Intersectionality: (Key Concepts)

The concept of intersectionality has become a central topic in academic and activist circles alike. But what exactly does it mean, and why has it emerged as such a vital lens through which to explore how social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability, and ethnicity shape one another?    In this fully revised and expanded second edition of their popular text, Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge provide a much-needed introduction to the field of intersectional knowledge and praxis. Analyzing the emergence, growth, and contours of the concept of intersectionality, the authors also consider its global reach through an array of new topics such as the rise of far-right populism, reproductive justice, climate change, and digital environments and cultures. Accessibly written and drawing on a plethora of lively examples to illustrate its arguments, the book highlights intersectionality’s potential for understanding complex architecture of social and economic inequalities and bringing about social justice-oriented change.   Intersectionality will be an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with the main ideas, debates, and new directions in this field.

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1 What Is Intersectionality? Chapter 2 Intersectionality as Critical Inquiry and Praxis Chapter 3 Getting the History of Intersectionality Straight? Chapter 4 Intersectionality’s Global Reach Chapter 5 Intersectionality, Social Protest and Neoliberalism Chapter 6 Intersectionality and Identity Chapter 7 Intersectionality and Critical Education Chapter 8 Intersectionality Revisited Endnotes References

About the Author :
Patricia Hill Collins is Distinguished University Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland.  Sirma Bilge is Full Professor of Sociology at the Université de Montréal.

Review :
“The second edition of Intersectionality is a gift. Collins and Bilge have done it again, and somehow they’ve improved on the already stellar contributions of the first edition. At once incisive and accessible, this is a text for novice scholars looking for an entry point into intersectionality studies, as well as for more seasoned readers seeking a rich text with which to deepen engagement with this critical field. Intersectionality is a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and hotly contested terrain of scholar-activism, and Collins and Bilge are generous guides and teachers. Rather than merely tell, the second edition of Intersectionality expertly shows readers the key tenets of intersectional approaches and important applications of the concepts in a thoroughly global context. Perhaps most importantly, Collins and Bilge never let you forget that for all the hand-wringing over what intersectionality is, where it comes from, and what it can or cannot do, intersectionality is about social justice. This book is a remarkable contribution from two of the most vitally important and generous leaders of the field.” Patrick R. Grzanka, editor of Intersectionality: Foundations and Frontiers, 2nd edition “Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge provide a rich and nuanced framework for understanding the meanings of intersectionality and why it is so powerful for addressing issues of social justice in these times.” Barbara Smith, Co-founder Combahee River Collective “An illuminating and accessible entry into intersectionality, which acknowledges creative tensions between academic inquiry and political praxis. The authors’ careful and rigorous work symbolizes the best of what intersectionality has to offer a world that is desperate for new solutions and battle-scarred by quick fixes.”  Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, University of Southern California "a timely release and much­ needed follow­-up" Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture and Social Justice