Intersectional Criminology Study Notes

Definition of Intersectional Criminology:
- A theoretical approach emphasizing a critical reflection on interconnected identities and statuses of individuals/groups concerning their experiences with crime, social control, and crime-related issues.
- Grounded in intersectionality, a concept stemming from women of color feminist theory and activism.
Research Focus:
- Reviews feminist and critical research on Black girls' and women's experiences related to crime and victimization.
- Highlights the social impacts of race, gender, ideals of femininity/masculinity, sexuality, and socioeconomic class.
Significance:
- Advocates for widespread adoption of intersectional approaches in criminology encompassing all social identities and statuses.
- Emphasizes that identities are socially constructed, dynamic, and influence experiences of power and marginalization.

Intersectionality:
- Term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in late 1980s to illustrate the unique discrimination faced by Black women regarding employment, which differs from Black men and White women.
Debates on Intersectionality:
- Some scholars view it as a 'buzzword' or a key contemporary feminist theory essential for feminist analysis.
- Confusion exists around definition—whether it's a theory, method, or concept for analyzing individuals with multiple marginalized identities.
- Kathy Davis states that neglecting difference in gender studies risks rendering one’s work irrelevant or misguided.
Historical Context:
- Crenshaw's work influenced by broader Black feminist literature, noting that intersectional ideas have a longer history than often recognized.
Rejecting the Everywoman Analysis:
- Historical contributions of Black women in feminist ideology, dating back to the 1800s.
- Significant figures: Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, emphasizing that U.S. feminism has not been exclusive to White, middle-class women.

Key Concepts:
- Essentialism vs. Anti-essentialism: Essentialism sees inherent unchanging characteristics, while anti-essentialism negates the singular shared experience among women.
- Multiple Jeopardy Theory: Black women experience intersecting oppressions based on race and gender.
Key Thinkers:
- Frances M. Beal introduced the term "Double Jeopardy", highlighting the unique oppression faced by Black women.
- Vivian V. Gordon spoke of the "trilogy of oppression" affecting Black women, intertwining race, gender, and class.

Crenshaw’s Definition:
- Intersectionality as the simultaneous interplay of race and gender discrimination.
- Utilizes an analogy of traffic at an intersection to explain how discrimination flows from various directions and can harm individuals uniquely based on their intersecting identities.
Three Forms of Intersectionality:
- Structural Intersectionality: Institutions create disadvantages for women of color.
- Political Intersectionality: Tensions between feminist and anti-racist agendas.
- Representational Intersectionality: The need for critical interrogation of the representations and images of women of color.

Intersectionality has been gaining traction over the past two decades in criminological scholarship, particularly among feminist criminologists.
Key Studies:
- Christy A. Visher’s 1983 research highlighted how race and gender influenced police arrest decisions.
- Regina Arnold’s 1990 study examined how various forms of oppression impacted Black women.
- Identified patterns of victimization and criminalization due to gender and class-based oppression.
- Beth E. Richie in "Compelled to Crime" explored the notion of gender entrapment among battered Black women, showing how their identities led to survival strategies that could involve criminal activity.
Research Challenges:
- Mainstream criminology often overlooks intersectional analysis, and empirical work rarely focuses on how Black women's experiences differ from White women's.

Studies by Nikki Jones and others emphasize how Black young women's responses to violence are mediated by societal expectations and their complex identities.
Themes Emerging in Research:
- Intersectional analyses reveal that Black women and girls utilize various strategies for navigating violence.
- Experiences with intimate partner violence are often not idealistically captured, leading to underrepresentation of the challenges Black women face.
Richie’s Analysis in "Arrested Justice":
- Discusses the limitations of the anti-violence movement's effectiveness for women of color, depicting the need for a nuanced understanding of how anti-violence campaigns often center White women.

Intersectional criminology presents a necessary evolution in understanding crime.
Call for criminologists to adopt intersectional methods to better analyze crime’s social dynamics and reform social policy.
Advocates that intersectionality be recognized beyond marginalized identities to include experiences and power dynamics affecting all societal hierarchies.