Summary on interdisciplinarity
Topic: Intersectionality
by Siang Jin, 2021 Cohort
“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives” - Audre Lorde
Throughout the 21st century, awareness has grown around marginalised identities and structural inequalities different groups face. From gender quotas to workplace diversity training, policies are constantly being created to address this, all with the goal of making society more equal.
However, there has been criticism around policies that only focus on single issues. Kimberle Crenshaw, a leading scholar of critical race theory and the inventor of the term intersectionality, argues systems which are unable to focus on more than one issue will only further marginalise those who have multiple marginalised identities.
An example Crenshaw uses is the treatment of Black American women in the US Court System - when Black women brought a case against a motor company for discrimination against them, the courts argued that it was not discrimination because the company had hired women (albeit white women), and Black people (albeit Black men). The court refused to consider Black women as a separate category that had separate experiences and defined the boundaries of race and sex discrimination by the experiences of Black men and white women respectively.
Intersectionality thus asks for a recognition that different aspects of a person’s identity will expose them to different and overlapping forms of discrimination. When policies fail to do this, it can create unintended consequences for other marginalised groups. A good example of this is the use of gender quotas to implement gender parity in workplaces. While instituted with the goal of achieving 50/50 male and female split, multiple studies have shown that schemes like this often elevate women who are privileged in some other way, such as white women or wealthy women, whilst not benefitting women who face other issues.[1][2]
Thus, when it comes to solving complex problems involving people from all backgrounds, it is essential to consider how the solution will affect everyone, not just some people. A policy that aims to solve problems faced by women, but not women of colour, disabled women, or queer* women, will ultimately only end up serving the most privileged women whilst leaving everyone else behind.
So, what does implementing intersectionality look like in practice? As a lens for understanding complex identities and a path to creating solutions, the policymaker should use intersectionality to consider the complexities of identity, and to not forget that complexity when formulating solutions. For example, when considering how reproductive rights will affect women, to not forget to consider or consult with sex workers, trans women, or immigrant women, as lack of access to these services will disproportionately affect them in ways that it may not affect privileged white women. Whilst there is a tendency to desire a simple solution to complex problems, sometimes doing so will only lead to solutions for some, but not all.
So, the next time you’re thinking about a problem impacting people, consider this: who is this affecting, and will this solution work for them?
References#
- Varun Karekurve-Ramachandra and Alexander Lee, “Do Gender Quotas Hurt Less Privileged Groups? Evidence from India,” American Journal of Political Science 64, no. 4 (2020): 757-72, https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12511.
- Melanie M. Hughes, “Intersectionality, Quotas, and Minority Women’s Political Representation Worldwide,” American Political Science Review 105, no. 3 (August 2011): 604-20, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055411000293.
Additional Resources#
- Kimberle Crenshaw, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Anti-discrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=ucl
Disclaimer#
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If there are inaccuracies, or opportunities for significant improvement on this topic, feedback is welcome on how to improve the resource.
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