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Intersectionality

The document discusses the concept of intersectionality, which examines how social identities like gender, race, class influence one's experiences of privilege and oppression. It provides an overview of intersectionality theory and its roots, emphasizing that social workers should consider the complex ways multiple social factors intersect to shape individuals' lives. The presentation aims to help social workers understand intersectionality and how to apply an intersectional lens to practice.

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Aldrin S.
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11 views26 pages

Intersectionality

The document discusses the concept of intersectionality, which examines how social identities like gender, race, class influence one's experiences of privilege and oppression. It provides an overview of intersectionality theory and its roots, emphasizing that social workers should consider the complex ways multiple social factors intersect to shape individuals' lives. The presentation aims to help social workers understand intersectionality and how to apply an intersectional lens to practice.

Uploaded by

Aldrin S.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 26

How Social Identity

Influences Our Experiences:


Intersectionality
Pattie Nishimoto, ACSW, LCSW, PhD
Associate Professor
Concord University MSW Program

Terri Philpott, ACSW, LCSW, PhD Candidate


Field Practicum Director
Concord University MSW Program
Learning Objectives

• Learn about the concepts of intersectionality and mattering;


• Examine your social identity and how those identities shape your
lived experiences;
• Explore the social constructs of privilege and oppression in
personal & professional experiences;
• Discuss experiences of mattering (a sense of belonging & being
treated with respect and dignity) and marginalization (being
social excluded or experiences inequities; and,
• Applying intersectionality to social work practice.
Intersectionality

3
Intersectionality

• Intersectionality is a feminist sociological theory first


highlight by Kimberle’ Crenshaw in 1989.
• It is a methodology of studying “the relationships among
multiple dimensions and modalities of social relationships
and subject formations.”
• Social identities are the key aspect of mapping one’s
intersectionality perspective.
• A visual way of conceptualizing intersectionality is by
imagining a multi-dimensional graph with axes of gender,
race, class, citizenship, ableness (ability), age, sexuality, etc.
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The premise of
Intersectionality Theory:

Although initially articulated by feminists of


color, it is that social differentiation is achieved
through complex interactions between markers
of difference such as gender, race, and
socioeconomic class. In order to comprehend
how an individual’s access social, political, and
economic institutions is differentially
experienced, it is necessary to analyze how
markers of difference intersect and interact.

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6
The roots of intersectionality can be traced
back to a speech delivered by Sojourner
Truth, a black woman who had been a slave,
at the 1851’s Women’s Rights Conference in
Akron, Ohio.

• In her speech, she articulated how her


identity was shaped not only by her
gender but also by her race and class.
Referencing “that man over there says
that women need to be helped into
carriages and lifted over ditches…nobody
helps me into carriages or over mud
puddles…And ain’t I a woman?”

7
• Elizabeth Spelman argued that treating
interlocking systems of oppression as additive
implies that processes of gender, race, and class
are separate entities, and it ignores how these
factor’s interact to shape lived experience.

• Intersectionality approaches the concepts of


gender, race, and class as social constructions
that vary across geography and time; markers
of difference are not viewed as static traits, but
as processes that are (re)produced in the daily
actions of people.

8
Intersectionality

• Or intersectionalism is the study of intersections between


forms or systems of oppression, domination, or
discrimination.

• A standard textbook definition of intersectionality theory


involves the interplay of race, class, and gender, often
resulting in multiple dimensions of disadvantaged.

9
In other words,
Intersectionality is about…
• How an individual can face multiple threats of discrimination when their
identities overlap a number of minority classes, such as race, gender,
age, ethnicity, health, and other characteristics (Steven Williams in
Barber, 2017)
• The simultaneous experiences of categorical and hierarchical
classifications including but not limited to race, class, gender, sexuality,
and nationality (Cole, 2019).
• A perspective the examines how two or more social constructions of
oppression and/or privilege intersect to shape people’s social locations
and cumulative lived experiences (Battle-Walter, 2004), which then lead
to the discrimination and oppression of marginalized groups.
Intersectionality

