Kids Explain Intersectionality

Soyheat

23 Sept 201602:14

Summary

TLDRThe transcript covers the concept of intersectionality, explaining how individuals have multiple facets to their identity that can influence their experiences, such as race and gender. It highlights that people may face overlapping discrimination, like sexism and racism simultaneously. The conversation emphasizes that everyone's identity is complex and made up of different parts that contribute to who they are. Through an analogy, it illustrates how people are more than just one aspect of themselves, leading to an understanding that identity is multidimensional. The discussion ends on a positive note with an engaging and relatable example.

Takeaways

🧠 Intersectionality is a concept that acknowledges how people's lives are multidimensional.
👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Example: A Black woman may experience both racism and sexism simultaneously.
❓ Intersectionality asks us to think about how experiences of sexism or racism are not the same for everyone.
💡 Being conscious of multiple identity factors is crucial in understanding people's experiences.
🗣 The speaker uses a personal example: People think she is white because she is light-skinned, but she is actually First Nations.
🧩 Intersectionality is compared to a puzzle, where every part of a person contributes to who they are.
🤔 The speaker struggles to fully understand intersectionality at first but later grasps it by thinking about how many parts make up a person.
📸 People are not just one-dimensional; their whole identity must be considered.
👏 The speaker thanks the explainer and emphasizes that understanding intersectionality is 'cool.'
🎮 The conversation touches on societal expectations, such as boys-only clubs, comparing this to how people face different barriers.

Q & A

What is the concept of intersectionality?
-Intersectionality is a concept that helps us recognize that people live multidimensional lives, where different aspects of their identity, such as race and gender, can overlap and lead to unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.
Can you give an example of how intersectionality works?
-An example is a black woman who may experience both sexism and racism simultaneously. The discrimination she faces is not just because she is a woman or just because she is black, but because of the combination of both.
Does everyone experience sexism or racism in the same way?
-No, people do not experience sexism or racism in the same way because different factors, such as race, gender, and other identities, intersect to create unique experiences for each person.
Why is it important to consider intersectionality?
-It is important because it allows us to understand how various aspects of a person's identity contribute to their overall experience. Without considering intersectionality, we might overlook the complexities of their lived experiences.
What does the speaker mean by 'people aren't just the one picture'?
-The speaker is emphasizing that people are not defined by just one part of their identity. Their entire personality and experiences are shaped by multiple factors, making them more complex than a single characteristic.
How does the speaker relate intersectionality to a puzzle?
-The speaker compares intersectionality to a puzzle, where every part of a person—from their toes to the top of their head—comes together to form who they are. Each piece of the puzzle represents different aspects of their identity.
What does the example about light-skinned and First Nations identity demonstrate?
-It shows that people can be perceived differently based on their appearance, which may not always reflect their actual identity. In this case, the speaker is often mistaken for white because of their light skin, but they identify as First Nations.
What is the speaker trying to explain about the exclusivity of certain clubs?
-The speaker is giving an example of how certain societal rules or norms can exclude people based on arbitrary criteria, such as gender or possessions (like Pokemon cards), which reflects how discrimination and inequality can operate in society.
What does the speaker mean by 'the whole picture has to need your whole entire personality'?
-The speaker is saying that to fully understand a person, you need to consider all aspects of their identity and personality. No single trait defines a person; it’s the combination of all traits that makes them who they are.
How does the listener respond to the explanation of intersectionality?
-At first, the listener struggles to fully grasp the concept, but after further explanation, they express understanding, acknowledging that the idea of all parts of one's identity coming together makes sense to them.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Intersectionality

In this paragraph, the speaker introduces the concept of intersectionality and begins with a question to engage the audience. They explain that intersectionality helps to understand that people live multidimensional lives, particularly emphasizing that being part of multiple marginalized groups, like being both Black and a woman, can mean experiencing both racism and sexism simultaneously. The speaker stresses the importance of recognizing that these identities intersect, affecting people’s experiences in unique ways.

🤔 Intersectionality and Varying Experiences of Sexism

The speaker further elaborates on how sexism is not experienced by everyone in the same way, depending on other intersecting aspects of identity, such as race. They highlight the importance of being aware of the multiple factors that shape a person’s identity, including race, gender, and more. The speaker seeks feedback from the listener, ensuring clarity, and the listener shares a personal experience of being perceived as white but identifying as First Nations, further illustrating the complexities of identity.

