MODULE 5:
GLOBALIZING INTERSECTIONALITY?
(This module was created by Dr. Sabujkoli Bandopadhyay)
Introduction:
As we know, intersectionality emerged to fill a gap in critical legal and feminist studies. It offered a paradigm to understand the oppressions faced by Black women and women of color in the USA as their experiences were erstwhile marginalized in both feminist and anti-racist discourses and activism. So, it is imperative to address the context of race and gender formations in the Americas to understand why and how Black women and women of color have been systemically violated and oppressed within US legal, political, social and cultural discourses. However, this specific contextualization raises the question of intersectionality in the rest of the world. Is intersectionality a framework, theory, or methodology that works globally? In this unit, we will explore this question by asking what happens when intersectionality as a theory, framework, or methodology is appropriated, adapted, or domesticated in the context of the Global South.
Learning goals:
In this unit, you will:
- familiarize yourself with the debates surrounding the applicability of intersectionality in the Global South;
- critically reflect on knowledge producers’ (researchers, artists, activists) ethical ethical obligations towards their subjects of study;
- assess the limits of applying categories like race, class, and gender as globally relevant categories of difference;
- (re)familiarize yourself with library research and resources.
Moving forward:
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WGS 498/GSJ 598 