Episode 30: Intersectionality Is a Political Football—Here’s Why it Doesn’t Have to Be, Chris Martin
Jan 27, 2022
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Psychologist Chris Martin discusses the evolution of intersectionality as an academic theory and political ideology. He critiqued the progressive model of intersectionality, emphasizing the need for a person-by-situation interaction approach. Chris talks about his background and how it led to the formation of Heterodox Academy. The podcast also explores the challenges of teaching intersectionality in K-12 education and higher education.
Intersectionality can be a valuable tool, but it requires conceding critical points on both the political left and right.
To fully understand intersectionality, it is crucial to discard the construct of axes of oppression and focus on studying intersectional effects in-depth.
Deep dives
Understanding Intersectionality
Intersectionality is an academic theory that originated in legal scholarship. It describes the unique problems faced by individuals who exist at the intersection of multiple axes of oppression, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, progressives have adopted an over-ambitious model of intersectionality, assuming that every individual lies on axes of oppression. This perspective overlooks the complexities and positive intersectional effects that can exist. Conservatives, on the other hand, tend to dismiss intersectionality completely. To fully understand and appreciate intersectionality, it is crucial to discard the construct of axes of oppression and focus on studying intersectional effects in-depth.
The History and Evolution of Intersectionality
Intersectionality, as a term, was coined in a legal context by Kimberlé Crenshaw to highlight the challenges faced by black women who were discriminated against based on both their gender and race. While psychologists and biologists have studied intersectional effects for decades using the label 'interaction effects,' Crenshaw's work brought intersectionality to the forefront of legal scholarship. However, over time, the term has become more heavily influenced by progressive ideology, losing its empirical focus. Patricia Hill Collins, in particular, generalized intersectionality to encompass general axes of oppression, which oversimplifies the complexities and nuance of intersectional experiences.
The Problems with Axes-Based Intersectionality
There are three main problems with the axes-based approach to intersectionality. Firstly, it assumes consistent and unambiguous axes of oppression, overlooking evidence of pro-black discrimination or positive intersectional effects. Secondly, it assumes that every intersectional effect is negative, disregarding instances where certain intersectional identities can result in positive characteristics or advantages. Lastly, the axes-based approach ignores the influence of the situation on intersectional experiences, failing to consider the interaction between identities and specific contexts. To overcome these problems, scholars should shift their focus to studying intersectional effects within specific intersections and situations, rather than assuming broad categories of oppression.
Today’s show is our second episode about Intersectionality, an academic theory that began with important facts but slowly turned into an unhelpful ideology. We sit down with Chris Martin—HxA Co-founder and Psychologist at Oglethorpe University—who argues that Intersectionality can be a valuable tool, but requires those on the political left and right to concede a few critical points.