Intersectionality & Higher Education: Theory, Research, & Praxis

Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. A scholar of law, critical race theory, and Black feminist thought, Crenshaw used intersectionality to explain the experiences of Black women who – because of the intersections of race, gender, and class – are exposed to exponential forms of marginalization and oppression. Intersectionality & Higher Education documents and expands upon Crenshaw’s ideas within the context of U.S. higher education. The text includes theoretical and conceptual chapters on intersectionality; empirical research using intersectionality frameworks; and chapters focusing on intersectional practices. The volume may prove beneficial for graduate programs in ethnic studies, higher education, sociology, student affairs, and women and gender studies alike.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe/Susan R. Jones: Intersectionality, Identity, and Systems of Power and Inequality – Claire Kathleen Robbins/Stephen John Quaye: Racial Privilege, Gender Oppression, and Intersectionality – Allison Daniel Anders/James M. DeVita: Intersectionality: A Legacy from Critical Legal Studies and Critical Race Theory – Nicole Alia Salis Reyes: The Multiplicity and Intersectionality of Indigenous Identities – Heidi Whitford/Carmen L. McCrink: Contextualizing the Higher Education Pathways of Undocumented Students – Samuel D. Museus/Natasha A. Saelua: Realizing the Power of Intersectionality Research in Higher Education – Traci Thomas-Card/Rebecca Ropers-Huilman: Heteronormativity Fractured and Fused: Exploring the College Experiences of Multiple Marginalized LGBT Students – Leah J. Reinert/Gabriel R. Serna: Living Intersectionality in the Academy – Diane J. Goodman: The Tapestry Model: Exploring Social Identities, Privilege, and Oppression from an Intersectional Perspective – Daniel Tillapaugh/Z Nicolazzo: Backward Thinking: Exploring the Relationship among Intersectionality, Epistemology, and Research Design – Shelly A. Perdomo: Raw Tongue: How Black Women and Latinas Bring Their Multiple Identities into Collegiate Classrooms – Susan V. Iverson: Identity Constellations: An Intersectional Analysis of Female Student Veterans – Sheri C. Hardee: «Letting Us Be Ourselves»: Creating Spaces for Examining Intersectionality in Higher Education – Tara L. Affolter: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: Ignoring Intersections and Supporting Silence in Elite Liberal Arts College Classrooms – Marjorie L. Dorimé-Williams: Black ≠ Poor: Understanding the Influence of Class on Black Students’ Educational Outcomes – Mitsu Narui: Hidden Populations and Intersectionality: When Race and Sexual Orientation Collide – Jason C. Garvey: Demographic Information Collection in Higher Education and Student Affairs Survey Instruments: Developing a National Landscape for Intersectionality – Valeria Sinclair-Chapman/Sasha Eloi/Sharese King: The Women of Color Circle: Creating, Claiming, and Transforming Space for Women of Color on a College Campus – Betty Jeanne Taylor/Ryan A. Miller/Claudia García-Louis: Utilizing Intersectionality to Engage Dialogue in Higher Education – Patrick N. Troup/Walter R. Jacobs: Huntley House: A «Post-Black» Living-Learning. Community for African American Men – Maria Oropeza Fujimoto/Miguel U. Luna: Theory to Practice: Problematizing Student Affairs Work through Intersectionality – Robin Phelps-Ward/Thalia M. Mulvihill: PhD Pathways Mentoring Program: A Site to Build Intersectional Praxis – Colette Seguin Beighley/Carrie Simmons/Emily West: Beyond Identity Politics: Equipping Students to Create Systemic Change.

About the Author :
Donald Mitchell, Jr. (PhD, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities) is Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Grand Valley State University. His research explores the impact of race, gender, and identity intersections in higher education contexts. Charlana Y. Simmons is Director of Student Success and Diversity in the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research interests include critical race theory and the experiences of African American males in formal educational contexts. Lindsay A. Greyerbiehl is a graduate of the M.Ed. in Higher Education program at Grand Valley State University. Her research interests include critical feminist and queer theory, neoliberalism, structural inequity violence, and intersectionality.

Review :
" [This book] engages readers on multiple levels and adds to our understanding of intersectionality not only as an area of study, but as a tool that can and should be used to improve our work...Collectively, this work urges us to be reflective about the structures that reinforce our experiences of oppression and privilege as well as the experiences of others, and provides us with thoughtful strategies that can ultimately lead us to more equitable communities." (Kimberly A. Griffin, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, College Park) "The authors illuminate the experiences of underexplored identities in higher education, call for us to recognize that no one can be reduced to one or two identities, and provide us with the tools to do so. Importantly, the contributors reveal the role of privilege as well as marginality in shaping higher education experiences and illustrate how higher education personnel can address the complexities of simultaneously experiencing both conditions." (Anne-Marie Nunez, Associate Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio)