A Review of Article by Floya Anthias about Intersectionality
Citation of Article:
Article 1: Anthias, F. (2012). Intersectional what? Social divisions, intersectionality and levels of analysis, http://etn.sagepub.com/content/13/1/3 . Sage Publication, Ethnicities 2013 13: 3 originally published online 31 October 2012 , 3-19.
Article 2: Anthias, F. (2012). TRANSNATIONAL MOBILITIES,MIGRATION RESEARCH AND INTERSECTIONALITY Towards a translocational frame. Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 102-110.
Understanding Intersectionality and its Importance to Public Policy
This report is based on my study and analysis of the two articles written by Floya Anthias on the topic, “Intersectional what? social divisions, intersectionality and levels of analysis” (first article) and “Transnational mobilities, migration research and intersectionality: towards a trans locational frame”(Second article). However, both articles bring in highlight the framework of intersectionality, social categories, social identity, discrimination, group opportunities, struggles etc., they are different in the presentation, discussion of the context and the content. Intersectionality contends that the distinguishing categories within a society, such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, class, and other markers of identity and difference, do not function independently but, rather, act in tandem as interlocking or inter-sectional phenomena (Manuel, 2008). These two articles explained that the gender and race are the two grounds of the discrimination faced by a single person.
The first article assumed intersectionality as a heuristic device for understanding the boundaries and hierarchy of social life. It talks about the framework of intersection not the theory of intersection. This paper shows the overlap of various social, racial, class and political identity (such as race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity) which contributes to the discrimination, inequality, oppression and violence experienced by an individual. The interaction between the people creates social group within the people in the society. The writer explains that these social categories comes in term of social construction (such as gender, class and ethnicity), biological characteristics, economic life, social representation etc. Then these social categories tends to create boundaries and hierarchies. Also, the article explains that the differences exist not only between the social representation or categories but within the categories or the social representation. Then, the social categories creates concrete social relations by sorting people into group and then it effects their social identity and action. After an individual belong to a certain group, it determines their roles, it gives strong voice for their rights, they can involve in advocacy, it provides them access to good job, education and opens up for different form of opportunity. In contrast, individual may lack certain benefits by being a member of certain group. For example, black men treated unequally at work and paid less than the while men. Belonging to a group is not limited to the receiving or lacking opportunities, but it is also related to the attachment to different values, stigma, disgust, oppressive myths concerned with the certain group. For instance, individual’s experience as a marginalized, black women (Anthias, 2012).
The second article presents the multifaceted form of the migrants from a prototype of economic migrants and the gendered form of migration. It discusses the issues of transnational migration studies from different focal lens, for example, interconnected of different identities and hierarchical structures related to gender, class, race, ethnicity at local, national, transnational and global level. It also talked about identity, diversity, issues of gender and migration. Migration is not confined within national border so transnational lens helps us to understand the hierarchical positions, social policy, health or educational regimes of different countries. Globalization, new labor market and social formation made suitable for people(both men and women) to travel around the globe. Migrants have multiple identities because they do not only interact in ethnic ways( migrants are viewed as the ethnic group) but also in term of other social categories and social relations (such as gender, age, class, stages of life cycle, political beliefs, values, trans-ethnicity etc). Gender bias on migration is discussed in the article. Male were the prototype of the migrants and for a very long time, women were not considered migrants whereas women were only dependents of men. Later on, women migrated on their own and in high numbers for various reasons which the writer termed as the solo migration project. The article also explained that there were increased in the migrants from different ethnic communities from the eastern to the western world guided by different motivations among the migrants creating great differences( for example, asymmetrical power and economic resources) between the migrants in the receiving countries. These differences affects their bond between the home country and localities. Similarly, migration activities brings huge changes in the gendered values in destination and origin. For example, migrant women working in lower level job may have better life standard than her origin but still may be subordinate to men and experience violence or some form of household oppression. (Anthias, 2012).
Intersection is the meeting point of all the social categories, but this junction says nothing about how the discrimination takes place. Also, inequalities or the violence experienced by the people might not be the result of the intersection at all. Understanding of the inter-sectional invisibility helps to make political mobilization to address the discrimination and disadvantage.
Understanding intersectionality helps to take action to prevent multiple inequalities by finding the root cause of the inequality and discrimination. It also stressed the need of the public policy to address gender and race identities. Transnational view should be addressed in the national immigration laws because many countries views migrants as a threat to native language, jobs, health, security and public orders. Diversity do not only represent the difference between individuals or social class but diversity within individual or social group. Tolerating, accepting, celebrating diversity in the public policy enable radical transformation of the society. It also aware public policy maker to view diversity for solidarity formation and function of the modern society.
Policy makers should acknowledge and assure the people’s right without any form of discrimination, for example, equal pay for men and women for the same nature of job requiring equal efforts. These articles clearly explain that gender, class and race are process and social relations. The problems of groupism is created when gender, class and race are considered groups. Also, it asks for the policy reforms to create environment of equality based on the individual’s skills, competency rather than creating social stratification or discriminating job market associated to the group. This article emphasizes the public policy that more effectively improve individuals and collective well being.
Public policy is supported by the ideas presented in the article about globalization which is the actor of the expanded opportunities for cross difference interactions. Similarly, migration as a global phenomenon of the world today adding various racial composition in the country and at the same time creating gap between minorities and majorities in the receiving country. Thanks to information technology which aware people about their rights, sharing of information across various time zones and public policy advocates can hear from public, understand discrimination and find a way to make a better policy for the better life of individual. Therefore, this article stressed on the idea of equal opportunity for all and promoting individual and collective well-being.
References
Anthias, F. (2012). Intersectional what? Social divisions, intersectionality and levels of analysis, http://etn.sagepub.com/content/13/1/3 . Sage Publication, Ethnicities 2013 13: 3 originally published online 31 October 2012 , 3-19.
Anthias, F. (2012). TRANSNATIONAL MOBILITIES,MIGRATION RESEARCH AND INTERSECTIONALITY Towards a translocational frame. Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 102-110.
Manuel, T. (2008). Envisioning the Possibilities for a Good Life: Exploring the Public Policy Implications of Intersectionality Theory. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, 173-203.
About the Writer
The writer is a research-based Master student of Migration Studies (Major International Law) at University Cote d’Azur, Nice, France. She is a graduate of master’s in international business at IAE Nice Graduate School of Management, France. She is a personal blogger and content writer.
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