ABSTRACT
The notion of intersectionality is nowadays a fundamental reference in the theoretical debate, far beyond gender studies, and it is capable to capture a transversal array of analytical issues. The chapter discusses the claim whether intersectionality should not, or cannot, be detached from its original context of invention; intersectionality, as a tool of analysis, must be considered a traveling theory in a globalized context that involves appropriations, amendments and changes in response to the original meaning. This does not mean that intersectionality is – or can be – used as a free-floating signifier; on the contrary, it needs to be embedded in the respective (historical, social, cultural) context in which it is used. The chapter depicts some of the current debates engaging with the pros and cons of the global implementation of the concept by dealing with the controversy about ‘master categories’.
