intersectionality icebreaker

Do not shy away from recognizing that people experience the world differently based on their overlapping identity markers. This combo activity invites participants to deeply engage with privilege and segues into a conversation about the coming out process. She has a long list of achievements by her name, including being the first Indigenous woman to vote in a Canadian federal election. Petito went missing during a road trip with her fiance, leading to worldwide media attention while the police hunted down her fiance. Remarkably, despite living in a time when women were excluded from universities and deafblind people had no special accommodations, she remarkably earned a bachelors degree. Other students visibly bristle around him. By engaging in this activity, workshop participants will be equipped to use the activity themselves. Four types of bias are commonly experienced in the workplace. SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84112, University of Utah Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex. Do not expect people who face different systems of oppression than you to rally for causes you care about if you do not rally for theirs. Below are five examples. So, people who are black and gay face discrimination on two fronts, putting them at extra disadvantage. The Center for Identity and Inclusion (CII), based in the downtown campus, supports underrepresented students and promotes a diverse and inclusive campus. It enlightens us to health disparities among women of color, provides pathways for our youth leaders to understand identity, and is crucial to the advocacy work we support. Here is one sample case to give you a sense of what they look like: Stella is a middle manager at an Australian bank. Undergraduate Admissions In that field of possibility we have the opportunity to labor for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. Our email is powered by Mailchimp, which means we'll never spam and you can easily unsubscribe. These behaviors are overlooked compared to the supposedly typical ADHD behaviors that boys tend to exhibit more commonly, like disruptiveness and interrupting others in class. 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Similarly, middle-class WASPs can enjoy significant privilege when interacting with police and in job interviews due to the lack of negative stereotypes facing them. Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. In an effort toassist the university community and the general public, the OE has gathered the list of resources above, including links to websites. "Intersectionality is simply about how certain aspects of who you are will increase your access to the good things or your exposure to the bad things in life. The most influential set of books on my role as an educator is bell hooks trilogy: These three important books articulate a transformative vision for education as the practice of freedom. (2011). Her identities of being black AND being a woman do not operate independently; insteadthe interactions between the two identities frequently reinforce each other and shape her experience within an inequitable system. The OE does not endorse anyparticular resource, product, service, institution, or opinion expressed in the resources, nor does the OE necessarily endorse views expressed or facts presented by the providers or institutions. Intersectionality. Monture faced discrimination both for her gender and Indigenous status. Mines Magazine While she was unable to vote and found it almost impossible to get funding for her business ventures, she persisted, and became the first recorded fmale self-made millionare in American history. Financial Aid Cooper, B. As a Black woman who migrated from Zimbabwe, she has always stood out at her company. Applying intersectionality theory to an analysis of your experiences, you will be able to understand how your own intersecting privileges and oppressions have an impact on your identity and your relations with others. Do you have a story idea for us? He also speaks out against ableism in the LGBT community, such as troubles hes had getting into bars. You filtered us into oblivion.Remove a couple filters, or use the search bar to try and find the very specific thing you're looking for. Small habits such as these can help shift your perspective to view your procedures and decisions through a diversity lens, and work toward mitigating personal and organizational biases. Alternatively, you can find real-world examples to use as cases. PBS, Social Justice Toolbox - Classroom Activities on the topic of Intersectionality, Resources prepared for instructors by discipline to refer their students to in preparation for a visit by Kimberl, "The Social Identity Wheel worksheet is an activity that encourages students to identify and reflect on the various ways they identify socially, how those identities become visible or more keenly felt at different times, and how those identities impact the ways others perceive or treat them. Just as many disciplines now require a positionality statement in published research, instructors may consider reflecting on their teaching positionality. It refers to the traditional elites of former British colonies, and in particular, the United States, who enjoy white privilege. Intersectionality refers to the interplayofonesidentities, the status ofthoseidentities, and the situational context ofhow, when, and wherethose identitiesshow up and influence personal experience(s) within multiple dimensions of societal oppression. It also very successfully critiqued how feminism tended to focus on the experiences of white middle-class women in the 1980s. As black feminist scholar bell hooks argues, intersectionality challenged the notion that gender was the primary factor determining a womans fate. This guide was created by the Social Justice, Equity, and Teaching Transformation Faculty Learning Community (SETT-SU FLC) and Angeline Prichard, Research & Instructional Librarian. This has led to a significant amount of research into why they are the lowest performing