Intersectional Analysis Abortion

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Feminist research is concerned with exposing and changing the oppressive structures and ideologies that women must experience in everyday life. When feminist philosophy categorizes oppression into singular terms, it fails to acknowledge that privilege and oppression is experienced in different ways by every individual. Without an intersectional lens, it becomes impossible to understand the ways in which varying forms of privilege and oppression work to mitigate or aggravate the systemic disadvantages experienced by the oppressed. Individual’s desires and intentions emerge from structurally defined differences of social categories and power differential, which thus impacts women’s ability to fluidly navigate through their abortion process (Fegan, …show more content…

Intersectionality moves beyond the choice model of abortion by considering how race, class, gender presentation and socioeconomic standing affect women’s journey through abortion. Access to abortion may be a singular problem for white middle class women, but the issues facing individuals marginalized by racism and classism become intrinsically intertwined with reproductive health. Therefore, choice is not simply about access to abortion, but about a choice on safe and effective access to birth control options, whether or not to have children, or how many children to have. Abortion is not a singular issue that can be simplified into women’s right for autonomy and a fetus’ right to life. Abortion is an issue of intersectionality as it is complicated by issues of race, class, and gender identity. By taking into account the variables of race, class, and gender, the unique disadvantages women face can be addressed and systematically treated in order to reduce and eliminate the barriers that confront abortion

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