Crenshaw introduces intersectionality, which is the idea that many aspects make up a person’s entire identity. She acknowledges the complexity of belonging simultaneously to several groups. Specifically, Crenshaw, as well as Dorothy Allison and Helene Clarkson, look at how intersectionality affects women that are abused and sexually assaulted. All three authors imply, but Crenshaw states, “The violence that many women experience is often shaped by other dimensions of their identities such as race and class” (200 IWS). Looking these aspects, race and class can help fill in the gaps between feminism and racism for women that are abused. Another thing that affects violence against women could be their location. Clarkson’s “War Crimes” refers to a city in Africa called Baraka which is “at the cross roads of armed groups—from Congo, Rawanda, Burundi,” (613 Clarkson). Being in such a dangerous, hostile place increases the chance of these women being hurt. However, that doesn’t mean a women in America won’t experience violence, rather the violence is experienced in a different way. When looking at Dorothy Allison’s story, we see that abuse in a small town in North Carolina can change a women’s perspective of herself. For example, often times Allison refers to herself as “unbeautiful” and speaks of how typically women see themselves as less significant as people in their society (Allison 32).
Location also has a great effect on how these women can receive help. Clarkson shows that African women are often times too scared to tell anyone about rape. This is due to a multitude of factors. The women are at risk of having contracted HIV or other diseases. There is also “social consequences…The stigma of rape leads some men to abandon their wives (613 Clarkson). Abandonment by a husband can typically leave a woman without any resources. These are important factors to consider when explaining why receiving help would be difficult or nonexistent. The women are too embarrassed to receive help and no one feels they deserve help. In the United States, Crenshaw shows the limited services for black women as well as immigrants. “Despite this woman’s desperate need, she was unable to receive the protection afforded English speaking women,” (204 IWS). Even in the United States, she shows that there are many things that can stand in the way of a woman getting help after they have been hurt. Interestingly, she also states that the help given in the United States typically is below average because of its inability to give specific help for someone who is both colored and a woman. “When the practices expound identity as woman or person of color as an either or proposition, they relegate the identity of women of color to a location that resists telling,” (200 IWS). The services are not representative of their experience, so these women feel they are unable to come forward to receive help. Women cannot be expected to receive the same care around the world, for their experience, identity and locations are all very different.
I thought this was a cool link, and the organization made me want to join!
It's surprises me that the help is so below average in the United States. One assumes that because we go around the world trying to help hunger, and insert education, we can't even accept our own nation, or help them, even though we are all human. Intersectionality, which is basically just diversity, you'd think would compel us as a nation to lean toward acceptance and help us understand the importance of preserving those around us, but though America is intent on pronouncing the word, "freedom" from every street corner, we have prerequisites and designated norms to help us deem what is worthy and what is useless.
ReplyDeleteI sent a link to Kyle about women in Pakistan who have to have five male witnesses to a rape, or it is discounted. It reminds me of Clarkson's "War Crimes," in how women are not expected to speak out against being violated, and if they do, they shame their families.
Perspectives women have of themselves is so skewed. As we saw in Kilbourne's documentary, the ideal woman is becoming computer generated, and the portrayal is that men are basically exempt from persecution to be the perfect man, thus the idea that they don’t have to work for a woman and women NEED men to survive arises. We can see how men treat the women of Dorothy Allison’s family, with brute force and a sharp tongue. Allison identifies with the women of her family as being almost handsome, but definitely not beautiful; a workhorse, built for labor; and a burden.