Discussion Post
In her TED Talk, Kimberlé Crenshaw brings up the idea of "frames." She explains that "communications experts tell us that when facts do not fit with the available frames, people have a difficult time incorporating new facts into their way of thinking about a problem" (3:22). In other words, frames are structures of thought that give meaning to information. If our existing frames can't account for the complexity of people's lives- such as the racialized-gendered violence that black women and girls experience- we might end up simplifying their lives by squeezing them into existing frames.
Crenshaw's talk and bell hooks's essay both offer us concepts- or frames- to gain a more accurate understanding of how systems and structures shape our everyday experiences. Specifically, both scholar-activists are interested in noticing and analyzing how power and privilege operate.
For your response this week, please select one of the prompts below. Regardless of the prompt, please be sure to discuss both Crenshaw's TED Talk and hooks's essay. You don't need to include quotes from both, but you do need to mention something specific from both.
• Both required texts analyze systems of domination. How do they help us better understand why someone might be in a position of power or in a position of disempowerment in our society?
• Explain at least one reason why hooks and Crenshaw advocate for an "interlocking" or "intersectional" approach to understanding our individual experiences or how systems/structures work.
• How would you use ideas in these two texts to work toward social justice, or to create a world with less domination?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.