Critical Reflection 4 (Updated): Intersecting Identities
In the Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?”, Beverely Tatum, states the following:
Dominant groups, by definition, set the parameters within which the dominant group holds the power and authority in society relative to the subordinates and determines how that power and authority may be used. (pg. 11)
According to Tatum (), the power relationship between the dominant and subordinate groups involves the dominant group devaluing the subordinate. Tatum illustrates this relationship by describing how in history, African-Americans have always been seen as being less smart than Caucasian individuals. (pg. 12) This power relationship also allows for the dominant group to save and provide the most cherished roles for themselves.
In the article, Calderon (2011) explains how Barack Obama was able to increase his understanding of himself, while also increasing his democratic participation through perspective-taking. Perspective-taking can be illustrated as acquiring knowledge on the culture, perspectives, and language of others (pg. 2). Perspective-taking can alter the dominant-subordinate dynamic because it allows for individuals to view things from a different perspective. It allows individuals, to an extent, to put themselves in another person’s shoes. This might show the dominant group how they make the subordinate group feel, which could prompt a shift in the dynamics of the relationship.
Intersectionality refers to the asocication between social identities such as race, sex gender, sexual orientation, and class. Interscetionality has also been known to create mutually dependent systems of discrimination. In, Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color, Crenshaw (1993) explains how these identies can be empowering for groups and inviudals, yet at the same time, they ignore differences within groups which can lead to tension among said groups. For example, Crenshaw (1993) states the following:
The problem with identity politics is not that it fails to transcend difference, as some critics charge, but rather the opposite- that it frequently conflates or ignores intragroup differences. In the context of violence against women, this elision of difference is problematic, fundamentally because the violence that many women experience is often shaped by other dimensions of their identities, such as race and class.
When thinking about violence against women, it seems that people often group all women together, which is not the right way to observe the issue. As Crenshaw stated, when women experience violence, many times, it’s not just because they’re a woman, but also because they might be Black, or Latino. Or they might be considered lower-class. It’s not just one social identity that can be a factor, it’s multiple.
During a study in Los Angeles, focused on minority communities, Crenshaw examined women’s shelters within those communities and the structural intersectionality dynamics. She also mentions that they are guided to these shelters because the violence they face is due to the subordination they experience in a dominant-subordinate relationship (Crenshaw, 1993). During her observations of these shelters, Crenshaw (1993), discovered the following:
Many women who seek protection are unemployed or underemployed, and a good number of them are poor. Shelters serving these women cannot afford to address only the violence inflicted by the batterer; they must also confront the other multilayered and routinized forms of domination that often converge in these women’s lives, hindering their ability to create alternatives to the abusive relation-ships that brought them to shelters in the first place. Many women of color, for example, are burdened by poverty, child-care responsibilities, and the lack of job skills.
On the surface it might seem right to treat all individuals the same, but Crenshaw’s observations demonstrate why that doesn’t work. Although abused women have some similarities, being that they have faced violence and are of the same gender, differences in race separate them from one another.
In DiAngelo’s article she describes how she grew up poor and always saw her socioeconomic status as her being oppressed, but never realized how her being a White individual was a privilege. She has empowered herself and others by addressing her White privilege. She has also empowered herself and others by acknowledging that although she might not completely understand all the factors that go into racism, she does know that racism is real.
The intersectional identities of the Ritter Center community that make them more vulnerable than others include being low-income, homeless, women, English as a second language and people of color (POC). The programing of my community partner helps address these intersecting identities by having bilingual staff members in addition to patient and understanding volunteers. Many of the volunteers do not speak Spanish, but don’t allow this to become a barrier between them and the community members.When assisting someone with English as a second language, the volunteers tend to use simple English words and gestures to communicate. If neither work, they politely ask for help translating from one of the bilingual staff members. Many of the community members are understanding and appreciate the help nonetheless. By providing access to food, the Ritter Center is working to address food insecurity in low-income and homeless populations. In addition, many of the volunteers are women, which might be more comforting for women who come alone or have young children with them. Finally, the Ritter Center has volunteers from a variety of racial backgrounds and is a very inclusive environment. During one of my shifts, an older black woman told me “I’m so glad to see a face like yours here.” I assumed that meant she was happy to see a POC, specifically, a young black woman, like myself in the pantry. This shows the impact that representation and inclusivity can have on members of the community. When looking at the shift from dominant to subordinate, I look at white men, able-bodied individuals, and people who speak English as a first language, but are low-income or homeless. Although they have dominant identities, they shift from dominant to subordinate because of their economic standing.
