scholarly journals Intersectionality, Identity Politics and Violence Against Women of Color

Author(s):  
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw

Identity-based politics has been a source of strength for people of color, gays and lesbians, among others. The problem with identity politics is that it often conflates intra group differences. Exploring the various ways in which race and gender intersect in shaping structural and political aspects of violence against these women, it appears the interests and experiences of women of color are frequently marginalized within both feminist  and antiracist discourses. Both discourses have failed to consider the intersections of racism and patriarchy. However,  the location of women of color at the intersection of race and gender makes our actual experience of domestic violence, rape, and remedial reform quite different from that of white women. Similarly, both feminist and antiracist politics have functioned in tandem to marginalize the issue of violence against women of color. The effort to politicize violence against women will do little to address the experiences of nonwhite women until the ramifications of racial stratification among women are acknowledged. At the same time, the anti-racist agenda will not be furthered by suppressing the reality of intra-racial violence against women of color. The effect of both these marginalizations is that women of color have no ready means to link their experiences with those of other women.

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Garcia-Hallett

The punitive carceral system is expected to tame people of color into docile bodies through their imprisonment. Furthermore, the oppressive and punitive U.S. context embodies patriarchy and injustice in which women of color endure unique obstacles at the intersection of race and gender. Given the power structures built to destabilize women of color before and after incarceration, this study uses interview data to examine their perseverance through carceral systems. The findings illustrate how oppressive regimes shape postincarceration obstacles and explore how women of color combat social-structural inequalities after incarceration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Ispa-Landa ◽  
Sara Thomas

Researchers have highlighted how gendered associations of femininity with emotional labor can complicate professional women’s attempts to exercise managerial authority. However, current understandings of how race and gender intersect in professional women’s emotional labor remain limited. We draw on 132 interviews from eight white women and 13 women of color who are novice principals. White women began the principalship wanting to establish themselves as emotionally supportive leaders who were open to others’ influence. They viewed emotional labor as existing in tension with showing authority as a leader. Over time, however, most white women reported adopting more directive practices. By contrast, women of color reported beginning the principalship with a more directive, take-charge leadership style. They viewed emotional labor and authority as part of a blended project and did not talk about these two aspects of leadership as existing in tension. Over time, their self-reported leadership style changed little. We analyze our findings in light of recent theorizing about gender and intersectionality.


Author(s):  
Aaron Graham

Abstract Recent work has emphasized the role of colonial state structures in the construction and enforcement of race and gender in the British Empire from the seventeenth century onward, particularly among people of color. But work on the parallel phenomenon of “Whiteness” has focused on White men rather than White women and children, on elites rather than those below them, and on North America rather than the Caribbean. This article, using the records of a “Clergy Fund” established in Jamaica in 1797 as an insurance scheme for the (White) widows and orphans of clergymen, therefore addresses a gap in this literature by providing a case study of how a colonial state in the Caribbean tried—and failed—to construct and enforce race and gender among White women and children from outside the elite, during a period when White society in the region seemed under threat.


2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 386-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth L. Hall

Feminist sport psychologists agree that the playing field is not level regarding gender issues in and out of sport and that sexism is alive and well. Ironically, the myth persists that race and racism are not prevalent in sport. Like any aspect of culture, sport is influenced by societal norms. Thus, for women of color, race and gender are accompanied by racism and sexism within and outside of athletics. The purpose of this paper is to briefly examine the experiences of women of color within sport and the feminist sport psychology community in particular. The feminist preoccupation with gender frequently ignores or minimizes race and cultural differences between women and the racism that can emerge in cross-racial interactions. The result is the marginalization of women of color.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie K. Larsen ◽  
Christopher J. Clayton

In 2017–2018, more than 60% of NCAA Division I women’s basketball (DI WBB) players identified as women of color, while less than 17% of the head coaches of DI WBB teams identified as women of color. Larsen, Fisher, and Moret suggested differences in career pathways between black female head coaches and their white female and white and black male counterparts could be one explanation for the aforementioned discrepancy. However, there is currently limited research on the career pathways of DI WBB head coaches to support Larsen and colleagues’ hypothesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the career pathways of DI WBB head coaches to identify race and gender differences. To accomplish this, a content analysis was conducted on the online biographies of head coaches from all 351 DI WBB programs. Significant differences between groups were found in the number of years coaching in DI women’s basketball prior to receiving a first DI head coaching position; both white women (M = 6.97) and women of color (M = 7.94) had significantly more years in DI WBB coaching than white males (M = 4.95; F(3, 348) = 4.63, p = .003). Further, chi-square tests revealed a significant relationship between the race and gender of a coach and the highest level of playing experience and education. These results indicate that race and gender play a significant role in determining what pathway is required to obtain an DI WBB head coaching position. In addition to these research findings, practical implications are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Dancy ◽  
Katherine Rainey ◽  
Elizabeth Stearns ◽  
Roslyn Mickelson ◽  
Stephanie Moller

