Anne-Marie Slaughter: Intersectionality Of Gender Roles

Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberle Crenshaw and is used to describe the phenomenon of overlapping discrimination (4:42). The layers of one’s identity and the systems of oppression they face are what is overlapping, for example racial and gender discrimination both occurring towards an African American woman. However, identity is not solely composed of outer characteristics such as race and gender, it also includes the roles that they play and are responsible for. These roles can include things such as being a mother or a worker and they come with expected behaviors that are acted out and judged during everyday interactions. Failure to play out the role as society expects you to can lead to being frowned upon even though at the same time, systems of oppression that society creates can prevent you from playing out those roles. Therefore …show more content…
In Anne-Marie Slaughter’s experience is an example of intersectionality of her roles and how the gendered structure of her workplace prevented her from equally fulfilling both of her roles. Slaughter decided to leave her ambitious political job in order to be able to have more time for her family. The demands of Slaughters job included her moving away from her family and a full schedule leaving little time for her to care for herself let alone keep up with her family. Those demands came with the job description and the way it was structured, so if not for the structure, she could have been more flexible and been able to keep up both roles of prestigious worker and mother. She proposes a couple solutions such as making work schedules align with school schedules and to put more women, especially these high power women, into government and law making positions (Slaughter, p. 9,12, 18). The problem with the latter proposal is that it lacks awareness of her own privilege and intersectionality.