What is Intersectionality?

 Intersectionality is a term that takes on various roles, being referred to as a metaphor, a concept, a research paradigm, an analytical sensibility, an ideograph, and a knowledge project. These diverse characterizations underscore the term's flexibility, breadth, and complexity, highlighting its relatively recent emergence as a conceptual framework. Else-Quest and Hyde (2016) distill three underlying assumptions present in most definitions of intersectionality.

Firstly, there is a recognition that individuals inhabit multiple social categories simultaneously, encompassing gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, able-bodiedness, and more. The awareness lies in understanding the interconnected nature of these categories, where the experience of one is intertwined with membership in others. In group dynamics, the alignment of multiple attributes, like gender and age, gives rise to diversity-related fault lines, dividing teams into relatively homogeneous subgroups, potentially leading to conflict and performance impediments.

Secondly, embedded within each socially constructed category is a dynamic related to power and power interrelations. Attention to power dynamics becomes a fundamental component of intersectional analyses, acknowledging the complex ways in which power operates within and across various social categories.

Thirdly, social categories are recognized as having both individual and contextual facets. These categories are intrinsically linked to personal identities while also being connected to broader institutional processes, practices, and structural systems. The intertwining of personal and structural implications in intersectional thinking renders the meaning and experiences associated with social categories fluid and dynamic.

Hulko (2009) suggests viewing intersectionality as a "paradigm," encompassing a cohesive set of theoretical concepts, methods of analysis, and a belief system, emphasizing its broad applicability, including the idea of interlocking oppressions. Furthermore, Hulko advocates for using intersectionality as a "lens" or "perspective," representing a narrower, more focused approach to examining the multiplicity of social identities without resorting to additive or reductive methods.