Intersectionality is a theoretical perspective which describes the ways in which compounded systems of oppression work together at multiple levels of society to perpetuate inequalities.
According to Kimberlé Crenshaw who coined the term in a paper as a way to help explain the oppression of African-American women:
“Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.”
If we fail to consider intersectionality, our efforts to promote health & fitness may be limited in their impact and could even worsen the situation for more disadvantaged people.
For example, a program aimed at empowering people to meal prep might overlook the unique oppressive circumstances working single moms of color face in terms of time, energy, stress, available food sources, trauma they’ve experienced while going to the grocery store that is closer to their home, prior cooking education or lack thereof, and cultural norms to fulfill this objective.
They may first need a life boat before receiving detailed instructions on how to build one.
A trauma-informed awareness of these intersecting layers of oppression empowers a coach to… choose a different approach that has a better chance of working, helps the person feel more truly seen and heard, and receive care that attempts to acknowledge the true scope and nuance of their work to improve their health.
Intersectionality is at the center of our coaching practice, because the changes you seek can only be had by understanding where intersecting oppressions and your power to change them come from in your life. “Pick your battles” is a concept I think most people understand.
But too often this intersection remains unacknowledged and obscured, which makes both coaches and clients vulnerable to low quality information, and magic beans. Truly intersectional coaching vastly broadens the scope of the work. Like, wow, it can be breathtaking to consider it all
As coaches, there can be an overwhelming, oceanic feeling to work on. How do I help someone when there are so many things to consider simultaneously? Where is this discomfort coming from?
In this capitalist system, I think most of us suffer from at least a time-scarcity based oppression to get things done fast, including how we help people. And though there may be some truth to it at times, I would suggest it often isn’t as real as it feels, and ought to be challenged.
One of the ways I work on my own intersectional oppression is… taking deep breaths to ground myself, making sure I sleep, eat, exercise, and nourish myself, so I can be fully present with the person I’m trying to help in the here and now.
From there, we’ll find the time.
Mauricio
References:
Crenshaw, Kimberlé (1989) “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics,” University of Chicago Legal Forum: Vol. 1989, Article 8. Available at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Barriers to Healthcare for Women: PMID: 36273069
What Is Intersectional Healthcare and Why Is It Important? – https://www.osmosis.org/blog/2023/08/22/what-is-intersectional-healthcare-and-why-is-it-important
Using an intersectionality approach to transform health services for overlooked healthcare users and workers after covid-19: BMJ 2023;381:e072243