Throughout our social inequality class we have learned about the foundations of many social issues including those of race, gender, religion, and more. Although a lot of groups face their own forms of social inequality, we see that individuals experience prejudice and discrimination in unique ways according to the multiple groups that they may belong to. According to Patricia Collins, "Intersectionality stresses the linked inequalities in a society and the multiplicity of statuses all people occupy" (Healey, Stepnick, O’Brian, 2019, pg. 16). In the United States, these forms of social inequality also have an impact on social mobility. My blog entry today will focus on intersectionality and to what extent intersectionalities can impact an individual's social mobility So what is Intersectionality? The video above provides more of a discussion on what intersectionality is. Intersectionality is the cross between different identities that a person might identify as. For example a woman of color has two identities. A gender identity and a racial identity. Intersectionality theory stresses that social inequality should not be explored through these individual groups. Instead, we need to look at what individuals experience based on the multiple identities that they identify as. In this way we can better understand the experiences of individuals and life chances and experiences that they go through. What is Social Mobility and Upward Social Mobility? According to Healey “social mobility is movement up and down the stratification system” (Healey, Stepnick, O’Brian, 2019, pg. 17). Upward social mobility in the United States is the process of climbing up the social and economic ladder. Ideally, as one becomes educated and increases their skills they are more likely to move upward within the stratification system. In this higher social status they are given opportunities such as owning homes, having higher paying jobs, retiring, providing for their families and leaving some kind of assets to future generations. Unfortunately, this ideal version of upward social mobility is not what we typically see in the United States. The United States was built upon a patriarchal, heternormative, racist foundation. Thus, it is clear that the issues of inequality have always been at the foundation of social mobility. In the journal article “Social Inequality and Social Mobility” by Michal Pohoski, the author talks about how social mobility is based on life chances. These life chances are opportunities and experiences that individuals go through usually based on the power an individual or groups contains. The problem we see is the inequality of opportunities that groups are given. From slavery, racial segregation, sexism, and currently mass incarceration we see many disparities and lack of opportunities for groups of people. Specifically, people of color in the United States and people who lack opportunities that don’t fit into the white heteronormative category. The picture below shows the factors that play into social mobility and how the vision of “American upward mobility” is almost unattainable. These factors often way individuals down and keep them in a stagnant cycle that does not allow them to break out of it. Intersectionality and Social Mobility Intersectionality theory is very important when analyzing social mobility because of the unique experiences of each individual. We see that the more intersections of identities that an individual attains, the more social inequality they are likely to endure. This is why transgender women of color are known to have the highest amount of experiences of social inequality. Transgender women of color are tied to three different categories. First, being a woman of color. Secondly, being a woman. Lastly, being transgender. All of these groups have been known to be oppressed throughout history. For an individual to be a part of all of these groups means to face the highest amount of inequality in our society. We can see that people that are transgender often face discrimination in the work environment, which is one of the biggest factors in upward social mobility. The National Center for Transgender Equality reported in 2015 “one in six respondents who have ever been employed eported losing a job because of their gender identity or expression in their lifetime”. Transgender women of color also face the highest rates of death and violence. In an article published by race forward, “New Database Tracks Deaths of Transgender Homicide Victims” the author Kenrya Rankin states “fully 75 percent of the trans and gender-nonconforming Americans killed because of their identities since 2010 were Black women”. Trans and gender-nonconforming individuals already face a high percentage of death and violence but the fact that 75 percent of them are women of color shows that the intersection of all three categories increases their risk. Aside from job opportunities and disruptions in education (as shown in the picture below), if transgender women of color are facing the highest rates of death and violence, social mobility is almost impossible for these individuals. Although there is a misconception that we see less social inequality today, the foundation of this country was built upon social inequality and won’t be solved until the system is completely replaced. In the mean time, it is best to educate ourselves on these issues. It is so important to look at these inequalities from an intersectional theorist perspective. Because of every individual’s unique experiences that are connected to their identities, we can better understand the struggle that many people face. This blog touches on how transgender women of color often face the most inequality because of the multiple intersections of their identity.
Here are some resources to learn more about this topic: https://transequality.org/issues/anti-violence https://www.hrc.org/resources/a-national-epidemic-fatal-anti-transgender-violence-in-america-in-2018 References Aune, S. (2016, April 19). Transgender identity is not a mental disorder. Retrieved from http://thedailycougar.com/2016/04/06/society-mistreats-the-transgender-community/. Denver Post. (2016, May 2). Upward mobility. Retrieved from https://www.denverpost.com/2011/10/26/upward-mobility/. Healey, J. F., Stepnick, A., & OBrien, E. (2019). Race, ethnicity, gender, & class: the sociology of group conflict and change (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Intersectionality 101. (2016). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/w6dnj2IyYjE. James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality Pohoski, Michał. "Social Inequality and Social Mobility." International Journal of Sociology 16.1-2 (1986): 30-59. Rankin, K. (2016, December 13). New Database Tracks Deaths of Transgender Homicide Victims. Retrieved from https://www.colorlines.com/articles/new-database-tracks-deaths-transgender-homicide-victims.
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