Emphasizes a holistic view that provide


context to social work practice.
Social work emphasizes the need for capturing the complexity that exists among the interrelatedness
of social systems.
Social workers need to recognize the power imbalance that exist among individuals and between
institutions and the individuals and the resulting social inequalities and injustices
“Be comfortable
talking about the
uncomfortable”
(Tristan Renae,
personal
communication,
September 17, 2019)
Aligning with NASW Values and Ethical Principles

Social Welfare: Promote the general welfare of society... The development


of people, their communities, and their environments. Advocate for living
conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs.
Integrity of the Profession: Maintaining and promoting high standards of
practice.
Social Justice: Social workers challenge social injustice with and on
behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people.
Dignity and Worth of the Person: Social workers respect the inherent
dignity and worth of the person by being mindful of individual differences
and cultural and ethnic diversity.
Importance of Human Relationships: Social workers recognize the
central importance of human relationships.
Physical
Appearance
Age
Gender

Class
Be conscience of
Intersectionality Race
the context of
Physical our social
Ability
Mental identity, which
reflects various
Sexual Ability
Orientation
Personality
ways of how
society labels us.
Implications of Intersectionality
based on our Social Identity

• People are members of more than one community at the


same time. What communities are you a member of?

• Inequality are always present, depending on the context.


Social workers, for example, must be aware of our power
differential.

• Social inequality whereby people have unequal access to


valued resources, services, and positions in society.
The internal dimensions of
our identify may also
influence our social
location in life --
community dimensions,
social life experiences
dimensions, and
institutional dimensions.
Social Identity
Social identity is socially
constructed and reflect
various ways of how society
has labeled you.
Social identity is
constructed through a
process of stereotyping.
Marginalization: Social
exclusion or experiences of
inequalities in the distribution
of resources and power
• Race
• Class
• Gender People experience
• Age marginalization in each
• Sexual Orientation of the following
• Physical & Mental Ability categories.
• Religion
• Nationality/Citizenship
Privilege and Oppression

• Have you experienced unearned privileges (advantages)based on your


social identity?

• Or, have you experience oppression, based on your social identity?

• When we reflect on our social identities, is it based on our comparison


with others?
Social Workers cannot ….

• Be color-blind: Denying a person the right to have


context (history) in American culture
• Expect people from black, brown, indigence,
LGBTQ+ communities to teach people about
racism
• Reinforce the boundaries of “us” and “them.”
• Think that diversity is other than white.
• Only focus on intention verse impact.
Mattering
Describes the feeling that people have when they sense that others are
interested in them and value their contribution.

A sense of belong and feeling appreciated by others.

Corbiere, M., & Amundson, N.E. (2007)


Four Dimensions of
Mattering
• Attention: The feeling that someone notices or is
interested in you.
• Importance: The sense that people are interested in
what you are thinking, feeling, and doing.
• Dependence: The feeling that your contribution is
valued and needed.
• Ego-extension: The feeling, whether right or wrong,
that others are interested in how you are doing.
Ho’oponopono

Terri and I will have a live discussion with


participants after the video presentation.
Resources
• Adewunmi, B. (2014, April 2). Kimberle' Crenshaw on intersectionality. Retrieved
from NewStatesman: http://www.newstatesman.com
• Albany, S. o. (2009). Expanding the family circle. Retrieved from School of Social
Welfare University At Albany: http://www.albany.edu.html
• Collins, P. H. & Bilge, S. (2016). Intersectionality. Polity Press.
• Corbiere, M., & Amundson, N. E. (2007). Perceptions of the way of mattering by
people with mental illness. The Career Development Quarterly, 56, 141-149.
• Diangelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about
racism. Beacon Press.
• Hancock, A. (2016). Intersectionality: An intellectual history. OxFord University
Press.
• Murphy, Y. H. (2009). Incorporating intersectionality in social work practice,
research, policy, and education. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
• Romero, M. (2018). Introducing intersectionality. Polity Press.
• Walby, S. A. (2012). Intersectionality: Multiple inequalities in social theory.
Sociology, 46(2); 224-240.

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