Intersectionality: History, Context and Importance Today
- Amanda Cuthbert
- Jan 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 21
At NeuroBeyond, we acknowledge everyone's journey is multifaceted. Our counselling and supervision framework is person-centred, compassion-informed and intersectional.
Intersectionality helps us understand how different aspects of identity overlap and affect people's experiences of discrimination and privilege. But where did this important concept, movement and framework come from, and why does it matter today? This post explores the history of intersectionality and highlights its ongoing significance.
What is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality is a way of understanding how different social identities—such as race, gender, class, sexuality and ability—interact and shape individual experiences. Instead of viewing these identities separately or in layers, intersectionality shows how they intersect and combine to create unique forms of discrimination or privilege.
For example, a queer woman of colour may face challenges that are distinct from those encountered by a queer white woman or a queer man of colour because their experiences are influenced by the intersections of race, gender, and sexual orientation. Intersectionality helps illuminate these overlapping systems of oppression, highlighting how societal biases can compound and create unique struggles for individuals at these intersections.
The History of Intersectionality
During the late 20th century, social movements often focused on single issues, such as feminism, which primarily fought for gender equality, and civil rights activism, which targeted racial discrimination. This separation left many people, especially women of colour, without adequate representation or protection.
The term "intersectionality" was first coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American legal scholar and civil rights advocate. Crenshaw introduced the concept in her groundbreaking paper to address the limitations of anti-discrimination law and feminist theory, which often treated race and gender as separate issues.
Crenshaw’s work was inspired by the experiences of women of colour who found themselves marginalised within both the feminist movement and civil rights activism. These women faced discrimination that neither movement fully addressed because their identities intersected in ways that created unique challenges.
How Intersectionality Changed the Conversation
By introducing intersectionality, Crenshaw and other scholars expanded the way society thinks about inequality. The concept:
Encouraged activists and policymakers to recognise overlapping forms of oppression.
Helped reveal how laws and institutions might fail to protect people with intersecting identities.
Inspired new research and advocacy that addressed social realities.
Intersectionality also broadened feminist theory by including voices and experiences that had previously been overlooked.
Why Intersectionality is Important Today
In an ever-divided world, intersectionality promotes a framework for respect and compassion—moving towards justice for all. It fosters a culture of empathy and solidarity, urging us to listen to diverse voices and stories. Intersectionality is a powerful tool for social change, inspiring movements to dismantle oppressive structures and advocate for policies that uplift marginalised communities.
Intersectionality in Therapy Frameworks
Intersectionality is invaluable to therapy frameworks, as it enriches compassion, shapes the approach, raises awareness of power dynamics, and promotes shared decision-making and growth. By embracing intersectionality, counsellors can provide more effective and equitable support to their clients.
Wrap up: What intersectionality is and what it isn't
Focus of intersectionality | What it is… | What it isn’t… |
Social inequality | Mutually constituted and intersecting social categories | Adding up advantages and subtracting disadvantages |
Dynamic nature of inequality | Inequalities as dynamic relationships | A static and siloed examination of inequalities |
Contextual dependency | Understanding that power configurations are time- and location-dependent | Assumptions regarding the importance of any one or multiple social categories |
Structural and political context | Structural and political factors that shape inequalities | Focus on individual behaviour without consideration of structural and political constraints |
Power relations | An exploration on how social inequalities are shaped by power relations | Ignorance of the impact of power relations on social inequalities |
Implications for most disadvantaged | Focus on implications for those most marginalised within a group | Focus on implications for those whose status is protected or elevated within a group |
Reflexivity | Practitioners’ reflection on how their own background identities shape the research process and interpretation of results | Practitioners’ attempt to completely remove themselves from the research and analysis process |
References and More Information
Carbado, D. W., Crenshaw, K. W., Mays, V. M., & Tomlinson, B. (2013). Intersectionality: Mapping the Movements of a Theory. Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 10(2), 303–312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742058X13000349
Chapter 1: Feminisms, Intersectionality and narrative practice: An introduction - The Dulwich Centre. (2025, May 22). The Dulwich Centre. https://dulwichcentre.com.au/courses/feminisms-intersectionality-and-narrative-practice-online-course/lessons/feminisms-intersectionality-and-narrative-practice-an-introduction/
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: a Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. Chicago Unbound; University of Chicago Legal Forum. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8/
Intersectionality in psychology | APS. (n.d.). Psychology.org.au. https://psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2020/april-may-issue-2/intersectionality-in-psychology
UN Women Australia. (2022, June 24). Intersectionality Explained | Our Work. UN Women Australia. https://unwomen.org.au/our-work/focus-area/intersectionality-explained/
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