Let's Talk: Intersectionality

 

Another interesting historic trend is the concept of intersectionality. We see this a lot when you analyze social history where groups are marginalized by more than one factor. For example, groups that are at the intersection of race and gender, or gender and sexuality, or race and economic class to name a few.

Take for example, indigenous women in Canada. There is an ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across the country. That in itself is an entirely different discussion, but it does illustrate intersectionality well because this issue is directly influenced by both gender and race.  Often in cases involved with this crisis, the violence is perpetrated by men against women which makes it a gendered issue. Moreover, it becomes a racial issue when the violence is perpetrated by white men.

Another example is within the early days of the feminist movement. On the outset, it looked as if women were advocating for all women. However, as the movement progressed, it became increasingly clear that the main priority was for white women. Women of colour was an entirely different issue as they had both racial and gender disparities to contend with. Subsequently, the intersectionality of women of colour created a divide in the early feminists’ movements as it was not fully inclusive.

Understanding intersectionality is critical to understanding social history and the reality that many marginalized groups face. It’s essential to understanding the complex social structure that effects everyone in a variety of different ways, both positive and negative.  The uniqueness of intersectionality often displaces those affected as it is not just one issue but several. It makes their experiences unique and cannot easily solved  by one broad resolution.