🧩 Intersectionality as a Puzzle of Identity

Here, intersectionality is compared to a large, complex puzzle, where every part of a person’s identity, from their physical traits to their experiences, contributes to who they are. The speaker acknowledges the confusion of the listener but then explains that every part of a person is interconnected to make up their whole identity. The listener then has an 'aha' moment, understanding that people are not just one aspect but a combination of many, which forms their unique self.

🙌 Putting It All Together: Identity and Wholeness

The conversation wraps up with the listener fully understanding the concept. They appreciate the explanation, saying that it helped them see that a person’s entire personality and identity come together to form a complete picture. The interaction ends on a positive note, with a shared moment of mutual understanding and a celebratory high-five. The speaker then shifts to a playful comparison, referring to childhood experiences, like exclusive clubs and Pokémon cards, to illustrate how social boundaries can often exclude people based on arbitrary criteria, much like identity intersections can create unique challenges.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a concept that explains how various aspects of a person's identity, such as race, gender, and class, interact and overlap to create unique experiences. In the video, it's explained that being a black woman means one may experience both sexism and racism simultaneously. This term is crucial for understanding the multidimensional nature of identity and oppression.

💡Multidimensional Lives

This concept refers to the idea that people are made up of different layers of identity that influence their experiences. In the video, the speaker highlights how people don’t exist as just one label or characteristic (e.g., black or woman), but rather as a combination of various identities that shape their reality.

💡Sexism

Sexism is the discrimination based on a person's gender, typically directed towards women. In the video, sexism is mentioned as an issue that might not be experienced the same way by everyone, particularly when combined with other forms of discrimination like racism.

💡Racism

Racism is prejudice or discrimination against people based on their race or ethnicity. In the context of the video, it’s discussed as one of the forms of discrimination that intersect with other aspects of identity, like gender, to create complex experiences for individuals, especially for people of color.

💡Identity

Identity refers to the qualities, beliefs, personality, and expressions that make up an individual. The video emphasizes that identity is not one-dimensional, meaning people have multiple identities, such as race, gender, and nationality, that all contribute to who they are.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness in this context refers to an awareness of the different elements that make up an individual's identity. The speaker mentions being conscious of these intersecting identities to better understand how discrimination may affect someone on multiple levels.

💡First Nations

First Nations refers to the indigenous peoples of Canada. In the video, one of the participants shares that they are often mistaken for being white because of their light skin, but they identify as First Nations. This example highlights the complexity of identity and perception.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals based on aspects of their identity, such as race, gender, or age. The video discusses how discrimination can be experienced differently depending on the intersection of these identities, showing how people may face multiple forms of inequality at once.

💡Puzzle

The puzzle metaphor is used to describe how a person's identity is made up of many pieces. Each 'piece' represents a different part of who they are, from their gender to their race to their culture. The metaphor illustrates that all these aspects are interconnected and form a complete picture of the individual.

💡Perception

Perception is how people view and interpret others based on external characteristics. The video touches on how a person's outward appearance, like skin color, can lead others to make assumptions about their identity, as seen in the example of someone being perceived as white when they are actually First Nations.

Highlights

Introduction of the concept of intersectionality.

Explanation that people live multidimensional lives.

Example of a Black woman experiencing both racism and sexism.

Clarification that not everyone experiences sexism in the same way.

Discussion about how different aspects of identity contribute to someone's overall experience.

Agreement and understanding from the listener about intersectionality.

Listener shares personal experience of being mistaken for white despite being First Nations.

Analogy of intersectionality as a big puzzle that involves every part of a person.

Further explanation that intersectionality means looking at the 'whole picture' of someone's identity.

Listener expressing understanding of the concept after the puzzle analogy.

Listener realizes people aren’t defined by just one identity.

Gratitude from the listener for explaining intersectionality in a way they understand.

Positive interaction between the speaker and listener, ending with a high five.

Reference to gendered expectations such as boys-only clubs or specific standards for participation.

The closing example about Pokemon cards highlights how identity impacts experiences in everyday situations.