Intersections Chapter 5

What is Intersectionality?

Intersectionality Understanding the intersection of all of our identities We don’t just “do gender”… What other statuses affect one’s life, opportunities, treatment by others, and our own identity? What is your intersectional status? Why is an intersectional approach important? What makes it complicated and difficult to understand?

Intersectionality and the Matrix of Domination How do one’s master statuses converge with oppression and privilege

Gender Strategies Finding a way of doing gender that works for us as unique individuals who are also shaped by other parts of our identity and the complex realities of our lives What are the cultural recognizable masculinities and femininities? What are the gender stereotypes? How and when do we figure out a gender strategy and become ourselves? Does our gender strategy change? What is this called? What affects or gender strategies?

Gender Strategies and Social Class America’s wealth and income gaps and high levels of poverty Social Class and gender strategies-People carve out a masculinity or femininity based on social class, work, and life’s twists and turns Upper middle and upper class -Breadwinner/Wonderful wife and mother model vs the career woman strategy vs dual earner with high incomes vs stay at home dad models Working and middle class Dual earner couples-Supermoms-Emasculated dads?-Superdads-Blue collar workers and “real men”-Country boys and gals and city guys and girls Differing masculinities and femininities

Gender and Race Race and Ethnicity What are the modern day stereotypes showing the intersections of race and gender: Black men Black women Latino men Latino women Asian Men Asian women White men White women Bi racial men and women -Aggresiveness vs docility/passiveness? Highly masculine or feminine? Highly intelligent? Criminal? Hypersexual? Racially unmarked? All American girl? Privileged? Underpriviliged? How do many fight against or overcome these stereotypes with gender strategies?

Gender Strategies and Sexual Orientation Sexual Minorities How are gay men and women stereotyped in America? What gay gender strategies exist? Does gender expression always relate to sexual orientation? What is “passing”? Why would someone “pass”? Homophobia Compulsory heterosexuality Heteronormativity Homonormativity How do gender strategies for gays and lesbians change across culture and history? What is a survival Strategy?

Gender Strategies and Immigration Downward mobility for many immigrants Shifting Strategies due to new cultural ideas and differing economic realities New Gender roles and ideologies for individuals and couples Xenophobia and criminal and sexual stereotypes Reconfiguiring sexuality

Gender Strategies and Ability/Disability Physical disabilities can interfere with one of our most potent resources for doing gender: Our Bodies Disability and masculinity Class and race intersections The code of the streets and the tough guy strategy Money and independence The “still a man” strategy? Pg 104 examples Workaholics Disability and femininity Denial of the Girly Girl strategy Feeling and liberationvs feelings of being in “no womans land” “Ever since I’ve been ina wheelchair, I’ve stopped getting catcalled”

Gender and Age and Attractiveness As we get older, our ability to pull off different gender strategies changes…How? Gender rules and age rules coincide Examples of breaking the rules? The double standard of aging Ageism

Overall, gender colludes with our other statuses…gender intersects with our other salient identities. We carve out strategies and modify them across time and place managing expectations, constraints and opportunities QUOTE ON LAST PAGE 110