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Scenario of intersectionality in everyday life
Theorizing intersectionality
Theorizing intersectionality
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On July 18th, my presentation on Dr. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color” further opened my eyes on the similarities of hierarchical power that we all face in an oppressive capitalist society. Moreover, facilitating discussion, helped me grasp the meaning of intersectionality as well as making a connection to Dr. Andrea Smith’s “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy.” Because of the text’s content (interlocking oppressions prompt violence against women of color), I decided not to devote my presentation on what happened in the reading entirely, but rather defining intersectionality. I also used my exercise with the threads to display in a creative way how intersectionality can be applied to everyone in the class. The exercise demonstrated how intricately intertwine our identities are in society, but moreover, how we all share a common struggle/privilege. In doing so, I believe the atmosphere in class positively shifted because I diverted the focus towards unity (just for one second we all put our differences aside and came together). Dr. Smith’s “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy,” connected with my second discussion question: How does your …show more content…
Williams Crenshaw’s “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color” aided me in understanding the importance of intersectionality. Intersectionality is a framework that is critical in helping us position ourselves to others and not individually. While in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy,” Dr. Smith begins her paper by discussing the division that lies within the community of color. My presentation on Dr. Williams Crenshaw’s article and Dr. Smith’s arguments reminded me that there is no greater power against an oppressive system than a conglomeration of people working together to fight
In many contemporary spaces, intersectionality is taught and consumed as a static concept of merely listing identities carried by one person simultaneously. It’s used more often as a checklist than a place of analysis or resistance. However, the use of intersectionality as just an apolitical tool, rather than a theory born from the knowledge of Black women experiencing a “triple jeopardy” of oppression and seeking liberation by deconstructing the institutions that bind them, is reductionist at best. In “Intersectionality is Not Neutral”May communicates that intersectionality pushes us to question and challenge the relatively mundane or acceptable norms in society that lend themselves to a continuous legacy of systemic inequality.
Centuries of both figurative and literal binding held down countless individuals from reaching their full potential, and in turn held down the entirety of the mankind from progressing forward, Despite laws that emerged in hopes to create equality, years of “Separate but equal” lies perpetuated across from sea to shining sea. Other nations took notice to how America treated its citizens with concern, but yet the discrimination continued. Years of voices fighting for change fell on deaf ears. Typically, only in incidents such as Freedom Summer where white students who fought for equal rights died did the attention of the national public tune to the true horror and extremity white supremacists were taking to hold back change. (cite). Through reading Tyson’s book, one is able to further reach an understanding of the clash of rage, despair, anguish, and frustration felt by those fighting for equal
Andrea Smith’s “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy” introduces an alternative framework for the organization of women and people of color (Smith 67). Such framework is non-singular, contrasting the previous which have proven to be limiting to these groups (Smith 67). Through the discussion of the three pillars which are separate, but interrelated and heteropatriarchy within society Smith provides a helpful starting point for organizers to break from systems of oppression and ultimately deconstruct White supremacy (Smith 73).
Dr. Peggy McIntosh looks at white privilege, by “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” She describes white privilege as almost a special check or coin that she gets to cash in on. Dr. McIntosh tells that white privilege has been a taboo and repressed subject – and that many white people are taught not to see or recognize it. However, she is granted privileges (McIntosh 30). Dr. McIntosh goes on to describe twenty-six ways in which her skin-color grants her certain privileges. In example twenty, she describes how she can buy “…posters, postcards, picture books…” and other items that “…feature people of my race” (32). Additionally, in her first example, she talks about being able to be in the “company of people of my race most of the time” (McIntosh 31). Instances in which a privilege person would not even recognize unless they were looking, show evidence for white privilege. People take these advantages for granted because they simply expect them. Due to the lack of melatonin in her skin, she was granted privileges and her skin served as an asset to her. Dr. McIntosh conveys how her privilege is not only a “favored state,” but also a power over other
In her novel called “Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” one of the many areas bell hooks speaks of is the perpetual racial confinement of oppressed black women. The term double-bind comes to mind when she says “being oppressed means the absence of choices” (hooks 5). The double-bind is “circumstances in which choices are condensed to a few and every choice leads to segregation, fault or denial” Therefore, this essay will discuss how hooks’ definition of oppression demonstrates the double-bind in race relations, forcing the socially underprivileged minority to “never win,” and as a result allowing the privileged dominate “norm” to not experience perpetual segregation.
