Bowleg L
American journal of public health. Date of publication 2012 Jul 1;volume 102(7):1267-73.
1. Am J Public Health. 2012 Jul;102(7):1267-73. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300750.
Epub 2012 May 17.
The problem with the phrase women and minorities: intersectionality-an important
theoretical framework for public health.
Bowleg L(1).
Author information:
(1)Department of Community Health and Prevention, School of Public Health,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA. iab26@drexel.edu
Intersectionality is a theoretical framework that posits that multiple social
categories (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic
status) intersect at the micro level of individual experience to reflect
multiple interlocking systems of privilege and oppression at the macro,
social-structural level (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism). Public health's
commitment to social justice makes it a natural fit with intersectionality's
focus on multiple historically oppressed populations. Yet despite a plethora of
research focused on these populations, public health studies that reflect
intersectionality in their theoretical frameworks, designs, analyses, or
interpretations are rare. Accordingly, I describe the history and central tenets
of intersectionality, address some theoretical and methodological challenges,
and highlight the benefits of intersectionality for public health theory,
research, and policy.
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300750
PMCID: PMC3477987
PMID: 22594719 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Appears in following Topics:
