Intersectionality

An analytical tool, intersectionality indexes the interconnection of multiple forms of domination and subordination, particularly those of race, gender, and class. The concept, which originated in Black feminist theory, has been used in mass communication primarily to analyze how intersecting identity categories are implicated in media production, media messages, and media reception as dynamics of power. This theoretical tool has been taken up in feminist media studies and continues to gain traction in the broader field as scholars have begun to focus once again on race in the media. This entry discusses the development of the concept, the concept in mass media, the impact of the concept, and critiques raised by some scholars.