Submit a document with citations of at least 8 sources, each of which is accompanied by one paragraph summarizing the source and explicating the relevance of its content to the project proposal. Students may use any sources (academic and/or popular), but are strongly encouraged to consider each source’s credibility and value for the project’s merit overall. No less than five of the sources must be peerreviewed, scholarly publications. project proposal is below
Exploration in Gender and Communication
The concept I have chosen is Intersectionality. Intersectionality is the idea that social identities
such as gender, class, and race intertwine to shape a person’s experiences of privilege and
oppression. It challenges the normal views of self and promotes a more in depth perception of
inequalities in society.
Intersectionality was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, a legal scholar, some of her work such as
Demarginalizing the intersection of Race and Sex; a Black feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination
Doctrine, Feminine Theory, and Anti-racist politics, paved a way for the concept of
Intersectionality. Although she set the foundation for Intersectionality, it has since been
developed further by feminist theorists, sociologists and people working in gender studies, this
further development has allowed the concept of intersectionality to develop past its original
limits into a more versatile instrument in understanding the complexity of identity.
The context of Intersectionality is in the broader framework of feminist theory and critical race
theory. It lines up with other concepts that address oppression, privilege and power dynamics.
Intersectionality extends beyond academia but it is also involved in the influence of
communications in pop-culture, policy making and social movements.
Intersectionality is important because it serves as a tool through which we can explore the
systems of oppression and privilege. It is important in understanding the dynamics of gender
and communication. It goes past the simple categories and accounts for an individual’s
complexities and experiences from intersecting identities.
My strategies for learning about intersectionality are to look at foundational texts, scholarly
articles, academic journals, and webinars. I will read Kimberle Crenshaw’s works, for example,
“Mapping the Margins : Intersectionality, identity politics, and Violence against women of color”
to gain conceptual ideas and origins of my concept. I will read academic journals and research
papers that discuss intersectionality. I will use online platforms and webinars to experience
conversations in real time about studying Intersectionality in gender and communication. The
questions I will ponder are “How does Intersectionality challenge the conventional ideas of
Identity?” “How has Intersectionality progressed with time?” and “What are the connotations of
Intersectionality for gender and communication studies?
My project aims to explore and unwrap the complexities of Intersectionality, discover and further
investigate its roots and its applications in real life. I also aim to discuss its transformative power
in furthering our understanding of gender and communication.