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Intersectionality

Intersectionality is an analytical, methodological, and liberatory tool used to understand the multiple and complex ways oppression functions. It acknowledges how systems of power and division such as racism and sexism do not operate in a discrete and mutually exclusive way but rather intersect and build on each other. It begins with the recognition that human experiences can rarely be explained by just one factor. They are generally shaped by the myriad ways our identities overlap. For example, People of Color often experience discrimination based not just on race but on gender, sexuality, and economic background, to name a few. In this way, intersectionality provides a framework to better understand the intricate ways axes of social division (i.e., race, class, and gender) connect in a given society at a given time to inform our everyday lives. It emphasizes the ways social structures are always at work in our lives and thus resists the pressure to focus solely on personal causes of social inequality.

Although intersectionality can be applied in many settings, it is commonly used to solve social problems. In education, it is used to examine the ways schools reproduce social inequality. It is often used in connection with diversity initiatives because of its attention to multiple identities. This entry begins with an outline of the core ideas of intersectionality and the herstory of intersectionality’s conception. It then examines the connection between intersectionality and education and provides examples of intersectionality in analyzing Chicanx/Latinx education. The entry concludes with a brief summary of intersectionality and possible future directions.

The Core Ideas of Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a way of understanding the complexity of ourselves as individuals, of others, and of society. As an analytical, methodological, and liberatory tool, intersectionality offers us ways to solve social problems and make sense of the world we live in. In their 2016 book Intersectionality, Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge identify six core ideas that appear when using intersectionality. While these ideas may not always be present at the same time, they provide important foundations to consider when using intersectionality. It is also important to note that these concepts are more similar than different from one another. They overlap and work in conjunction with each other to bring forward an intersectional framework.

Social inequality: Intersectionality exists because many people were concerned about the social inequality they were experiencing or saw around them. Intersectionality helps us better understand the way social inequality functions. It recognizes that social inequality is rarely caused by just one factor in society, but rather multiple, layered, and cumulative factors. Instead of analyzing social inequality through singular modes of study like race or class-based analysis, intersectionality encourages us to look at the relationship between multiple axes of oppression. Systems of social inequalities such as racism, patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism (to name a few) are central when it comes to using intersectionality as an analytical, methodological, and liberatory tool.

Power: Intersectional frameworks understand power relations in a composite way, meaning there is no pure racism or sexism. Rather, power relations of racism and sexism gain meaning in relation to each other. People’s lives and identities are formed through mutually influencing ways. Power relations should be analyzed via their intersections but also across domains of power—structural, cultural, interpersonal, and disciplinary. Intersectionality recognizes that power is complex and contested.

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