Intersectionality: A Tool for Understanding Inequality

Feminism constantly works to eliminate oppression, inequality and discrimination. A highly important tool used by feminists to assess differences among individuals in society which the author of “Feminisms Matters”, Victoria Bromley critiques is called intersectionality. Intersectionality enables one’s critical thinking about a person’s multiple identities and also goes into a deep investigation about how these identities are interconnected as to discover the roots of inequality. These multiple identities are interwoven throughout society’s power structures. The general misconception and approach of power is that it is zero-sum, which Bromley counter argues by supporting how power is instead about empowerment and can be shared with all (Bromley

“We are likely to identify with a particular gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age group and ability” (Bromley 47). These are some of the social factions used in terms of intersectionality to evaluate how components of our identity fall under these categories which are influenced by a numerous amount of factors such as our experiences and positionality (Bromley 47). Evidently, an individual would relate to all of these categories, but in diverse ways, forming distinguishable identities. “For example, you might be living in Canada, in your first year of university, born in South America, a Buddhist and struggling to pay for your living expenses, yet able-bodied and employed” (Bromley 47). This is just one instance of a how an individual is a combination of many identities. One is not just defined within binary divisions which have been proven to be limiting and illogical (Bromley 48). For instance, in terms of race, a binary division would be white or black or for sex, male or female. People are unique and cannot just be specified as white or black; there is an endless range of nationalities e.g. Latino, Indian, Polish, Chinese, Israeli and many others that must be acknowledged which is therefore why multiple identities

These are aspects of someone’s identity which structure the foundation and personality of a human being. A person’s identity cannot be absent or present in order to satisfy how one classifies themselves. Together these identities make an individual who they are. Let’s say a person is thought of as a table and the legs are identities. One cannot take away the fact that they are female and young from a person in the same sense that one cannot take off the legs of a table and still have it stand. This supports the impossibility to separate characteristics of someone’s identity which is the reason why Bromley classifies them as simultaneous. Feminist uses this thorough understanding of multiple identities as to begin to investigate the construction of society. One component of society which Bromley focusses on is frameworks of power and how multiple identities are intertwined within these systems that revolve around inclusion and exclusion and domination and subordination (Bromley