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How does cross-sex change our understanding of women's movement, especially the role of women of color?
In contemporary society, the concept of Intersectionality has become an important framework for understanding the structure of human society.The intersectionality proposed by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 highlights how social identities such as gender, race, and class are intertwined and jointly influence the individual's experience and situation.The core of this theory is that women's life experience cannot be understood from any identity alone, but rather must comprehensively consider the interaction of multiple identities.This is especially true for women of color, who are not only gender discriminated against, but also have to face oppression based on race and class.
Intersection expands the scope of the women's movement, making it less limited to the experiences of white middle-class women, but rather covers diverse experiences of groups such as people of color, low-income, and immigrant women.
Early female movements were mostly centered on white women, which led to the neglect of the experiences of many women of color.The first and second waves of women’s movements focused mostly on political equality and economic rights of white women, ignoring the unique challenges caused by racial discrimination and other cross-sex factors.After the third wave of women's movements appeared, some changes have been made to this, and they tried to pay attention to the experiences of women who were excluded from previous sports, especially women of color began to gradually emerge.
The experiences of women of color are not only a simple superposition of gender and race, but a complex structure formed by interlacing multiple factors.
The rise of the theory of intersectionality has triggered a new understanding of the internal structure of female movement.The challenges faced by women of color in the fight, such as racial discrimination and gender inequality, are often intertwined, which makes their voices particularly important in movement.Crenshaw notes in his writing that many laws and policies fail to fully consider these complex interactions, resulting in the marginalization of the experiences of women of color within the legal framework, which is exactly what the theory of intersectionality is to solve.
For example, in the 1976 Degrafend v. GM, the court simply divided the issue of discrimination against women of color into racial and gender discrimination, failing to consider the interaction between the two .Such cases have left many women of color in the legal struggle because their identities are forcibly divided, making the road to justice even more difficult.
In the current women’s movement, it is crucial to recognize the unique experiences of women of color, which helps create a more inclusive social environment.
The influence of intercourse between nation, gender and class is also reflected in social culture.Women of color are often portrayed as symbols of stereotypes in mainstream culture, and this lack of cultural representation makes their actual experiences polished or completely ignored.Therefore, intersectionality not only helps to understand the complexity of social structures, but also challenges this deeply rooted cultural concept and inspires people to think about diverse identities.
For women of color, cross-sex means that they have to face not only gender oppression, but also racial oppression and economic disadvantage based on their ethnicity.This makes their struggle more challenging, but their endurance and wisdom also make social movements more abundant and diverse.Women of color who participate in the movement not only fight for their own rights, but also promote a more comprehensive social transformation with their rich and diverse experience.
Study shows that understanding the phenomenon of intersectionality helps identify and address inequality in social movements, thus laying the foundation for broader social justice.
In the ongoing social movement, the importance of cross-section is not just an academic thinking, but an advocacy for practical actions.Women's movement will be more powerful and effective based on understanding and inclusiveness of different identities and experiences.From this perspective, can future sports really include all the voices of women?
