intersectionality
The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Focuses on the compounding effect of multiple intersecting identities rather than examining single axes of discrimination.
Word relationships
- interconnectedness: Interconnectedness is a general term for connections, whereas intersectionality specifically addresses overlapping forms of discrimination.
- single-axis framework: A single-axis framework analyzes discrimination through only one isolated identity category.
Commonly confused with
- multiculturalism: Multiculturalism celebrates cultural diversity, whereas intersectionality analyzes overlapping systems of power and oppression.
Word family
- intersectional (adjective): Relating to or characterized by intersectionality.
Collocations
- intersectional framework
- intersectional analysis
- apply intersectionality
Example sentences
- "Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex requires an analytical framework grounded in intersectionality." Legal Theory (Kimberlé Crenshaw, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex)
- "The advocacy group adopted intersectionality to address the specific economic hurdles faced by immigrant women." Social Policy
Memory hook
Intersection = a traffic crossing where multiple avenues of discrimination collide. Where identities and oppressions intersect.
When not to use
Avoid using it as a simple synonym for diversity or inclusion; it specifically analyzes compounding systems of power.
Fun facts
- Crenshaw coined the term in a legal paper examining why Black women were left unprotected by antidiscrimination laws that evaluated race and gender separately.
Related words
Explore more words
positionality, discrimination, socioeconomic, interconnectedness, stratification, interaction
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