Arising out of emerging
critical race theory, Crenshaw’s 1989 landmark paper on violence against women
of color differentiates between structural and political intersectionality. Structural
intersectionality refers to the manner in which various influences (such as gender
and race) intersect to make a “common” experience (e.g., the experience of violence)
qualitatively different for Black women and White women (Crenshaw, 1989).
According to Crenshaw (1991), structural intersectionality allows us to examine
situations where care and services that are meant to address the needs of “all”
women are supposedly provided but are, in fact, likely designed to meet the needs of
a particular group of women thus leading to less than optimal care and services. For
example, a rape crisis center for Black women—who are struggling with economic
hardship, child care responsibilities, and precarious housing situations—is unlikely
to be effective if it is designed according to the needs of economically privileged,
educated, and stably employed White women.