A Field in Formation: Intersectionality Is/As Social Justice

Social theory in and of itself can be a daunting scholarly enterprise—not least when framed within and through critical positionalities. While intersectionality at first glance may seem to be a relatively approachable social theory, especially given its increasing popularity in scholarly and popular modalities, it has proven to be substantively rich, complex, and consequential. In Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory, Patricia Hill Collins, pre-eminent scholar of intersectionality, takes on the ambitious project of positioning intersectionality as a critical social theory and illuminating the productive possibilities for intersectionality both epistemologically and methodologically, especially as a social justice project. By positioning intersectionality, Collins simultaneously contextualizes critical social theory and charts critical social theory's potential for scholars invested in activism and social justice who might otherwise be located in fields that self-identify and/or are identified as critical.

Collins politically situates and consequently politicizes intersectionality. Rather than catering to the academy's impetus to privilege so-called objective knowledge, Collins argues that critical social theory and concurrently intersectionality can only be critical insofar as their ethical commitments to social justice. Knowledge operating under the guise of neutral objectivity not only gets conferred with academic capital and epistemic power, but has historically proven to be an insidious weapon readily appropriated towards unjust, illiberal ends. In chapter 8, Collins specifically traces how eugenics, which she reads as a misguided project of intersectionality, forecasts the danger of not declaring ethical commitments. Said differently, intentions matter, and those intentions need to be deliberate and precise, not because our intentions guarantee the ends, but because the refusal to position our projects accrues unnecessary, undue risk.

Organizationally, Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory is divided into four parts comprised of two chapters each. Part I, "Framing the Issues: Intersectionality and Critical Social Theory," defines the essential contours of intersectionality and its relationship with established critical social theories. Part II, "How Power Matters—Intersectionality and Intellectual Resistance," identifies various strategies of intellectual resistance by locating intersectionality where critical social theory substantiates its critical capacity. Part III, "Theorizing Intersectionality—Social Action as a Way of Knowing," considers intersectionality's methodology: specifically, Collins argues that dialogical engagement and building "inclusive communities of inquiry" are the cornerstones of intersectionality's methodology (15). Finally, Part I V, "Sharpening Intersectionality's Critical Edge," serves as Collins's estimation of what will be most imperative for scholars of intersectionality to practice in order for intersectionality to meet its promise to be a critical social theory. Namely, intersectionality's critical edge and relevance are best fostered by a commitment to social justice.

Chapter 1, "Intersectionality as Critical Inquiry," assesses how scholars of intersectionality practice intersectionality in their projects—as metaphor, heuristic, and paradigm. In addition, Collins charts the tensions between intersectionality's modalities in both the social sciences and the humanities. Broadly, projects in the social sciences theorize social truth while humanities search for social meaning; Collins argues that intersectionality can and should attend to both. To that end, Collins argues that theory should "explain a given social phenomenon, not simply describe it" (51). Therefore, "intersectional theorizing would be the process or methodology used in developing those explanations" (51, her emphasis).

In Chapter 2, "What's Critical about Critical Social Theory?" Collins reviews critical social theory in the academy and charts how intersectionality might fit and (critically) intervene. "Critical," Collins notes, is often taken for granted as a certain kind of departure from or intervention within traditional social theories. Collins evaluates major established critical theories, specifically the Frankfurt School, British Cultural Studies, and Francophone Social Theory. This chapter offers a helpful introductory guide for those who might be newly navigating critical social theory and Cultural Studies; Collins both appreciates the contributions these fields have made while also accounting for their missteps and missed opportunities. Her critiques use an intersectional analytic that challenges reformist and transformative teleologies. She ultimately concludes that the reformist or transformative potential for any given theory hinges on...