories, such as race and gender that have interconnected to apply to individuals and groups, causing an overlap, which has consequently created a system of discrimination and disadvantages

It is impossible to discuss gender and the influences it has on one livelihood without acknowledging the other aspects of one’s identity. Other aspects such as race, class, and sexuality in combination with will always play a major role in one’s life choices and the way they are perceived by others. The term intersectionality as stated by Susanne Hochreiter offers a way to understand the multiple grounds of identity when considering how the social world is constructed. Intersectionality explains why gender cannot be in isolation from other inequalities in the social world. As a black Haitian woman raised in America, it is clear to see that my identity occupies several spheres. The experiences of being a woman in Haitian culture often conflicts with that in of American culture. In Haitian, there are specific roles and social spaces that women occupy. Traditionally in Haitian culture women are the head of the household but still place their husband’s authority above them. Young Haitian girls must learn many things before they are considered young women in their society. These

Does our social class define our position in the world? This is the question raised by the short stories Sonny’s Blues and Recitatif. James Baldwin’s Sonny and Toni Morrison’s Twyla both struggle to find their proper place in society – Sonny by moving away from the Harlem projects where he grew up; Twyla by leaving the orphanage where her mother abandons her. However, both characters encounter unexpected difficulties along the way: Sony grapples with heroin addiction and the disapproval of his own family; Twyla combats the anger of her oldest friend and the institutionalized racism of 1960s America. For both characters, the question remains the same: can an “outsider” find a place in a class-obsessed society? The thesis, the central question of the two stories is the same; can an outsider blocked by class issues ever become an “insider”? Or is society itself the thing that needs to change?

Crenshaw (1989, 1993) argued that race and gender are not mutually exclusive social identities that a Black woman experiences, the intersection of race and sexuality go accordantly with each other. Similarly, hooks argued that they are equally congruent values to the lives of those affected by such identities (2000). Crenshaw (1989) criticized the feminist movement for its failure to consider and promote the voices of women in the margins; the women who occupy more than one oppressed space and hold more than one oppressed status because of their race, sexuality, class, as well as gender. She noted, in “mapping the margins,” as did hooks, that some women are so oppressed in ways other than their gender that they do not see the feminist movement

Integrating theory into social work practice is essential in defining why social work is needed and how to practice it effectively. This paper will discuss two theories; intersectionality and life course theory, as I believe that these two theories are collectively suitable and effective in interrupting the cycle of oppression. I will draw upon both my own experiences and literature to analyze the strengths and limitations of intersectionality and life course theory. This discussion will exemplify how intersectionality and life course theory enhance each other and can work synergistically to inform my social work practice.

Crenshaw’s Mapping the Margins: The Marginalization of Women of Color Analyzed Through Generalization and A Feminist Lens

I will be demonstrating the author’s different theories based on the subject of intersectionality and the way it is presented throughout her research in the work force but also the way Winfgield includes theories theories from Kanter, Hill Collins and Crenshaw within her book.

That scholarship in the 1980s and 1990s increasingly focused on uncovering connections amongst systems of oppression organised along axes of social class, gender, race and nationalism. Within the paradigms of intersectionality, any specific locations, social location where such systems meet or intersect generates a distinctive group history or experience

Since the beginning of feminism, the mainstream feminists’ associations, have mostly focused on the problems that white middle class women face. As a consequence, numerous feminists´ have ignored and overlooked the experiences of oppression that other minority women encounter. Therefore, I am of the opinion that it is essential that the feminist concept is not solely used to enlighten the inequality between genders, withal also racism, islamophobia, homophobia and further. I would argue that feminism is useless without intersectionality and inclusion.

Intersectionality is a sociological theory that defines a number of threats of discrimination when a person’s identity differs with several other minority groups including age, ethnicity, race, health, and so forth.( Hancock,2016). Intersectionality seeks to explain why these aspects of humanity cannot be separated and they are all related. For instance, a trans-woman of color may face discrimination in various capacities of her life, more so at work.

Psychology is the study the human mind, including behaviors and disorders. However for much of history, the “human” in this definition has actually meant male. From the birth of psychology as a field, most of the research has been conducted by, for, and about men. The perspectives of women are historically severely lacking. In fairly recent times, women have gained the right to become psychologists, go to college, and participate in the research progress. However, the gains made are largely superficial and only apply to a small group of privileged women. The theory of intersectionality seeks to change the way people think about identities and social groups, and how certain factors may influence others in developing a person 's unique identity.

Racial minorities and those who are born and raised in a lower socioeconomic environment often lack access to adequate healthcare, education, etc. which can affect the quality of their life and lifespan. Due to the lack of resources and opportunities experienced by minorities, they are more likely to experience the cycle of poverty (poor families remain impoverished for three or more generations). If a person is from a middle or upper class background it can definitely be assumed that they will live longer. Having a large or excessive amount of resources/money allows you to access/acquire the very best healthcare, nutritional coaches, food, etc. Additionally, individuals with more resources/money often experience less stress and more leisure

Examine how intersectionality is being recognised as a valuable normative and research paradigm for furthering understandings of the complexity of gender heath inequities in Africa

The description of the universal oppression of black women, crosses all the limitations of race, class, gender and the melancholy of their life reaches out women in general. The novel vigorously reflects consciousness of women’s world. It is a novel which can be read crossing all the cultural boundaries, as bell hooks praises “it is truly popular work-a book of people-a work that has many different meanings for many different readers.” (454) The color ‘purple’ teaches the world of women that they have endless potentiality not only to the black women but to all women who get ready to fight for their

Feminist pedagogy is an educational philosophy that seeks to create “equal access, participation, and engagement” for all students through the active opposition of racism, sexism, homophobia, and social status prejudice as barriers to classroom equality and success (p.) It seeks to dismantle the power hierarchies present in society that reinforcement these prejudices and strives to empower students to become agents of social change.