Blog Prompt #2

Using Kimberlé Chrenshaw’s definition of "intersectionality" in “Mapping the Margins,” explore how Dorothy Allison, Helen Clarkson, and Kimberlé Chrenshaw illustrate that an intersectional approach to gender matters when analyzing violence against women.

Questions to get you started:

• According to Allison, Clarkson, and Chrenshaw, what other factors of identity are important to recognize when analyzing violence against women?
• How do violence and the threat of violence exert social control on women?
• How does violence against women differ in these pieces? Does this difference matter?
• According to Allison, Clarkson, and Chrenshaw, does a woman’s identity and location shape how she experiences violence and seeks out support?
• How do myths about violence against women silence women and perpetuate systems of oppression?
• Does identity shape how one might “tell” her story of violence?
• What steps need to be taken, according to the authors, to address the problem of violence against women?
  

Always use specific examples from at least two readings to “ground” your exploration. See Syllabus (3-4) for blog requirements.

Due Monday @ 6:00PM. Happy writing!

Interview with Dorothy Allison about Two or Three Things I Know For Sure. Start video at 41 minutes.