Social Movement Intersectionality and Re-Centring Intersectional Activism

Authors

  • K.L. Broad University of Florida

Keywords:

Social Movements, Intersectional, Political Intersectionality

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that intersectional activism needs to be re-centered in intersectional studies and that research about social movement intersectionality offers one means of doing so. To demonstrate this argument, I review several examples that complicate our understanding of how social movement intersectionality is done in practice. I discuss how these examples reiterate the point that intersectional movements can be realized; illustrate how coalitions are varied but do work; and remind us that there are, nevertheless, unique constraints that those striving to do social movement intersectionality face—for example, the challenge of constructing critical collective consciousness. I close by discussing analytic strategies characterizing the emerging research on social movement intersectionality and lessons offered herein and I call for deeper inquiry to engage activist work and re-center activist knowledges in intersectionality studies.  Résumé Dans cet article, je soutiens que l’activisme intersectionnel doit être recentré dans les études intersectionnelles et que la recherche sur l’intersectionnalité du mouvement social offre un moyen de le faire. Pour démontrer cet argument, je passe en revue plusieurs exemples qui compliquent notre compréhension de la façon dont l’intersectionnalité des mouvements sociaux se fait dans la pratique. Je discute de la façon dont ces exemples réaffirment le fait que les mouvements intersectionnels peuvent être réalisés, illustrent comment les coalitions sont variées mais fonctionnent et nous rappellent qu’il existe néanmoins des contraintes uniques pour ceux qui s’efforcent de faire l’intersectionnalité du mouvement social – par exemple, le défi de construire une conscience collective critique. Je conclue en discutant les stratégies analytiques qui caractérisent les recherches émergentes sur l’intersectionnalité des mouvements sociaux et les leçons offertes ici et j’appelle à une enquête plus approfondie pour engager les travaux activistes et recentrer les connaissances activistes dans les études intersectionnelles.

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Author Biography

K.L. Broad, University of Florida

Associate Professor, Joint Appointment

Department of Sociology, Criminology & Law / Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research

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Published

2017-06-09