What is Intersectionality?

Images: Newcastle University

Research from Newcastle University:

Intersectionality is a term that was coined by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. Intersectionality considers people’s overlapping identities and experiences. It is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages. It allows you to think about how gender, class, race and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap.

This is important as people identify with multiple characteristics (e.g. their race, gender, age) at the same time, and it’s the intersection of these that can determine the complexity of prejudices and discrimination that they encounter. Many everyday approaches to equality tend to focus on tackling one form of discrimination at a time, but intersectionality allows us to understand and address all the potential barriers an individual is facing.

Intersectionality is a complex term that is often mis-used and misunderstood. Paris Lees, a white, transgender activist, notes that it is not a case of liking intersectionality. It is about accepting that some people have more to struggle against than you.

Below video from Newcastle University, please find more detail on their research on their website.