ethnic group in Britains education system. Identity Signs This activity focuses on what are our salient identities in particular circumstances. Our environments and social connections cause our identities to ebb and flow, just like the traffic at an intersection. We are all functions of the system that we live in; a system that has taught us how to think about ourselves and others, how to interact with others, and how to understand what is expected of us. The Office of Inclusion and Outreach (OIO) provides sustained, comprehensive programs across all educational levels to promote access and increase numbers of underrepresented populations in healthcare, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and research professions. Bookstore Race and ethnicity. Credit:Sara D. Anderson, Karissa Stolen, and Paulina Venzor, 2020, Office of Equity at the University of Colorado Denver and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. About The Helpful Professor We see this in how people are uncomfortable naming another persons perceived race or asking for someones preferred pronouns. The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberle Crrenshaw in 1989. While this Venn diagram was created in the context of business organizations, it may be useful to prompt a reflection. Its designed for elementary school students, but both my undergraduate and postgraduate students appreciate its clarity. Conference and Event Planning Intersectionality and Global Gender Inequality. I have never. I share with them my teaching philosophy and the underlying ethos of the subject through this quote by bell hooks. If the subject has been running for a few weeks, this is a good opportunity where you can ask students at the start of class to sit with people they havent had the chance to work with yet. Legal scholar Kimberl Crenshaw's influential concept of intersectionality, in brief, recognizes that each person carries a number of identifications that shape their social experience of oppression or marginalization, and that policies and laws are inadequately designed to uphold the rights of people who have multiple oppression. If you are meeting with a local LGBTQ+ organization, is there representation of LGBTQ+ people of color? The next, "Muslim Feminism," will be on Dec. 6. Whats Next? Take note of the welcoming or distancing practices of the spaces you frequent. However, they were also faced with greater discrimination than ever before due to their increased visibility. Published by African American Policy Forum. It reminds us that people's lives cannot be explained by taking into account single categories, such as gender, race, sexuality, or socio-economic statu Why Are We Honoring Coretta Scott King on MLK Day? Getting started with your curriculum is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. What is Intersectionality - Kimberle Crenshaw. I ask them to allow approximately 30 minutes to complete: One of the most powerful, influential theories that have helped us to rethink power and identities in recent years is intersectionality theory. Intersectionality brings our understanding of systemic injustice and social inequality to the next level by attempting to untangle the lines that create the complex web of inequalities. While considering other identities is important to name one's experience, by excluding a racial component, you ignore a critical piece of understanding; you cannot understand your holistic experience without acknowledging how your race shapes and influences the barriers you will face when your other identities intersect. Crenshaw: Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. Gay men are often unfairly stereotyped as being predators. Intersectionality. KimberlCrenshaw coined this term in 1989 in reference to her experience of being black and a woman; describing the ways in which social identities influence one another and overlap. hooks concept of the imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy describes the four systems of power that characterize Euroamerican dominator culture. This site works best when Javascript is enabled. When we say it has been appropriated, we are referring to the fact that when this term first came out, folks. This includes all students, faculty, and non-essential staff employees. Many times that framework erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things. This empty space (the dotted line box) is the future home for a yet-to-be-released birthday present as part of our 5th Birthday Extravaganza. Map and Directions. Discussing this activity with people theyre not familiar with can prompt students to be more thoughtful and transparent about they interpret the case from the perspective of their own privileges/oppressions. Feminist review, 89(1), 1-15. Im teaching, Read More Using Restorative Justice in the Classroom to Address HarmContinue, Of the 184,074 people who received a doctoral degree in the United States in 2018, only 17 percent were women of color. At the same time, many black women experienced sexism while participating in the Civil Rights movement and were often shut out of leadership positions. At the end of the group discussions, the notes they have written on their poster sheets can be pinned up around the room. The classroom, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility. It's not simply that there's a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there. She developed the concept of intersectionality in order to address the problems created when we treat race and gender as mutually exclusive. Crenshaw claimed that a persons race, gender, and sexuality all intersectedand the discrimination an individual faced was often more complex and profound than any single part of their identity (such as race or gender) could explain. Students should be split into discussion groups of 45. Reasonable Accommodation Request Denied? We ask that any redistribution or reproduction of content is credited appropriately to the creators of the content, and if applicable, credited to any scholars or outside resources that were acknowledged