ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes that intersectionality is a theoretical framework that calls for researchers to consider how individuals and groups—who are situated by multiple social locations and whose social identities may overlap or conflict in specific contexts—negotiate systems of privilege, oppression, opportunity, conflict and change across the life course and geography. It further argues that intersectionality can be conceived of as a methodological paradigm that guides methodological considerations and data interpretation. Intersectionality allowed researchers to analyze how an individual is affected by structural forces differentially due to his or her social position. There are several shared and basic concepts in intersectionality theory that are sometimes used interchangeably, and term usage varies by academic discipline. As critical theorists, intersectional scholars actively critique notions of essentialism and discriminatory epistemologies and discourses. Intersectionality theory outlines a pathway for those interested in unraveling the interactions of identity and socially constructed macrosystemic entities and the resulting allocation, (re)production, and maintenance of power.
