Module 4 Discussion- Gender at the Intersections

Gender at the Intersections
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“Ever since I’ve been in a wheelchair, I’ve stopped getting catcalled.”—Fem Korsten

Doing Gender
“Gender isn’t something we are, but something we do.”
The number one gender rule is that we must do gender.

Gender is not all that we are; we also have many other social locations that affect how we and others see us, such as:
Age
Sexuality
Race
Class
Physical ability

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We have discussed doing gender earlier in the class. You understand that gender isn’t just something that we identify as, but also something that we do, as stated at the start of the chapter. Gender is just one aspect of who we are and how others see us. Can you give some examples of how we do gender?
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The intersection of identity & experience
Gender is not an isolated social fact but instead intersects all our social locations to make up our identity.
Social locations & identities such as age, race, class, gender, sexuality, and physical ability combine simultaneously
Your life is not influenced by JUST your race or age or gender- it is all of these at the same time

Since we experience the world through the combination of our identities, using intersectionality as a framework for studying gender allows us to develop deeper understanding and more complete approaches.

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What is Intersectionality?
Term coined by legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw to explain how Black women are disadvantaged by both race and gender.
Anti-racism policies primarily address Black men and feminist policies primarily address white women, ignoring the unique combination of race and gender based oppression.

Intersectionality is a theory that acknowledges that people are often disadvantaged by various social locations, which can result in inequality or oppression.

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Intersectionality is Interlocking
Intersectionality recognizes that identity markers (e.g., “female” and “black”) are connected and result in different responses from others as a result.
Gender, race, class, sexuality, ability ect. work together to create interlocking forms of oppression. (meaning they cannot be separated from each other)
If one social location was different, the entire life experience would be different and the other dimensions would be experienced in a new way, too.
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Intersections
Dimensions of our identity intersect like the spokes of a wheel in which our whole self is the center.

Experiences of power & oppression occur to our whole selves, and we cannot split off just one aspect of ourselves.
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The Matrix of Domination
Patricia Hill Collins: inequality and oppression are the result of several forces working hand in hand
No single force is the cause of injustice
Society places whites dominate to non-whites, men dominate to women and trans/nonbinary people, wealthy dominate to the working class etc.
Double jeopardy for many individuals who subordinated twice- for example women of color experiencing racism & sexism together

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#sayhername
People gather in New York City to participate in a #sayhername vigil for black women and girls killed at the hands of the police. Drawing attention to the fact that black women also are being killed makes the media more accountable for the gendered way dangerous over policing is being depicted.
The #sayhername movement started because police violence against black women was underreported in the media. Why do you think this is the case?

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Privilege
Privilege is a set of unearned benefits or advantages given to people who fit into a certain social group.
Having privilege in one area does not mean someone automatically has privilege in all areas
Intersectionality recognizes that we can be privileged and unprivileged/oppressed at the same time.
For instance:
A white, bisexual, working class man has race & gender privilege but also experiences sexuality & class oppression
A Black, heterosexual, middle class woman has class and sexuality privilege but also experiences race and gender oppression
We should also be aware of other experiences and dimensions such physical ability, age, education etc.

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Unmarked
Do these folks look “normal”? If so, it’s only because American culture centers white, middle-class heterosexuals, defining everyone else as outside the norm.

The unmarked category is the social identity that is assumed for a role or context without qualification. What privileges come with being unmarked?

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Consider
Why do you think it is that we do not acknowledge the black women murdered by the police?
What are some reasons why we do not consider acts of violence against women like rape to be hate crimes?
How would applying an awareness of intersectionality in social policy and social life affect these issues?
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Sexual Orientation Terms
Heteronomative: the assumption that everyone is heterosexual unless there are signs that suggest otherwise
Homonormativity: a practice of obeying most gender rules except that we must desire and partner with someone of the other sex
Homophobia: the bias against, and fear of, sexual minorities
Compulsory heterosexuality: feeling on the part of some that they must hide their sexual orientation because this rule says that only sexual attraction and relationships between one man and one woman are normal and anything else is deviant

Many people respond more tolerantly to sexual minorities who are gender conforming than to those who seem to violate gender norms. Why is this?

