AN EXERCISE IN WORLDMAKING 2009 - ISS

200 CHANTELLE DE NOBREGA
The first two sections provide a definition of intersectionality and offer
concrete ways in which intersectionality can improve human rights
theory and praxis, with a particular focus on social exclusion, though it
should be mentioned that this is not an exhaustive analysis. The final
section provides three potential problems or critiques that the application
of an intersectional framework could be confronted with, and uses
these to further explain the strengths and advantages of intersectionality.
INTERSECTIONALITY
Intersectionality refers to the interaction between and intersections of
multiple identities, what Davis calls “categories of difference” (2008: 68),
which are produced and reproduced – directly and discursively – in individuals,
institutions, and social relations of power, as well as in cultural
ideologies and social practices. These intersections result in complex and
multi-dimensional experiences of oppression, power, privilege and
domination, and their attendant consequences, such as violence and discrimination.
The term was first coined in 1989 by Crenshaw (Davis 2008:
68), who differentiated between structural and political intersectionality.
Structural intersectionality is when individuals “are situated within
overlapping structures of subordination” so that the reality of multiple
hierarchies results in complex and compounded effects, as these multiple
systems of oppression interact with one another (Crenshaw 1993: 114).
For example, a Native American woman who is the victim of intimate
partner violence not only experiences this violence as a woman, but also
as a member of a racial minority where there are particular and specific
cultural expectations and gendered norms. In addition, she may find that
women’s shelters are unable to communicate effectively with her due to
language barriers, or that the relative geographic and social isolation of
Native American communities could result in difficulty of access to
health and support services. She therefore experiences additional discrimination
based on race, ethnicity and language, which compounds and
changes the reality of how gender-based violence impacts her.
Political intersectionality refers to the way that political and legal discourses
and rhetoric “erase” particular individuals and communities by
highlighting or “favouring” specific forms of subordination or discrimination
at the expense of others (Crenshaw 1993: 115-116). Thus, following
on from our earlier example, if the dominant voices in the political
arena are those of white, middle-class women, they are likely to speak to