Dictionary

intersectionality en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɪntɚˌsɛkʃəˈnæləti/ (General-American)

Etymology

From intersectional + -ity.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The quality or state of being intersectional, that is, of being characterized by intersection (especially of multiple forms of discrimination).
   • With men who are unemployed men or have limited access to work this heightening of masculinity within the interior of the familial relationship is of particular relevance with differences attributable to the intersectionality of race, class, culture and sexual orientation. 1998, Rhea V. Almeida, “The Dislocation of Women's Experience in Family Therapy”, in Rhea V. Almeida, editor, Transformations of Gender and Race: Family and Developmental Perspectives, New York, N.Y.: Haworth Press, →ISBN, page 16:
   • the intersectionality of these issues
   • The feminist movement has also laid the groundwork for new intersectionalities with other movements. The intersectionality of interests between legal feminists and fem-crits has perpetuated a progressive CLS [Critical Legal Studies]-tilt within feminist legal discourse. 1993 March, Journal of Legal Education, volume 43, number 1, [Durham, N.C.]: Association of American Law Schools, →OCLC, page 45:
   • [Lisa] Bowleg details how she went about a psychological study of Black lesbian women only to find—in the midst of data collection—that the study had been configured along an additive model of identity that could not account for the intersectionality of her participants' experiences. 2014, Patrick R. Grzanka, “Introduction: Intersectional Objectivity”, in Patrick R. Grzanka, editor, Intersectionality: A Foundations and Frontiers Reader, Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, →ISBN, page xx:
   • […][Rutger] Bregman has no time for modern activists who fall out with each other and write off potential allies because of minor mishaps or lack of “intersectionality”: “You end up with a movement that's 100 per cent pure, but 0 per cent effective.” 2025 May 3, Isabel Berwick, “Clever endeavours”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11:
   • the intersectionality of race, gender, class, ethnicity, age, generation, marital status, and place of origin
2. (countable, uncountable) The study of (or a sociological methodology of studying) overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination.
   • One way to approach the problem of intersectionality is to examine how courts frame and interpret the stories of Black women plaintiffs. 1989, Kimberlé [Williams] Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics”, in The University of Chicago Legal Forum, volume 139, archived from the original on 06 May 2016, page 141:
   • Intersectionality is a way of understanding and analyzing the complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences. The events and conditions of social and political life and the self can seldom be understood as shaped by one factor. They are generally shaped by many factors in diverse and mutually influencing ways. […] Intersectionality as an analytic tool gives people better access to the complexity of the world and of themselves. 2016, Patricia Hill Collins, Sirma Bilge, “What is Intersectionality?”, in Intersectionality (Key Concepts), Cambridge; Malden, Mass.: Polity Press, →ISBN:
   • This book is about intersectionality and is particularly concerned with examining theorising intersectionalities and difference. In recent years, the concept of intersectionality has taken centre stage and has become a dominant model with which to engage in how differences such as ‘race’, gender, class, sexuality, age, disability and religion interweave and intersect upon individual lives in a modern ‘risk’ society[…]. 2012, Kalwant Bhopal, John Preston, “Introduction: Intersectionality and ‘Race’ in Education: Theorising Difference”, in Kalwant Bhopal, John Preston, editors, Intersectionality and “Race” in Education, New York, N.Y.; Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1:

Forms

Relateds

intersectionalist · multidimensionality · intersectionalism · intersectionally · intersection · interconnectedness · interconnectivity · intersect · intersectionalistic · interrelatedness · interrelationality · intersectional

Synonyms

cross-sectionality

Translations (33)

fr intersectionnalité (sociological methodology) · ca transversalitat (sociological methodology) · nb interseksjonalitet (sociological methodology) · ko 교차성 (sociological methodology) · ja 交叉性 (sociological methodology) · nn interseksjonalitet (sociological methodology) · nl kruispuntdenken (sociological methodology) · ja インターセクショナリティ (sociological methodology) · th อัตลักษณ์ทับซ้อน (sociological methodology) · es transversalidad (sociological methodology) · de Intersektionalität (sociological methodology) · fi moniperusteinen syrjintä (sociological methodology) · eo intersekca teorio (sociological methodology) · nl intersectionaliteit (sociological methodology) · eo pluraneco (sociological methodology) · hu interszekcionalitás (sociological methodology) · es interseccionalidad (sociological methodology) · ko 상호교차성 (sociological methodology) · fi risteävä eriarvoisuus (sociological methodology) · cmn 交叉性 (sociological methodology) · ru интерсекциона́льность (sociological methodology) · fi intersektionaalisuus (sociological methodology) · pt interseccionalidade (sociological methodology) · ka ინტერსექციურობა (sociological methodology) · it intersezionalità (sociological methodology) · ca interseccionalitat (sociological methodology) · da intersektionalitet (sociological methodology) · ja 交差性 (sociological methodology) · sv intersektionalitet (sociological methodology) · fi moniperustainen syrjintä (sociological methodology) · is samtvinnun (sociological methodology) · he הִצְטָלְבִיוּת (sociological methodology) · gl interseccionalidade (sociological methodology)