University of Washington, race class, gender, crime, Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality, USA United States of America
Intersectionality refers to the theory developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, which shows that identity is multi-dimensional and different systems of power and privilege impact individuals differently, thus affecting the way in which they experience the world. In the US, social structures, including the criminal justice system, are usually the means through which vulnerable individuals are targeted when they occupy more than one sphere of marginalization. This essay discusses the special instances when the existing U.S. social identity and criminal justice system contribute to the further disenfranchisement of people with diverse, intersecting backgrounds and give their voices no attention.
[...] Visualizing the unequal treatment of LGBTQ people in the criminal justice system. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/03/02/lgbtq/ Mosley, T., & McMahon, S. (2021, March 22). A Century Of Objectifying Asian Women: How Race Played A Role In Atlanta Shootings. Www.wbur.org. [...]
[...] Using concrete examples and acknowledging invisible forms of marginalization, it is clear that solving problems of injustice and oppression should rest on a deep understanding of overlapping identities and the search for marginalized voices. In the long run, the focus of the dialogue around social justice reform should start from intersectionality and policies that ensure all people's needs and experiences are priorities, especially those who are at the heart of these intersections of oppression. References Martin, L. (2019). An Intersectional Approach to Earlier Interventions within the Criminal Justice System in the U.K.: An Analysis of Two Governmental Documents. Jones, A. (2021, March 2). [...]
[...] The Impact of Intersectionality in the Criminal Justice System The present setup of the U.S. society and its criminal justice system is more inclined to put people who are classified in several positions of underprivileged in a tougher spot, as illustrated by the loss of lives in the Atlanta-area day spas in March of 2021. The six Asian women deaths among the eight victims, in this case, are highly symbolic and reflect the history and system when Asian women suffered sexism in America. [...]
[...] On the one hand, they tend to overshadow the real cultural backgrounds of women of Asian descent. In the meantime, they help to maintain their position on the outskirts of society. Furthermore, the lack of decent regulations and security for workers in services such as massage parlors escalates intolerance of minority groups, especially women of color. The proliferation of business entities that become a front for prostitution notwithstanding, the principles of society at large and its assumptions and stereotypes might be among the reasons for not taking the rights and safety of such women seriously. [...]
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