Feminist Intersectional Theorizing free essay sample

Feminist Intersectional Theorizing Intersectionality is known to be one of the prominent social theories in feminism. This theory explores the factors that represent one’s identity. The purpose of this article is to explain the theorizing on race, class, and gender by Canadian feminist. Intersectionality portrays how women experiences are interconnected. The article â€Å"Feminist Intersectional Theorizing† written by Daiva K. Stasiulis, mainly talks about the intersectional theorizing of different factors that woman in Canada encounter. The vocalization of gender and class had a breakthrough in 1970s and 1980s. Along with racism, sexism and class is a source that is primary for oppression. This article looks at men and women’s social reality and the dynamics of their social, cultural and economic context. Intersectional theorizing examines the interconnecting and interlocking causes of oppression. Along with this even the Anti- racist theorists came up with an analytical case based on planning race that takes place the center position in intersectional theorizing. The author argues in search of how social factors such as; race class and gender are all interconnected and interlocking (Stasiulis, 26). In Canadian society race, class and gender play a significant role in social relation and discrimination. In the article, we can see that race; gender and class are interlocking and interconnected structures of oppression. There is much evidence that support this argument. For example, in the article is talks about a Brahmin dark-skinned women whose been travelling from London to Calcutta. According to her class she is privileged, she is discriminated due to her gender and as her race she is deprived (Stasiulis, 41). Discrimination is not a straightforward process. The woman is Brahmin; therefore she is at the very top of the Hindu caste system. However since she’s a woman, a man of a lower caste may have more power because in her society, men have more privileges. The fact that she’s Brahmin brings her self-esteem up but the fact that she’s Indian and a woman brings her self-esteem down in the British Society. Thus, all three factors depend on each other to determine how much authority she has in society. It is not just one straightforward list of rankings. Therefore, in her society and from her point of view race, gender and class are all interlocked within each other. Along with that, these three factors cannot be separated. In the article it states that the interlocking oppression of race, gender and class by colored women were critical of Marxist/Socialist, feminist and anti-racist traditions (Stasiulis, 29). This ties in with the author’s argument because a woman of color covers all 3 factors: race (color), gender (women) and class (for them to be oppressed, they obviously had to be of lower class). For women to be oppressed one must look at all three-aspects. When women are oppressed, it ignores a feminist, anti-racist, and socialist tradition; which covers all 3 factors being interconnected: gender, race, and class. Due to the fact if one of the factors was misused then that means that they all are being misused. The first theme of â€Å"Prominence of Race† states that in the intersectional theorizing, racism, class and sexism have been misused and taken advantage of in the interconnecting system (Stasiulis, 29). This shows that if class was misused then racism and sexism are misused as well. Looking back at the Brahmin women we can see that her class was taken advantage of therefore, her sex and race were taken advantage of as well. When one of the factors is being exploited, the other two factors are affected. Therefore all three factors need to work together to form one’s identity. In conclusion, Stasiulis strongly agrees that intersectional theorizing studies on feminist identities such as race, gender and class, exist as interconnected and interlocking. We can see this through the various examples given in the article, which proves the fact that all three social factors cannot be separated; therefore they are interconnected and interlocking. The race, class and gender are one’s identity and what they’re known for. If one factor is taken advantage of then the whole interlocking system is being misused. From my viewpoint, I believe that all three factors of discrimination are interconnecting and interlocking. This is because in the outside world without gender, race, and class, one’s identity would not exist. When thinking about race, class and gender, I reflect it as a formation of one’s identity. Along with the formation of ones identity, I believe that women have less power than men. For example in the article it talks about how black feminist were sexually harassed by white males. The result of this was that the law didn’t punish the white men (Stasiulis, 34). Therefore, this shows that men have more power than women. From this we can see that gender, race and class play a huge role. Gender because men rule women; race because white against black; class because due to the fact that black feminist were considered low class; they didn’t have the power to fight for their rights. Overall, I strongly agree to the fact that gender, race and class are interlocking and interconnecting for it cannot be separated. MLA Stasiulis, Daiva. Feminist Intersectional Theorizing. † Inequality in Canada. New York: Oxford University, 2010. 25-41. Print.