Intersectionality and Anti-Essentialism
Intersectionality refers to the concept of several axes of inequality that operate across multiple domains such as interpersonal interactions, rule systems, and cultural beliefs. Inequality, social justice, complexity, social context, and relationality are among the reoccurring themes. Anti-essentialism, on the other hand, has been used to advance feminism since the 1980s. Anti-essentialism is a philosophical view that states that a particular idea or person must meet certain criteria in order to be considered a member of that entity. Essentialism is the idea or belief that for each given entity, there is a set of traits that are necessary or related to its identity and functionality. Being a tool for analysis in advocacy and policy development, intersectionality theory helps women in addressing multiple discriminations. Also, it is a means with a help of which different identities can access equal rights and opportunities irrespective of the gender, race, age or any other distinct affiliation for that matter. In addition, the following analysis critiques literature of various authors with specific interest of explaining the term as an approach for gender and economic justice.
The Development and Importance of Intersectionality
As an instrument for studying, comprehending, and responding to new ways in which gender relates with identities, intersectionality is used for development of indispensable methodology for human rights work. Rooted in the black feminism and critical race theory, it is a significant analytical tool. The land mark essay Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex introduced the term targeting to display how oppression has torn apart the women in the society. Turmoil faced by women in the 19th and the 20th centuries shaped the rising of the feminist movement which championed for right to vote, sexuality, and reproductive rights, fight against male chauvinism and targeting international suffering endured by women of all facets (Selman 7). In the late 20th century the concept of intersectionality gained prominence.
The Origins and Influence of Intersectionality
The history of notion can be traced back to the 19th century, but the most vocal groups were traced to the 1970s. In a bid to empower black women ideologically and economically, Audre Lorde, Patricia Hill Collins and other black women founded the Combahee river collective statement, a collection of Black feminism group in 1974. They championed for an intersectional multicultural feminism that resisted whiteness, sexism, and other similar forms of discrimination (Lorde 117). The group aimed at women’s liberation by criticizing the feminist movements that maintained that white women faced the same oppression as black women. During this era, they were involved in defining and clarifying politics in collaboration with other progressive organizations and movements. They advocated against racism, secularism, heterosexuality, and class oppression. There were four major themes that the Combahee River collective looked to put through and they included: black feminism, problems faced by individuals from black communists, and emphasis on their issues and practices.
The Empowerment Aspect of Intersectionality
In support of Lorde’s feminist agenda, Kimberly Crenshaw, a law professor at UCLA, introduced the term in 1989. She believed that it was as a tool for gender empowerment. In her book Mapping the Margins Kimberly Crenshaw states that it is the study of how different power structures interact with minorities. Crenshaw thought that this term would ensure the use of black feminism to avoid discrimination (Crenshaw 140). Intersectionality essentially points out invisibilities that exist in feminism and anti-racism. She was critical on the problem of exclusion of black women. Her view was that women should not be fitted in the already existing analytical structure. In the 21st century, Crenshaw continued the championship against oppression, revolutionary of the Black and feminist movements. Women endured a lot of harsh pathways in their lives that in the end affected her intersectionality, for instance, LGBT murders meant that people of color and transgender would be the targeted groups. Rape, killings, fear, and other painful experiences face a woman just because of her gender, race or class (Selman 6). Kimberly continued spread of the message on intersectionality acts as a way to use such platforms to explain to the masses on how the law and the bill of rights can work to their advantage if they rise against such oppression.
Intersectionality and Economic Justice
Selman further elaborates Kimberly’s and Lorde’s points, focusing on capitalism and to improve the wage structure for women, especially in the American society where money rules. In our society, lack of wage is an exploitation of a non-wage laborer (Selman 28). Explaining the notion, Selman stated “there is need to tore the final veil away from international capitalist division of labor to expose women’s and children’s position.” (30). In particular, the literature explains the power of the black movement originating from Harlem and Malcom X. Therefore, in a bid to change this state of discrimination, intersectionality is used to redefine class in order to create jobs or improve the state of the working woman. Due to multiple identities, women experience profound discrimination, and the discussion of the term helps affected groups with different forms of discrimination and use them as a point of overlap. It enables women to identify opportunities and gain access to rights, and understand how policies, programs, and services work.
Audre Lorde's Perspective on Intersectionality
Audre Lorde’s argument on term supports Kimberly and Selman’s theme on the use of it as a tool for gender and economic empowerment. As a black lesbian feminist, Audre Lorde inspires women to rise against racial and sexual oppression. Changes mean growth, but it is a painful process that involves all alienated groups working together to forge new ways of survival. Fueled by the way people viewed women, she was forced to develop the idea to teach the oppressor their mistakes. In order to empower women and other disadvantaged groups, she took the responsibility “educate teachers who dismissed my children’s culture, educate white people that Black and Third world people are just as human as them and enlighten women to educate their men.” (120). Lorde further built her case by using the wage earning gap of women of color in America. An example is the General Electric case whereby Black women were not allowed to work in the front office, and they could only work in the industrial section. Black women are the primary targeted of abortion and sterilization abuse both in America and abroad. As a 49 year old feminist socialist and a mother of two children, she found herself as soothe, deviant, inferior or plainly strange. Audre’s views on intersectionality were seen in the second wave movement. Audre used this notion to protest against patriarchal devaluation. Much of the work that she did was centered on her insistence that the word ‘woman’ was on a monolithic category. In the third feminist movement, she urged her peers to address ageism and homophobia.
Conclusion
The paper explains intersectionality as a means for improving the welfare of women. Authors such as Audre, Kimberly, and Selman explore this topic by voicing their views on the need to use it in ensuring gender equity and empowerment. More so, the document entails the history of the term, and how different activists voiced their grievances. It is imperative to understand the notion, and how it has changed the contemporary society.
Works Cited
Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex.” University of Chicago Legal Forum, vol.1968, no. 1, 2016, pp. 139-167.
Lorde, Audre. “Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference.” Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, vol. 23, no. 2, 1984, pp. 114-123.
Selma, James. Sex, Race and Class. Bristol, Eng: Falling Wall Press and Race Today Publications, 2006.
Selman, Harrris. Women's Lives, Men's Laws. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.: Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press, 2007.
