Intersectionality

Intersectionality has been one of the key orientations in feminist research in recent decades. The concept and term were introduced by feminist legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw as a framework to understand the ways in which gender and race intersect and jointly produce and sustain structures of inequality. Intersectionality has come to refer to an approach focused on the socio-cultural multiplicity of experiences and identifications that define individuals’ positions within societies. The concept has been linked to antiracist and postcolonial struggles in particular. There is, however, lingering ambiguity and a variety of conceptions of how to understand intersectional analysis. This chapter gives a brief account of the idea of intersectionality, its history and contemporary debates. In addition, it discusses the methodological contributions to be had, and potential challenges faced, in conducting such an analysis. In order to reflect on the role and potential of intersectional analysis—as a critical approach—in Arctic research, this chapter briefly discusses the question of violence against indigenous women. To date, intersectionality has played a limited role in social scientific research in and on the Arctic. Could a feminist intersectional analysis offer more pertinent tools for understanding and tackling complex junctures of inequality in the Arctic?