Intersectionality & Positionality
Mind Mapping
Johnny Gonzalez
Ethnic Studies
Lesson Focus Questions:
How can we identity, learn, and apply our Intersectionality & Positionality to be more understanding of our own experiences and be open to others in our collective world?
Identity: Students will learn how their intersectionality and positionality influences and constructs their knowledge and lived experiences.
Skills: Students will examine their own intersectionality and positionality and communicate it to others by completing the lesson.
Intellect: Students will learn to identify their own intersectionality and positionality.
Criticality: Students will learn to be critically conscious of their positionality, in order to be open to new perspectives.
Joy: What is my intersectionality and positionality in relations with other groups in my community?
Information used in this lesson was retrieved from: https://lsa.umich.edu/social-solutions/news-events/news/insights-and-solutions/infographics/intersectionality--positionality--and-privelege.html
Part 1:
Intersectionality - Introduction
The understanding of intersectionality continues to be important in helping us understand why a person may experience the world differently than others who share similar identities to them, but have a social advantage in one of them. For example, not all people have the same life experiences and are treated differently by the law and in our collective society because of the qualities individual people have that are listed below.
Example of Intersectionality: One of the cases Crenshaw turned to illustrate this point was the 1976 case of Degraffenreid v General Motors. The case centered around five black women suing General Motors for a policy that they viewed as discriminately targeting Black women. Essentially, the women argued they were faced with the double discrimination of being both black and female, but the legal system refused to recognise this. To Crenshaw, “intersectionality was a prism to bring to light dynamics within discrimination law that weren’t being appreciated by the court.” INDA
“Courts seem to think that race discrimination was what happened to all black people across gender and sex discrimination was what happened to all women, and if that is your framework, of course, what happens to black women and other women of colour is going to be difficult to see.” – Kimberlé Crenshaw
Intersectionality - Defintion
Intersectionality: is the cross sections or multiple components that make-up your individual identity that converge creating a unique experience, which allows us to understand how our identity is constructed in relation to our social contexts.
Intersectionality - Videos
Students take notes on the video to further define and explain Intersectionality
Video #1 Video #2
Intersectionality - Activity
Step 1: Select one of the following images, copy the image to your paper, and complete the parts of your identity.
Step 2: Share with your partner how a convergence of select parts of your identity can create a unique experience for you.
Socially-Constructed Identities
Students will identify the different components of identity using the attached handout.
Click on link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U_yDGdiZvfCPQBqfI7EMpn1N0FWK6lcX/view?usp=sharing
Part 2:
Positionality: Introduction
Think about positionality using a baseball field.
On a baseball field, the batter represents the text that you and your classmates are studying. Based on your position in the field (as shortstop, first baseman, outfielder, or even as a spectator in the stadium), you have a unique perspective of the batter/text. Unlike the pitcher, who has the most direct relationship to the batter, a center-fielder has a bigger picture. A fan in the box seats has an on-the-ground view while the fan sitting in the nosebleeds has a more global perspective of the text. All this to say that who you are and where you are coming from impacts your view of a text. How you respond to a text as a reader and as a writer is determined by your positionality. Positionality is where you’re coming from, and where you’re coming from affects your worldview.
Positionality: Definition
Positionality: focuses not only on how our individual identities are constructed, but on how these identities shape the way we see the world in relation to those we interact with. Originally introduced in the field of sociology, positionality can help researchers in academia acknowledge how their own distinct identities and viewpoints inherently influence the results of their work. Additionally, positionality aims to highlight both how individual identities are created by social constructs and how they are malleable. Furthermore, in social contexts, understanding our own positionality can help us confront our own biases. By acknowledging the limitations of our own viewpoints and experiences, we can create space for the inclusion of others and actively seek out new information (UMich 2021).
Privilege/Oppression Wheel
Positionality: Activity
To write from your positionality, you need an awareness of your position in the world or identities that you inhabit. These may be regional, ethnic, racial, gender, or cultural, or maybe who you are shows up more based on your interests or what you're studying. These positionalities form our core values which can change overtime, but for many of us, our core values are fairly consistent. Having a sense of your core values can help you more clearly develop your ideas for an assigned topic, whether explicitly or implicitly, potentially giving you more to draw from and write about all by having a deeper understanding of your positionality.
Using your positionality means that you must first find or shape your positionality. You must be able to put on paper or state “who you is”. There is more than one way to establish your position if you need help or if you want to search for a deeper sense of who you are. Here are two ways; experiment with them as ways to form your positionality.
Positionality: Activity
Using your positionality means that you must first find or shape your positionality. You must be able to put on paper or state “who you is”. There is more than one way to establish your position if you need help or if you want to search for a deeper sense of who you are. Here are two ways; experiment with them as ways to form your positionality.
Positionality: Activity
2. How do your positions in these realms affect your opinions about the topics we’re discussing? E.g. they affirm my opinion, or they may lead me to have blindspots/confirmation bias, they reflect my core values, they help me form connections to my audience or anticipate their needs. Try to be as specific as possible.
Courageous Conversations: Please share your findings with your partner and explain.
3. What/Who has influenced your positionality (People, locations, media, etc)?Are there any surprises or conflicts or connections between your positions and your worldview?
4. How can we be aware and learn from our Positionality to be more open to other diverse perspectives?