"There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives."
-Audre Lorde
Image credit: http://alp.org/about/audre.
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This being the first blog entry that I have composed, I feel I ought to begin with the very basics.
That is: what is the meaning of intersectionality, and why is it important today in each of our lives?
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Intersectionality is likely a familiar term to many, but to most probably elicits distant memories of high school civics courses or undergraduate sociology seminars. From my own experience in sociology lectures, I can remember little more than discussing the definition of intersectionality, with little effect given to its grave importance in modern intellectual discourse (not to mention the lack of due credit given to powerful intersectional advocates throughout history, such as Audre Lorde, pictured above).
From nearly any sociology class, one might learn a definition of intersectionality that proceeds as follows:
"Intersectionality refers to the simultaneous experience of categorical and hierarchical classifications including but not limited to race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality. It also refers to the fact that what are often perceived as disparate forms of oppression, like racism, classism, sexism, and xenophobia, are actually mutually dependent and intersecting in nature, and together they compose a unified system of oppression. Thus, the privileges we enjoy and the discrimination we face are a product of our unique positioning in society as determined by these social classifiers."
You can access the source for this definition, as well as more information on the subject, Here.
It was not until I began taking more in-depth ethics courses through my philosophy program that I really began to understand the significance of an intersectional ideology in calibrating one's moral compass. While it is useful to understand the impact of various social struggles, such as socioeconomic status, race, gender, age, etc., in their own rights, it is infinitely more useful to understand how these struggles weigh collectively on individuals and families. This is an essential understanding if we as a society wish to better the conditions for all people and make strides toward the asymptote of perfect and unblemished equality.
Oppression is not ever singular or insular in nature, and the most vulnerable groups suffer from a complex combination of social struggles that interact continuously to disadvantage the particular group. It is not until we understand where a person lies on the intersectional spectrum that we can even begin to unpack and address the unique struggles facing the individual. Even then, I am well aware we cannot ever truly understand the depth or impact of collective oppression that any particular person may face. But we can listen- and to do so in an educated manner, we must all adopt an intersectional perspective.
Image credit: https://libcom.org/library/i-am-woman-human-marxist-feminist-critique-intersectionality-theory-eve-mitchell
Intersectionality encompasses both social and economic marginalization, inquiring into how and why societal factors combine to have a greater aggregate effect on these vulnerable populations than any "single-issue struggle" might have alone. It is particularly useful in social analysis because issues do not exist in a vacuum. Commonly, social or financial struggles exacerbate other difficulties for vulnerable populations, rendering individuals unable to remedy any single issue in their lives. It is imperative to have an understanding of how the struggles that face low-income, elderly, or minority populations place these people at greater risk for other issues. Such an understanding allows us to have the appropriate level of compassion for all individuals, regardless of circumstance, and direct our social efforts accordingly.
I began believing strongly in the intellectual accuracy of intersectional social analysis through my philosophy studies. However, I really began to care because of, well, life.
I grew up in a lovely Cincinnati suburb, with loving parents and a stable childhood. I could not be more grateful for the community in which I had the chance to grow up. I am very aware most people are not afforded such an experience. My high school was commonly referred to as "the Madeira bubble"- and it most certainly was. Post-high school, living on the southwest side of Clifton for four years, I certainly changed my perspective a bit.
It was truly invaluable experience and exposure. I admit (at my own chagrin, but for the education of all, as we each need to recognize our deep-seated biases in order to eradicate them) that I became friends with people, whom in high school would have terribly frightened me- simply because of size, color, or socioeconomic status. It is a terribly limiting thing to fear others without knowing them because you will never realize what you have missed in your isolation.
For me personally, it was a sobering realization to dissect my own implicit biases and deconstruct them consciously as I acclimated myself to a seemingly different world. Especially as someone who considered myself enlightened already, it was an awakening I very much needed to experience. It was not automatic, it was not easy, and it required great effort to learn and appreciate struggles so disparate from my own.
Image credit: @defendboyleheights
Two skills I learned were particularly important in learning about the intersectional struggles of others, and using that knowledge to improve myself and be a better human: listening, and reading.
Another skill, in particular, ought to be checked at the door: speech.
Most importantly, I learned that in any conversation about the issues and struggles facing those less privileged than myself, my voice is not the appropriate vehicle to tell the story. I can learn, but I will never know firsthand, and it is not my story to tell.
However, I am obligated to use my privilege to its only moral advantage- that is, to lend a supporting voice to those who suffer different struggles than I. I cannot espouse answers because I do not have them, but I can urge others to listen to those who do. Only if we are willing to learn from one another, and to listen to people who possess very different voices than our own, may we grow and progress.
Traditional diversity theory simply does not tell the whole story.
We all need intersectionality because we are all of different identities, we all have different experiences of privilege and oppression, and we are all beautifully, collectively human.
Image credit: http://www.scottishwomensaid.org.uk/node/4599
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