Question

What is "intersectionality", and why is this a relevant concept in anthropology? Use examples in your answer.

Answer 1

Intersectionality is basically a theoritical perspective which opines that there are various factors which differs one individual from another and many such factors together lead to a wholesome discrimination and imposition of privilages and power relationship among individuals. It also shows that within a particular group of some similarity there can be various intergroup factors which may make the group members differ from one another.

This is very important topic in anthropology because it helps in understanding how privilages, discrimination and to quite an extent patriarchy has been present among human beings.

For example, various factors of intersectionality can be 'gender','race','culture','skin tone','socioeconomic status','academic qualification',etc. Thus, it can be that a group of female who are similar in terms of gender can have discriminations on the basis of the skin tone. The white women may discriminate the black women. Another example can be two people may have the same academic qualification and both are working in the same office with the same amount of experience but one is getting more salary than the other because of the difference in gender. Here also intersectionality plays an important role in privilages and discrimination.