Abstract Background It is well-documented that experiences in STEM courses for women and students of color are different from the experiences of White men. As part of a larger interview study, 183 college seniors from diverse gender and race backgrounds were asked their thoughts on whether the experience of being a STEM major was different for people of different races and genders. We use a framework of “science as White property”, derived from critical race theory, to frame this study and results. Results White men were largely unaware of any impact of race or gender. In contrast, women of color overwhelmingly report, consistent with results from a large body of prior research, that both race and gender impact their experiences as STEM majors. Students who acknowledged race and gender impacts did not always attribute these impacts to cultural or systemic factors (i.e., some reported women are underrepresented because they are less interested in STEM rather than a structural reason). Impacts identified that were attributable to systemic factors included impacts related to being a demographic minority (i.e., intimidation, feeling out of place, feeling pressure to work harder) and/or discrimination (i.e., job discrimination, bias against women or people of color and cultural assumptions implying the superiority of White people and men). A small number of students (mostly White women) stated that women or people of color benefit from their underrepresented status, often attributing this benefit to a perception of extra encouragement and opportunities. A common theme across categorizations was that women and students of color work harder than men and White people either because they are perceived to be harder workers or as a response to the sexism and racism they encounter. Conclusions We found that White men are largely unaware of the impacts of race or gender on the pursuit of a STEM degree. Additionally, with the exception of women of color, students are less likely to perceive race as having an impact on the experiences of students than gender. We conclude with a discussion of implications for future work related to gender and race representation in STEM.


Adeptus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Kot

You should/mustn’t be a mother: intersectionalities of gender and sexuality within non-heteronormative women familiesIn this paper I aim to illustrate the intersectionality of sexuality and gender within non-heteronormative women families with usage of intersectionality framework from the classical text of K. Crenshaw Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color, which analyzes the structural, political and representational intersectionalities. Taking into consideration the impossibility to embrace all identity constructs and intersections between them, I’m going to focus on two dimensions: gender and sexuality, which, as I will try to illustrate, are crucial for studying realities of inequalities faced by non-heteronormative women parents in Poland. Powinnaś/Nie wolno ci być matką: intersekcjonalność gender i seksualności w rodzinach nieheteronormatywnych kobietCelem artykułu jest przedstawienie intersekcjonalności seksualności i gender w rodzinach nieheteronormatywnych kobiet w oparciu o metodologię klasycznego tekstu K. Crenshaw Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color, w którym analizie poddana została intersekcjonalność strukturalna, polityczna i reprezentacyjna. Biorąc pod uwagę niemożność uchwycenia wszystkich konstruktów tożsamościowych i ich wzajemnych relacji, skupię się na dwóch aspektach: płci kulturowej i seksualności, które jak postaram się zobrazować, mają decydujący wpływ na nierówności napotykane przez nieheteronormatywne kobiety-rodziców w Polsce.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary V. Alfred ◽  
Sarah M. Ray ◽  
Michele A. Johnson

The Problem The underrepresentation of people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become a crisis of significant proportion. The crisis is more pronounced when we examine participation by race and gender and explore how these two primary identity dimensions serve to marginalize women of color in STEM fields. These differential representations start during the early years and continue within institutions of higher education and the workplace. The Solution To address the absence of women of color in STEM, it is important to understand the forces that hinder and support their career development, beginning with early childhood experiences and throughout education and work environments. Interventions promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion must start in early and secondary education and continue through academia and the workplace. Stakeholders Addressing this crisis is the responsibility of leaders of public and higher education and those of business and industry.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0734371X2110061
Author(s):  
Helen H. Yu

Since the passage of the No FEAR Act of 2002, scholars across various disciplines have examined women’s reporting behavior toward sex-based discrimination. Most of the scholarship has concentrated on why women do not report sex-based discrimination, with this study being no exception. Missing, however, from this research is the intersectionality of race and gender, as most studies capture women as a homogeneous group without regard to race or ethnicity. Using a subsample of women who responded “yes” to having experienced sex-based discrimination ( n = 550) in the workplace but chose not to report the unlawful behavior, this study employs a series of mean comparisons to differentiate women’s non-reporting behavior by race or ethnicity. The findings suggest women of color as a group, as well as African-American and Latina respondents by their respective minority race or ethnic subgroup, have differences in non-reporting behavior in comparison to White women. These findings are important because they illustrate a more accurate examination of women’s reporting behavior in the workplace.


2020 ◽  
pp. 106591292097179
Author(s):  
Yalidy Matos ◽  
Stacey Greene ◽  
Kira Sanbonmatsu

Scholars frequently invoke the term “women of color” (WOC) in their research, and, increasingly, the media make reference to WOC in news stories. Despite this common usage, researchers have failed to investigate whether the phrase WOC is politically advantageous. That is, do all women, black, Latina, Asian, white, and mixed-race women, support WOC candidates? This omission is unfortunate considering the large body of literature about race and gender politics concerned with descriptive representation and the extent of coethnic voting and gender affinity effects. Using original public opinion data, we draw on theories of intersectionality and social identity to hypothesize about how different subgroups of women respond to the prospect of electing more WOC to Congress. Consistent with group differences in the historic processes of racialization, our findings reveal considerable complexity within the WOC umbrella. Even within this complexity, we found that black and white women are the most distinctive in their preference for electing WOC. We contribute to the gender and race fields by identifying WOC as a politicized identity, and thus complicate and expand the study of descriptive representation.


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