Intersectionality is a foundational feminist concept that is essential for understanding current events and the world more generally. So, we’ll spend some time applying it:
Use intersectionality as a tool to analyze a current event or policy issue. Pick a current event or policy issue and find a news story or article about the event. Provide a link to the article and write a summary of your issue. Then, using your article as a model, analyze the story from an intersectional perspective using the theories in the Sway as model. This should be at minimum 200 words, and is due Sunday at 11:59 PM.
Heres a quick example of what an intersectional analysis might look like:
Issue: The Flint Water Crisis
Article: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know (Links to an external site.)
One important way to understand intersectionality is to think about the confluence of multiple systems of oppression. People are not oppressed by race OR class OR gender OR nationality, but a combination of these. Most importantly, an intersectional framework provides an analytic lens to examine power and policy, creating frameworks through which we can better understand how oppression and inequality operate.
The Flint Water Crisis did not affect all Flint residents equally. 42% of Flint residents live below the poverty line, and women of color and single mothers are disproportionately affected by poverty. Since the tap water is not drinkable, residents need to buy bottled water or filters, both of which are quite expensive. Because of this, poorer residents are disproportionately affected by the crisis. Moreover, 57% of Flint residents are Black. This crisis disproportionately affects Black communities.
Due to that fact that Flint is a low income, predominately Black community, the city suffered from structural disinvestment from state officials. The water crisis had been going on for a full year before officials responded and it became a national issue. In this time, thousands of children suffered from lead poisoning, which can lead to serious health problems and permanent brain damage. Lead poisoning is a reproductive justice issue all children should have the right to grow in healthy, uncontaminated environments. It is also an environmental justice issue the EPA labeled Flints water as toxic because of its high concentration of lead.
