Is Whiteness Intersectional?

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: Positionality and Teaching

Abstract

In educational research, intersectionality is rarely theorized but frequently invoked, and recent conceptual and empirical work on White privilege has repeated this pattern. This paper assesses the viability of intersectionality as a lens for theorizing Whiteness in educational research. I first outline key debates among feminist and other social science scholars regarding intersectionality’s definitions and purposes. Then, I explore whether and how intersectionality might be used to examine the mutually constitutive nature of privilege and oppression, weighing notable arguments for and against. Based on this investigation, I propose guidelines for educational researchers interested in conceptualizing Whiteness using an intersectional lens.

Author

• Lisa Ann Sibbett, University of Washington - Seattle