Question
Drawing on one or more theorists in this unit on social inequalities, discuss how race and gender intersect to affect your life. You can do this by using a specific incident or event, or you can speak generally.
Theorists include: Harriet Martineau, Anna Julia Cooper, W.E.B. Du Bois, Dorothy Smith, & Patricia Hill Collins.
Solution
Reading Response
As Collins argues, we all belong to various social groups such as ethnic, gender, racial and social class. Of interest are the race and gender positions of individuals affected by their situational and historical contexts. Moreover, regarding intersectionality, “gender, race, class, and other social identities intersect to provide a unique set of social privileges, disadvantages, and experiences for diverse populations” (Collins). According to Collins, the experiences in these varying identities are different based on the combination. Therefore, both race and gender intersect to impact individuals’ experiences. However, theorists tend to focus on one form of equality over the other. For instance, feminist theorists pay more attention to gender equality and not racial equality. Like the Black Feminist Thought by Collins, addressing both gender and race policies and practices that promote equality among diverse people should incorporate the two.
Moreover, race and gender have intersected to affect my life, particularly in high school. Some of the policies and practices my high school used to eliminate race and gender issues propagated a hierarchical way of thinking. This was also evident when the school could separate race and gender-based on mutually exclusive formal or informal categories through hierarchical rankings of experience or knowledge. Also, many educators consciously or unconsciously perpetuated a decisive view of race and gender, thus influencing our way of thinking.
A good example is that the school celebrated Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March. Although such practices were aimed to increase inclusivity…………for help with this or any other assignment contact us via Email Address: consulttutor10@gmail.com