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Trans Queer Pride Parade
Members of Trans Queer Pueblo participate in the Phoenix Pride Parade. People of color who are also non-heterosexual and immigrants face harsh policing across all their intersectional identities.

What policing do undocumented immigrants face?
What policing do people of color face?
What policing do queer people face?

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Why do we need intersectionality?

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Intersectionality allows us to understand one another with more depth and accuracy.

Ensures that needs are not left out due to differences in race, religion, class, education level, ability, age, sexuality or other identity experiences.

Analyzing Intersections
Parenthood is an example of a status that is heavily raced, classed, aged, and gendered.
Particular identities are privileged over others, for instance, “working mothers” are seen as less devoted to their children.
Watch the clips and look at the ways intersecting identities shift the experience of and social attitude toward mothers:

Teen Mom

age and class

Precious

age, race, and class

Big Little Lies

age, class, race, employment status

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teen moms are shown struggling to maintain ordinary lives as teenagers
after giving birth. The trailer simultaneously frames motherhood through
the lens that it is essential to give up personal goals in service of raising
your children and offers a stern warning against becoming a mother too
young.
Like the girls in Teen Mom, Precious becomes a
mother at a young age, but is clearly treated differently because she is
Black.

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Economic Class and Place of Residence
Our life chances are affected by where we grow up and the resources we have access to in our families and communities.
The people with more money and class status have more privilege available to them.
If you are a member of the working class, some privileges and advantages are not as accessible to you. This impacts experiences of gender as well.
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Some identities bring us privilege, which is unearned social and economic advantage that is based on our location in a social hierarchy, but other identities do not.. strategies
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Intersections of Race & Gender
Stereotypes of black men often assert that they are “aggressive, prone to criminality, and sexually violent.”
Behavior by white boys that is seen as “boys being boys” is seen as malicious, devious, and dangerous when performed by Black boys.
Black women are also stereotyped, as being less feminine than white women, hypersexual, and physically tough.
The stereotype of the strong black woman may seem to be complimentary, but it is actually a denial of black women’s vulnerability, femininity, and need for help and support.

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Although we acknowledge that race is a social construction, it has a real impact and consequences for those who are racialized. For black men, this means that some of the stereotypes applied to them affect how people and organizations see them, treat them and interact with them.
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Intersections with Immigration
Xenophobia is institutional and individual bias against people seen as foreign.
Reconfigured families: Gender roles and marital arrangements may have to change for immigrants. Such changes can be negative or positive.
Downward mobility: Declines in income, class, and status often result from immigration.
When migrating from one country to another, people encounter new cultural rules and expectations about how to do gender, sexuality, race, etc.
Because race is socially constructed these categories and expectations differ between countries as well.

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Immigration takes a toll on families and individuals in many ways, and one of those ways is in changes in their status locations in society.
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Disability and Gender
Physical disability can change the way we do gender and the way that others perceive us.
For men, disability means that their ability to be assertive with their bodies and their masculinity are questioned.
For women, their attractiveness and ability to be sexual are affected.
Class is also a factor. Impacts access and perception

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Disability interacts with masculinity and femininity, as well as class, race and other things
about us, making life with a disability different for men and women.
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Age, Attractiveness, & Gender
Age is what sociologists call a social identity, which is a culturally available and socially constructed category of people to which you or others belong
Ageism: prejudice based on a preference for youth.
Aging is equated with mental deficiency and reduced social value.
Youthful beauty is the standard by which women are judged, while men can become silver foxes, distinguished gentleman, good breadwinners, or “sugar daddies,” all with an emphasis on financial success.
If we live long enough we will all grow older and aging will affect, not only the appearance and use of our body, but also how others perceive our bodies and their value.
Is there a way to prepare for this or to reduce the affect on us?

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Aging Bodies & Class
Aging takes a toll on your body, self-image, job options, relationships, finances, and identity.
These changes are not the same for everyone because aging can be harder for those in the working class.
Working-class women, on average, lose their looks sooner than middle- and upper-class women, even though losing their looks carries greater costs. What do you think are some reasons the for this?
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. How is masculinity diminished by aging?

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