Intersectionality can be defined as one of the most important feminist theory. It was developed and shaped in 1989 by Kimberle Crenshaw. The many relationships that seem to exist among many variations of the modalities and social relationships within the societies are dealt by Intersectionality. The theory works by examining the effects that various aspects of the society that include race, ethnicity, gender, identity, class, sexual orientation the relationships and interactions within the society. One of the main facts that are studied by Intersectionality is the effects that these aspects have on an increase of social inequality within the society. One of the main beliefs of Intersectionality is that the elements of oppression in the society do not work on the individuals in an independent manner; rather these are very dependent of one another. Some of the main elements of oppression that are dealt with by Intersectionality include homophobia, sexism, racism, and religion-based differences. These are the forms of oppression that are very much linked with each other. These are the various forms of societal aspects that play important roles in the creation of a vast system of oppression. This is the form of oppression which is very much reflective of an intersection among various forms of discrimination that exists within the society (American Bar Association 2004).
It can be added here that intersectionality is one of the most important paradigms for cultural as well as sociological studies. But still, there are a great number of challenges that are being faced by this one concept based on which it cannot be used within the modern society to its fullest. Conceptualizations that are built in a more multidimensional way are the main source of difficulties that arise in this case. Most importantly, it needs to be mentioned here that these are the conceptualizations that define...
These are the dimensions that play roles in building a social hierarchy. In these cases, one of the main examples that have been given by the feminists is that of a woman living in a sexist society. The knowledge is itself not enough. Thereby, there is a need of additional information. This additional information includes her sex, age, gender, ethnicity, race, identity and religion. Her appearance within the society is not only decided by these facts but also by the attitude that the society has towards each of these attributes.
One of the main facts that have been highlighted by the theory of Intersectionality is that the expressions of oppression and discrimination shape each other. Thereby, if one is interested in the study of oppression and discrimination being faced by the oppressed groups, one must give additional attention to the roles that are played by various social structures, social representations, as well as radicalizing structures. These three are the main elements that are often very strongly shaped by class, race, and gender. The main area that was focused upon by the theory in the beginning was the oppression of women in the society and the level of oppression that is faced by the women. But these days, the expansion of this phenomenon and concept has gained an increased importance as now the sociologist focus on different levels of oppression being faced by various communities of people within the society.
The intersectionality has its roots in the racism that is mostly faced by the black women. The same has been mentioned by Kimberle Crenshaw. She argues that the discrimination based on skin color is becoming strong and it is all intentional. One main event that has been highlighted by Kimberle is during her Harvard law school…
