I’m working on a humanities discussion question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Today we’re discussing intersectionality, a concept developed by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw (and building on the work of decades of feminists of color). Intersectionality acknowledges that no one can be reduced to just one aspect of their identity (such as gender) and that even within a given identity category there is difference. For example, “women” are not all the same but differ according to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, disability, citizenship status, and more. These various identities “intersect,” and in order to do feminism well, we need to do it intersectionally, with attention not just to gender but also to other axes of difference.

Please note that intersectionality is a theoretical framework for doing feminism, one that is more accurate and inclusive:

• intersectionality is not an identity or an experience.
• instead, intersectionality is a theoretical frame we can use to understand identity or experience.
• intersectional feminism is a way of “doing” feminism that is more accurate and inclusive. It helps to ensure that we don’t erase people or cultures.

• Video: Kimberlé Crenshaw and Abby Dobson, “The Urgency of Intersectionality” (2016)
• Graphic: Intersectionality: A Fun Guide (Links to an external site.)
• Olena Hankivsy, “Intersectionality 101”