Module 3– Origins and Origin Stories
Consider an analogy to traffic in an intersection, coming and going in all four directions. Discrimination, like traffic through an intersection, may flow in one direction, and it may flow in another. If an accident happens in an intersection, it can be caused by cars traveling from any number of directions and, sometimes, from all of them. Similarly, if a Black woman is harmed because she is in the intersection, her injury could result from sex discrimination or race discrimination. (Crenshaw 1989, 149)
Where does Intersectionality come from?
Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that the African American legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw first introduced the intersectionality metaphor in 1989 in an article examining the unique discrimination faced by Black women within the US legal framework, particularly in antidiscrimination law. While Crenshaw’s coined the term, the roots of intersectionality extend beyond her work, spanning over a century of activist and intellectual labor by Black, Indigenous, queer and Women of Color in North America and globally.
In this module, we turn to a selection of texts considered foundational to the emergence of intersectionality, keeping in mind a critical understanding of “origin stories” and the politics of citation that these represent.
The critical skill section of this module hones in on working with sources.
Learning Goals
In this module, you will
- Enhance proficiency in engaging sources through effective quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing for improved research and writing skills.
- Locate intersectionality’s emergence, principles, and significance in a long history of intellectual and activist labor by BIPOC activists, artists, and theorists.
- Critically analyze the limitations of singular origin stories and histories
- Cultivate ethical and responsible scholarly conduct that considers the complexity of intellectual ownership and avoids cultural appropriation.
Moving forward
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WGS 498/GSJ 598 