It's Not Just About Abortion: Incorporating Intersectionality in Research About Women of Color and Reproduction

Abstract Intersectionality was first articulated in the 1970s and 1980s by women of color scholars, such as Deborah King, Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberle Crenshaw, Cherrie Moraga, Gloria Anzualdua, and Nira Yuval-Davis, and has now become a core concept in women’s and gender studies. It is generally understood within feminist circles that researchers must address the interlocking effects of identities, oppressions, and privileges to fully understand the range and complexity of women’s experiences. Women (and men) not only experience the effects of gender in their lives, but they are also affected by their race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and (dis)ability, among other aspects of their identities. These identities do not operate separately from one another, but work in tandem to shape the social, cultural, economic, and political conditions of individuals and social groups. In sum, intersectionality is not about identity politics, but is about the social, cultural, political, and economic processes that affect our lives.