Where We Stand: Class Matters

Published in 2000, Where We Stand: Class Matters emerged at a time of increasing discourse on intersectionality, particularly within feminist, racial justice, and economic movements. Scholar and writer, Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term in 1989 as “a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power.” Intersectionality provides a framework for understanding how different elements of a person’s identity (race, gender, class, religion, etc.) “combine to create intersecting forms of privilege and oppression depending on [their] context and existing power structures such as patriarchy, ableism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia and racism” (Intersectionality Resource Guide and Toolkit: An Intersectional Approach to Leave No One Behind. eBook, unwomen.org, January 2022). The rise in neoliberal economic policies in the late 20th century widened wealth inequality and disproportionately affected marginalized communities, leading scholars and activists to highlight the relationship between socio-economic hierarchy and discrimination based on race and gender. As globalization accelerated, economic instability and job insecurity became more pronounced, particularly among the working class and poor. This period also marked the increasing commercialization of activism, where social movements were often co-opted by corporate interests, further deepening class divides.