Using Kimberlé Chrenshaw’s definition of “Intersectionality” in “Mapping the Margins,” explore how Dorothy Allison, Helen Clarkson, and Kimberlé Crenshaw illustrate that an intersectional approach to gender matters when analyzing violence against women.
Violence can happen to any woman at any time. It is a sad reality, but we must always be on guard for the dangers that are in this world. What’s worse is when women who have been sexually assaulted do not have the courage or the means to speak up and change their lives and save another.
The pieces all show that sexual violence can come from anywhere. In Allison’s novel, it was her stepfather, in Clarkson’s article it was the militia, and in Crenshaw’s chapter it was talking of the woman’s very own husband. What differs, however, deals with race; Black…White…Hispanic. Any woman of ANY color is vulnerable to abuse, but the resources are lacking. Crenshaw’s idea of Intersectional approaches to gender would play a huge role in providing the proper resources for women of color or low social class. She writes, “The problem with identity politics is not that it fails to transcend difference, as some critics charge, but rather the opposite—that it frequently conflates or ignores intragroup differences” (200). Think about it: We can identify with gender classifications, but how generic is that? People are complicated in good and bad ways, but classification is not just black and white so to speak and it should be expanded to envelop every aspect of a person. This relates to our previous reading by Evelyn Alsultany in which people would identify with her as either Iraqi or Cuban, but why couldn't she be both? An intersectional approach would allow for her to feel accepted as one person, not an incomplete being composed of sections that don’t fit to likings of others. In terms of improving violence, it can be evidenced in her story about the Hispanic woman that amazed me. I cannot believe that a shelter that is dedicated to help women in need would not make an exception to do just that. It makes me wonder if there are such issues with women’s aid throughout the country or if this is a special circumstance. We need to be able to help and understand ALL women, regardless of their race, class, etc. How can we identify with someone that we consider to be our “sister” if we know nothing about her and cannot provide her with the help and guidance that she needs when she is in trouble? An intersectional approach would not only be educational, but it is fundamental in changing the way we see other women, as well as protecting them from the dangers that plague women everywhere.
As an education major, reading these pieces automatically makes me think of my future students. Heaven forbid the knowledge become necessary, but if a situation arises, how will I help a student who is dealing with past sexual abuse, and how will I recognize the signs of it presently occurring? My hope is to make my classroom a safe space in which my students will know that they can come to me if they are having a problem, and also know that there are so many resources and so much help available to them within the school that will allow them to work on and eventually free themselves of their issues. I would love to think that these cases will never arise in the future, but this is sadly unrealistic. Dorothy Allison’s memoir provides evidence of just that. Violence was occurring in her own home within her own family. Even though she gained the courage to eventually fight back, she is still plagued with the nightmare of being raped and suffers daily when she puts herself down for it. I can wholeheartedly agree with Allison when she writes, “Two or three things I know for sure, but none of them is why a man would rape a child, why a man would beat a child” (43). People can be so sick and cruel, and the news stories that we see daily are not inspiring them to stop anytime soon. I will do everything in my power to make myself available to my students to come to me for help or guidance. Knowing that, as a teacher, I could potentially save a life of one of my students is so much better than knowing that I didn’t do enough if something goes wrong.
I have included a link to site that provides information about the effects of domestic violence on children, as well as the signs to look for, and how to help them.
Works Cited:
Crenshaw, K. 1991. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color. Introduction to Women's Studies. 200.
Dorothy, A. 1995. Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. 43.
Courtney-
ReplyDeleteHey, lady! This post is insightful and intriguing—and I’m grateful for reading it. Similarly to your blog post, I write about how important these stories of survivors are. It is their voice and strength that other abused can look to. Another important quality that holds all of these pieces together is that violence is not discriminatory. As you mentioned, it doesn’t matter if you are white, black, Hispanic, or come from a high or low socioeconomic environment.
This leads me into the stereotype that most assume it is only the poor, women of color who are abused. Something that I think we have the unique opportunity to do (since we are both going to be high school English teachers) is bring literature in the classroom that tells a story of abuse and triumph from a variety of lenses and backgrounds. There is so much power in literature and it is amazing to think of the endless possibilities we can expose students to.
Another part of your blog that stood out to me that I had not thought of before was the signs of abused children. I’m sure I have run over the assumption of having abused children in my class, yet have never contemplated things I should pick up on and directly acknowledge. You are right in saying that the sad reality is that people fall victim to violence all too often.
Your blog has also made me think of how important it will be to have an excess of resources for our students to go to if they find themselves, or someone they know, in a violent situation. I think we have a good start to these resources from this class!
Brittany