The Recent Turn to Intersectionality In Feminist Theory Essay

The Recent Turn to Intersectionality In Feminist Theory - Essay Example Her academic work is undoubtedly the most prominent and well-known on the topic of intersectionality that at present received the substantial number of both critiques and appreciations primarily from the academe. Hence, the scholarly work of Kimberle Crenshaw will take a crucial part of this essay as shown in my argument. In this paper, I will take the standpoint of Crenshaw and argue that gender and race are overlapping characteristics of humans, whereby one cannot be separated from the other. Gender and race are the significant components of the multi-layered facets of life. Therefore, I will argue that women of colour are marginalised within both feminist theory and anti-racist policies, as both groups have their own strict set of ideas, from which black women are often left out, hence their experiences, are overthrown. I will start the essay with a critique of second-wave feminism, with relation to black women, who were throughout left out of its agenda. Afterwards, I will move o n to talk about how racism is a gendered process, hence women who are black or blacks who are women should not be excluded from these groups. Throughout the essay, I will include recent examples of the treatment of intersectionality in mainstream media to support my argument that while feminist academia has recently turned to intersectionality, there has still not been an understanding on what intersectionality actually is. Therefore, this remarkably must be the ultimate source of confusion regarding the existence of intersectionality as a concept, allowing women of colour in the societies today to be still highly disregarded at some point. First of all, I believe, a critical examination of the second wave feminism is necessary in order to establish the circumstances and treatment of black women from around the 1960’s up until the 1980’s, which consequently led to and had a great influence in creating feminist multiculturalism and later intersectionality per se.