Institut Ramon LLull

Maria Rodó-Zárate’s book is based on a concept created by African American feminists: intersectionality. The central idea of this theory is to make clear that inequality and discrimination— both individual and collective—have many causes and is never merely based on gender, or merely on race, or merely on social class, or merely on age, but rather on the interrelation of these and other factors. Since it was formulated in the 1980s, this concept has enriched the contributions of various thinkers and activists, evolving into a sophisticated and highly efficient tool/idea. However, and precisely because of this intersectional gaze, it has become clear that there are still pending challenges: exclusions within feminist movements; the hierarchy in the class struggle; the emergence of new inequalities and new political subjects… In this book, Maria Rodó-Zárate explains in detail what intersectionality is, as she follows the evolution of the movement that inspires and exemplifies its interpretative and transformative possibilities in various practical cases. The author also contributes her own theory and incorporates the concept of place. This does not refer to a geographic space, but rather a sentimental one that allows us to become more aware of our position. Recognizing where we are and in relation to what is essential to our ability to affect the status quo based on privilege and oppression.