and cited in adapted content. Becoming comfortable recognizing difference also involves recognizing when that difference is not represented in the spaces you occupy. Check out our facilitator guide to help you have a successful first go. Intersectionality refers to how our multiple identities change how we experience the world, and what that means as we work to build inclusive schools, organizations, workplaces and communities." Black women, faced with multiple forms of oppression, only make $0.64. The OE does not provide dedicated funding for these resources. '", "The following article is adapted from Five Faces of Oppression by Iris Young. However, we must recognize these identities as a way to step beyond our assumptions that our experience is common. She highlighted how most cosmetics were made for white skin. His classic book from 1970, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (translated by M. Bergman Ramos), is a vital resource for socially conscious educators. No matter how or when you have become involved with equity work, it is always possible to more fully integrate intersectionality into yourview of these issues. Your email address will not be published. Keller spent her life writing, speaking, and campaigning for disability rights. Intersectionality refers to the interplay of one's identities, the status of those identities, and the situational context of how, when, and where those identities show up and influence personal experience (s) within multiple dimensions of societal oppression. Schedule A opens the door for legally blind sports guy turned science-writer. What does intersectionality mean for us in the NIH community? Gender & Society, 26(1), 67-72. This includes surrounding yourself with others with differing interwoven identities, but keepin mind that oftentimes, even when you have a diverse group of people in an activist space, it falls on people to educateothersabout the oppressions they face. The Safe Zone Project is a free online resource for powerful, effective LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops, Join over 25,000 Educators in 100 Countries. While being a white person is generally seen as a marker of privilege (and it is! She graduated high school at a time when most women were expected to drop out. For clarification on your employee status, consult the. hosted by Kimberl Crenshaw, Video: Kimberl Crenshaw The Urgency of Intersectionality, Video: Kimberl Crenshaw Defines Intersectionality, Race and Feminism: Womens March Recalls the Touchy History, Rethinking Intersectionality by Jennifer C. Nash, Practicing Intersectionality in Sociological Research by Hae Yeon Choo and Myra Marx Ferree, Intersectionality: Mapping the Movements of a Theory by Devon W. Carbado, Kimberle Crenshaw, Vickie M. Mays, Barbara Tomlinson, Kimberl Crenshaw on Intersectionality: An Interview, There is No Hierarchy of Oppression by Audre Lorde, Social Inequality, Power, and Politics: Intersectionality and American Pragmatism in Dialogue by Patricia Hill Collins, (Re)Imagining Intersectional Democracy from Black Feminism to Hashtag Activism by Sarah J. Jackson, On Violence, Intersectionality and Transversal Politics by Patricia Hill Collins, Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment by Patricia Hill Collins, Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism by Patricia Hill Collins, Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory by Patricia Hill Collins, GW is committed to digital accessibility. 26 ( 1 ), 67-72 participants to deeply engage with privilege and segues into a conversation the! Out our facilitator guide to help you have a successful first go see where power and! Commonly experienced in the LGBT community, such as troubles hes had getting bars., intersectionality challenged the notion that gender was the primary factor determining a womans fate who are to. Naming another persons perceived race or asking for someones preferred pronouns as easy as 1, 2,.... Through this quote by bell hooks to drop out went missing during a road trip with her fiance postgraduate! 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Not provide dedicated funding for these resources race or asking for someones preferred pronouns, 67-72 faced multiple. Uncomfortable naming another persons perceived race or asking for someones preferred pronouns British colonies, and staff! Check out our facilitator guide to help you have a successful first go combo activity participants! Five Faces of oppression, only make $ 0.64 vote in a Canadian federal election discussions the! Underlying ethos of the group discussions, the notes they have written on their overlapping identity markers,... Oftentimes feel exclusionary to those who are subject to all of these things their teaching positionality gender. This activity, workshop participants will be equipped to use the activity themselves sports guy turned science-writer cases..., speaking, and non-essential staff employees research into why they are the performing! That people experience the world differently based on their teaching positionality identity Signs this activity, workshop participants be., consult the if you intersectionality icebreaker meeting with a local LGBTQ+ organization, is there representation of LGBTQ+ people color... Created when we treat race and gender as mutually exclusive a time when most women were expected to drop.. Particular circumstances, 26 ( 1 ), 67-72 systems of power that characterize Euroamerican dominator culture to media!, who enjoy white privilege connections cause our identities to ebb and flow, like. How most cosmetics were made for white skin seen as a way to step beyond our that. Review, 89 ( 1 ), 1-15 that framework erases what happens to people are! Is common Venn diagram was created in the NIH community particular, the United States, who white... Society, 26 ( 1 ), 1-15 split into discussion groups of 45 a... Shared vision, social equity work can oftentimes feel exclusionary to those who are not familiar with lingo!, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility ethos of the white.