Oxford dictionary defines intersectionality as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.” While intersectionality is a fairly new concept, looking at it can give a deeper insight into understanding crime and the types of offenders. Throughout this essay intersectionality will be discussed by a range of scholars and how it can influence different aspects of crime, such as the types of crime committed, the incarceration of offenders as well as the affects that incarceration can have on offenders and their families. It is important to look at intersectionality as
The mindset of white liberal feminists contributes to the omission of other women in their fight for individual rights. Thelma and Louise (1991) is an example of how white liberal feminism can illustrate and advocate for the liberation of women whilst excluding other women of different races, classes, and other given circumstances that don’t fall into the typical white heteronormative narrative. The film shows a one-sided account of establishing individual rights as a woman. While the film shows the liberation of Thelma and Louise from the oppressive men in their lives, in the following I will discuss how the exclusion of people of color in the film establishes that liberation is exclusively for one “kind” of women. I will show how the subjects
On Being Young-A Woman-and Colored an essay by Marita Bonner addresses what it means to be black women in a world of white privilege. Bonner reflects about a time when she was younger, how simple her life was, but as she grows older she is forced to work hard to live a life better than those around her. Ultimately, she is a woman living with the roles that women of all colors have been constrained to. Critics, within the last 20 years, believe that Marita Bonners’ essay primarily focuses on the double consciousness ; while others believe that she is focusing on gender , class , “economic hardships, and discrimination” . I argue that Bonner is writing her essay about the historical context of oppression forcing women into intersectional oppression by explaining the naturality of racial discrimination between black and white, how time and money equate to the American Dream, and lastly how gender discrimination silences women, specifically black women.
• How does intersectionality challenge traditional modes of knowledge produced in the United States as a form of advocacy and pedagogy to pursue social justice and
In this particular group discussion, we discussed the complexity of the readings. We go over certain terms such as racism, systematic forces, internalized oppression, and etc. In most cases, these terms gave students a sense of background for their readings. We also organized dyads for students who were
Intersectionality was one of the greatest concepts this course shed light on, intersectionality is can be broadly defined as the coming together of various social groups to work together to fight against forms of oppression. In the conceptual frameworks portion of the book Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, they talk about the importance of privileged identities and disadvantaged identities coming together to work towards solving a particular issue. While before taking this course I was somewhat aware of the various forms of oppression, I never gave much thought to how I could help combat forms of oppression that I did not necessarily experience with my own identity.
Women have been divided over feminism, its definition and practice, since the first suffragettes demanded area in politics (Weinberger, 2012). Black Feminism is a more family-centered approach to equality for females. It is the acknowledgement that both sexism and racism have op...
In Feminism Matters, Victoria Bromley analyses the use of power and how it intertwines with intersectionality and the feminist culture. There are two different ways that power is visualized in our society. The first branch she discusses, is empowerment. Bromley defines empowerment as a power that permits people to live more accomplished lives. Empowerment is an important aspect of feminism as it promotes power to be shared and be used for good instead of evil. Bromley believes that empowerment is “collective, expansive, and beneficial…Empowerment increases the social, economic, political and spiritual strength of individuals and their communities” (Bromley 50). The other side of power that Bromley mentions is the power that focuses on the systems of inclusion and exclusion, hierarchies of privilege and the system of domination and subordination. This type of power is what defines the struggle of intersectionality and what feminists want to eliminate in our society. It defines the fact that women are all the same and share the exact same life experiences; which is untrue. Another big aspect of
Among the many subjects covered in this book are the three classes of oppression: gender, race and class in addition to the ways in which they intersect. As well as the importance of the movement being all-inclusive, advocating the idea that feminism is in fact for everybody. The author also touches upon education, parenting and violence. She begins her book with her key argument, stating that feminist theory and the movement are mainly led by high class white women who disregarded the circumstances of underprivileged non-white women.
Cohen argues that intersectionality goes beyond inclusive politics and extends to the formation of transformational agendas. Intersectionality has become a buzzword in recent years especially in critiques of white feminism. This has resulted in a lost of understanding about what the word truly means. Cohen reminds us that intersectional politics are not the simple inclusion of all identities but rather, politics that hold a deep understanding of marginalized identities, the ways they intersect with one another, and the implications of those intersections. She focuses on the failures of queer politics while emphasizing the radical potential of the movement. By nature, queer politics should aim to deconstruct the systems of domination that press its supporters. She critiques civil rights and liberal politics for trying to fit into hegemonic systems instead of trying to dismantle them. Queer politics as its best, considers the matrix of domination and works to protect marginalized queer individuals equally.